Have you ever attended a Polka Mass?

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I like polka music, but not at Mass. I attended one many years ago. I had no choice, actually. I was on a cruise ship, and there was a parish group from Pennsylvania aboard with their priest. He said Mass for everyone on Sunday, and it was a polka Mass. I don’t think Mass should sound like a dance hall on a Saturday night.
 
Twice. The hymns were traditional Catholic hymns played and sang in a polka tempo, but with the words unchanged. There was no dancing. I didn’t see anything wrong with it. It was actually easier for the community to sing together because the tempo.

I have also assisted at numerous Spanish Masses where some of the hymns were in a tempo I would classify as a polka tempo, but that is just the normal tempo those hymns were written in.
 
Leopard said:
Twice. The hymns were traditional Catholic hymns played and sang in a polka tempo, but with the words unchanged. There was no dancing. I didn’t see anything wrong with it. It was actually easier for the community to sing together because the tempo.

I have also assisted at numerous Spanish Masses where some of the hymns were in a tempo I would classify as a polka tempo, but that is just the normal tempo those hymns were written in.
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What is a Polka Mass?
 
Yes many times and love them!!!👍

Very moving and spiritual, at least for me…

have also been to several tamburitza Masses as well, equally moving and spiritual…👍
 
Tenebrae said:
I like polka music, but not at Mass. I attended one many years ago. I had no choice, actually. I was on a cruise ship, and there was a parish group from Pennsylvania aboard with their priest. He said Mass for everyone on Sunday, and it was a polka Mass. I don’t think Mass should sound like a dance hall on a Saturday night.
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My parish has one once per year. I attend a neighboring parish or go to mass at a different time that Sunday.
 
Tenebrae said:
…I don’t think Mass should sound like a dance hall on a Saturday night.
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I think this opinion may stem from the ethnic or cultural experiences you bring with you to Mass. I have never been to a dance hall on any day of the week, so polka music, or any kind of music, does not suggest this to me. I have been to numerous Masses featuring polka-tempo music though, both Polish and Mexican, and have been to numerous celebrations of special events, including such religious events as celebrations of holy days, baptisms, first Communions, confirmations, quinceañeras, tres años, marriages, anniversaries and wakes, that have all included music that could be classified as polka.

So that is the experience I bring with me to Mass. I think Mass should probably not sound like a dance hall on Saturday night either, whatever that may sound like. But I have no problem with a Mass that sounds like a Mass with polka tempo music.
 
I used to think that “Polka Mass” was just a slang term for a folk Mass. Then I visited Minnesota and discovered the horrible truth.

“Roll out the pastor . . .”
 
I had this misfortune about 30 or so years ago at a predominatly Czech parish. Its choir was joined by that of the local Ukrainian Catholic church. The Ukrainian priest sat there with a disgusted expression on his face.

Afterwards, the celebrant said something about this coming from the land of Ss Cyril and Methodius. I mentioned to the Ukrainian priest, “Didn’t Ss Cyril and Methodius have a better liturgy to work with?” He replied, “They had a hell of a better liturgy to work with!”
 
A couple of years back, I picked up an old record at a thrift store which was a recording of a special setting for the Polka Mass. When it came to the Alleluia acclamation part to preceed the Gospel, I thought, “This sounds awful familiar!” I wracked my brain as to why or where I might have heard it before. Finally it came to me. “Al-le-lu, Al-le-lu, Al-le-lu-ia, Alle-alle-lu-i-a” was being sung to the tune of “Oblade-Oblabah, Life Goes On!”
 
It’s not the polka tempo I object to so much as the musical instruments used. At the polka Mass I attended they had drums, accordion, clarinets, etc.
That’s what I mean about sounding like a dance hall on Saturday night.
 
bpbasilphx said:
I had this misfortune about 30 or so years ago at a predominatly Czech parish. Its choir was joined by that of the local Ukrainian Catholic church. The Ukrainian priest sat there with a disgusted expression on his face.

Afterwards, the celebrant said something about this coming from the land of Ss Cyril and Methodius. I mentioned to the Ukrainian priest, “Didn’t Ss Cyril and Methodius have a better liturgy to work with?” He replied, “They had a hell of a better liturgy to work with!”
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The priest was right: the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is truly beautiful. The thought of it being set to accordions (or any musical instrument) is scandalous in and of itself.

No wonder the priest was so upset. I would have been too.
 
brittrossiter said:
The priest was right: the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is truly beautiful. The thought of it being set to accordions (or any musical instrument) is scandalous in and of itself.

No wonder the priest was so upset. I would have been too.
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You are confusing 2 different styles of worship.

The Divine Liturgy would NEVER has instrumental accompaniment.

The Roman Rite Mass always has musical instruments in it.

The types of musical instruments will vary depending on where in the world the Mass is celebrated.

I"ve seen the Gorale from southern Poland playing accordians and violins and cymbaly as they walked in pilgrimage to Jasna Gora, singing at the top of their lungs…
👍
 
Patchunky said:
The types of musical instruments will vary depending on where in the world the Mass is celebrated.

I"ve seen the Gorale from southern Poland playing accordians and violins and cymbaly as they walked in pilgrimage to Jasna Gora, singing at the top of their lungs…
👍
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Yes, what it really depend upon is HOW the instruments are played and in what kind of setting/style. This sort of “old world” celebration done well could, indeed, be very beautiful and uplifting.
 
<<The Divine Liturgy would NEVER has instrumental accompaniment.

The Roman Rite Mass always has musical instruments in it.>>

Neither of these statements are true.

Some Greek and Antiochian Orthodox parishes have shown a tendency to use organs, which is strange as the micro-tonal Byzantine music just can’t be sung properly in equal temperament.

There were certain days and seasons where the rubrics of the Roman Rite forbade even organs to be used.
 
I am wondering if the Polka Mass Fans think its OK to have a “hip Hop” Mass or a “heavy metal” mass…where the songs lyrics were the same but the tempo and music was in the format of heavy metal rock…could you image singing Holy God we Praise Thy name to the tune of “thank GOd for the BOmb” which happens to be on Ozzy Osbournes album Title “the ultimate sin”
 
I have never been to a _______ Mass, nor will I ever.

You may fill in the blank with words such as polka, disco, punk, reggae, jazz, clown, Halloween, Star Wars, and so on.

My reasons are very well explained in the following EWTN link, where someone asked about polka masses.

ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur29.htm

MT
 
MichiganTrumbul said:
I have never been to a _______ Mass, nor will I ever.

You may fill in the blank with words such as polka, disco, punk, reggae, jazz, clown, Halloween, Star Wars, and so on.

My reasons are very well explained in the following EWTN link, where someone asked about polka masses.

ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur29.htm

MT
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I don’t think it should be ever allowed. The Mass is about the Eucharist not some Polka silly stuff… that’s just too new age for me… I want Tradition Catholic worship… A Paschal Liturgy…
 
Polka Masses

I have attended a Polish Folk Mass and a Polka Mass. Thumbs down on the Polka Mass.

The Polish Folk Mass was very reverent even though the song tempo was upbeat. The songs were very traditional and beautiful, the same that were sung in my Church growing up. Instead of an organ, there was accordian, violin, and saxophone.
 
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