How do you like your church music?

[Prometheum_x]

Yes I agree, the vernacular is a distraction at best. As far as needing to learn new songs. Why is this neccessary? The Church has a treasury of beautiful songs. These "new " songs are nothing more than an attempt to further the agenda of the “new liturigsts”. After I receive Holy Communion, I do not want to be listening to banal attempts at music.

Pax

The Church does have a treasury of beautiful songs, but that treasury can always be enriched further. In the time of Palestrina it was argued that we should never use anything but chant, but today I doubt there are more than just a very few who think we never should have added sacred polyphony to the treasury of Church music.

If we take this argument against new music to its logical conclusion, we might very well wonder why we should ever do anything new in any of the sacred arts. There would never be a need for new artists, sculptors or composers. There would be no need for new Doctors of the Church, or anything else new.

 

[roadsend]

Enhancing the Church’s treasury of sacred music with new and beautiful creations is commendable.
But it is not commendable when almost an entire generation has never heard either Gregorian Chant or Sacred Polyphony at Mass.
The new music we have been inflicted with to the exclusion of our traditional music seems to be less than beautiful and in too many instances not even Catholic.
The folks at OCP are making quite a bit of money from it, however.

 

[Tigg]

I have to add something after reading a poster above.

It’s nice when the organ is played really loud like for Easter hymns like “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” or Christmas Hymns like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, etc. It adds more feeling and beauty.

I would agree with a qualification: That it depends upon which part of the Mass in which it is done. The Entrance hymn is the first thing to lift our hearts up to the Lord and “get us in the mood.” “Louder” music might be appropriate here to elevate our soul to that which we are about to experience. Likewise, the final hymn should reinforce the sacred celebration in which we have just participated and would probably be appropriate for the same reason. But I believe that during Communion which is THE moment so to speak, of our entire Liturgy, the focus should be placed upon our Lord, with individual prayers of praise and thanksgiving for the gift of His Body we have just received.

Do you know how difficult it is to say the Anima Christi with heartfelt meaning at the same time the choir is belting out a loud and banal song, more often than not, off-key? That is not conducive to the union we are, in reality, experiencing. The Lord is getting the short end here when I want to cover my ears for the purpose of spending a quiet and personal moment with Him.

 

[DanielW]

The only thing that comes to mind is are we there to be entertained by the music. This sunday I was not sure if I was at a beach boys concert or a rock concert. It seems as though we are missing the holiness of the mass. yes it did seem like we were in a race at singing. One minute the priest was trying to be holy and then it changed. I am not sure if we are trying to please various groups of people by changing music. This seems to be leading us away from why we are there. It is reminding me of the time I spent in the pentecostal church.
Thanks For Listening.

 

[vh_22]

The music at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is very old school and traditional; I don’t like it very much. I like the contemporary Christian rock at the youth mass at a small church by my house so much better.

 

[MarkThompson]

The music at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is very old school and traditional; I don’t like it very much. I like the contemporary Christian rock at the youth mass at a small church by my house so much better.

Out of curiosity, do people at the small church tend to just listen to the band perform, or do you get to sing along?

 

[vh_22]

Out of curiosity, do people at the small church tend to just listen to the band perform, or do you get to sing along?

I see a lot of people at St. Mary Magdalene sing along with the band, especially the teens.

 

[Hereswith]

I agree with the person who posted that songs need to be sung at a good clip - I grew up in a church that sang “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” FAST, and it was joyful! She is right, sung slowly it is a funeral dirge.

I have always noticed that if people in the congregation are seated near someone who is a confident singer, they sing louder. But hearing someone belt it out as if they are the only one in the room (and that includes the choir director) smacks of pride and show-offyness. I can’t stand that. The Church is no place for that attitude! So if you sing well - sing to lead, not to show off and one-up everyone.

 

[benedictgal]

Not to offend choirs, but, I particularly enjoyed Mass this weekend in my parish. The choirs were given the weekend off and our parochial vicar chose the music. I went to the Mass that is normally done by the choir that uses Spirit and Song. The music, in my opinion, is not at all suitable for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is more performance than anything and does not have anything really substantive. But, it is not the choir’s fault, nor the music director, as my pastor has bought into the OCP machine.

Yesterday, we sang Traditional Sacred music for the Second Sunday of Easter. We sang Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today, chanted the Gloria in English as well as the Gospel Acclamation, the Sanctus (English), the Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen. For the offertory, we sang Ye Sons and Daughters and for Communion, we sang At the Lamb’s High Feast. For the recessional, we sang the last two verses of Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today. I say “we sang” because the faithful did sing. All of us sang the hymns. This rarely happens at this particular Mass.

