S
scherzo
Guest
I’ve been a music minister for about 12 years at our parish. We’ve had a few different priests over these 12 years but the current one (who has been with us for only 3 years) seems to have a different take on our Holy Week liturgies.
There are quite a few things that I know aren’t hard and fast rules but I think many of the symbols that I’ve grown to love over the last 25 years I’ve been in my parish are lost or diminished.
As an example. We used to not have musical instruments used right after the Gloria on Holy Thursday until the Gloria in the Easter Vigil. (Just like the bells etc…). All music was accapella. We have been moving away from this as the choir that does the Thursday Masses uses drums and guitar all through the Mass. I do Good Friday and the Easter Vigil so we don’t use instruments until the Gloria on Saturday.
During the Easter Vigil we used to have it all in darkness and everything lit by Candelight until the Gloria where we used to have altar flowers brought out, the lights would come on, the organ would be playing, bells would be going etc… etc… Now the lights get turned on during the readings. (they bring on a bank of lights one at a time). The symbolism of us being in darkness until his arrival is completely lost. The flowers are out on the altar, the lights are already on during the readings that the impact is diminished.
My question to you all is. What are your local traditions during these liturgies. Do you do music accapella? What do you do for the Easter Vigil?
Thanks
There are quite a few things that I know aren’t hard and fast rules but I think many of the symbols that I’ve grown to love over the last 25 years I’ve been in my parish are lost or diminished.
As an example. We used to not have musical instruments used right after the Gloria on Holy Thursday until the Gloria in the Easter Vigil. (Just like the bells etc…). All music was accapella. We have been moving away from this as the choir that does the Thursday Masses uses drums and guitar all through the Mass. I do Good Friday and the Easter Vigil so we don’t use instruments until the Gloria on Saturday.
During the Easter Vigil we used to have it all in darkness and everything lit by Candelight until the Gloria where we used to have altar flowers brought out, the lights would come on, the organ would be playing, bells would be going etc… etc… Now the lights get turned on during the readings. (they bring on a bank of lights one at a time). The symbolism of us being in darkness until his arrival is completely lost. The flowers are out on the altar, the lights are already on during the readings that the impact is diminished.
My question to you all is. What are your local traditions during these liturgies. Do you do music accapella? What do you do for the Easter Vigil?
Thanks