One of the choir members sat behind me at Mass. She asked me why I don’t join the group. I told her that the choir has a plethora of talent, but, the music they are given to sing is drek. I asked her if she noticed that the faithful were singing. She said she did. I told her that this was the kind of hymnody we should be using. Mind you, many of the choir members sing at the local philharmonic chorale. They are not teenagers, as the youngest is in her thirties.

The music needs to be at the service of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not the other way around. A lot of the LifeTeen music sounds like it belongs on the FM station and not within the confines of the Mass. Nary a word is mentioned about the fact that the Mass is the Holy Sacrifice. The LifeTeen music certainly does not convey that. What kind of a heritage are we passing down to the next generation?

I am grateful that some of our seminarians are seeing the light and have fallen in love with genuine sacred music. When they came home for Triduum, they were disappointed with the lack of real music in our diocese. Rather than encourage them, folks down here seem to downplay things and actually make snide remarks. This is wrong. These young men are going to be our future priests. They are trying to do the right thing. They want to share what they have discovered.

 

[agapewolf]

As a lifeteen music leader, I can’t even use all the songs during Lent that are available about the Holy Sacrifice— there are so many.

One of my recent favs:
Mystery by Charlie Hall:

Sweet Jesus Christ my sanity Sweet Jesus Christ my clarity
Bread of heaven, broken for me Cup of salvation held up to drink Jesus, Mystery
Christ has died and Christ is risen, and Christ will come again
Celebrate his death and rising Lift your eyes, proclaim his come

a couple others from my rep, this makes up, maybe 5% of songs about the sacrifice

At the cross by Hillsong

At the cross I bow my knee Where Your blood was shed for me
There’s no greater love than this You have overcome the grave
Your Glory fills the highest place What can separate me now?

You tore the veil You made a way When You said that it is done

Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle

To the cross I look, to the cross I cling Of its suffering I do drink Of its work I do sing

For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed showed that God is love And God is just

At the cross You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love, I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life Have I been given Through Christ crucified

YES I WILL by bebo

In the passion of Your sacrifice I saw the prophecy fulfilled
The Healer of the world, the wounded ChristI heard You say, come follow me So I will, yes I will

Follow You Jesus, all the way up that hill To the cross where the river runs
Crimson even still, yes I will Follow You Lord, I will

On the sacred path, You bled for us Scored and broken, up that hill How terrible the cross, how glorious I heard You say, come follow me So I will, yes I will

 

[tomylee1]

i like slow and loud voice church music.

 

[benedictgal]

As a lifeteen music leader, I can’t even use all the songs during Lent that are available about the Holy Sacrifice— there are so many.

One of my recent favs:
Mystery by Charlie Hall:

a couple others from my rep, this makes up, maybe 5% of songs about the sacrifice

At the cross by Hillsong

Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle

YES I WILL by bebo

But, Hillsong is Protestant and not at all conducive to the Mass. Inasmuch as having read your posts in a plethora of music threads and sparred with you, I realize that you will probably refuse to admit this, but most of the LifeTeen repertoire comes from the Protestant praise and worship genre. The instruments and style are incompatible with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The teens need to learn about our Sacred patrimony, our Sacred heritage, not the stuff that belongs to Protestant ecclesial communities whose idea of “worship” is incompatible with ours.

Exposing the kids to PW does them no favors. Exposing the faithful to this does them no favors. We are cheating them out of something that the Church has held sacred for nearly two millenia.

 

[agapewolf]

But, Hillsong is Protestant and not at all conducive to the Mass. Inasmuch as having read your posts in a plethora of music threads and sparred with you, I realize that you will probably refuse to admit this, but most of the LifeTeen repertoire comes from the Protestant praise and worship genre. The instruments and style are incompatible with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The teens need to learn about our Sacred patrimony, our Sacred heritage, not the stuff that belongs to Protestant ecclesial communities whose idea of “worship” is incompatible with ours.

Exposing the kids to PW does them no favors. Exposing the faithful to this does them no favors. We are cheating them out of something that the Church has held sacred for nearly two millenia.

Nope, wasn’t my point. Just because hillsong is protestant does not make the music unfit for mass…the lyrics are in line with church teaching.

You said lifeteen music didn’t focus on the holy sacrifice. I proved you wrong. That was the ONLY point I was making. You were wrong in your point.

See, whats gonna happen now, is that B-gal will bring up several other issues, and completely ignore this one point usual. Yes, many different aspects should be considered when evalutating appropriateness for mass, But lets look at them ONE AT A TIME, which is always what I try to do.

I’m just proving ONE POINT incorrect. Lifeteen music, does indeed focus on the sacrifice. There are many many many songs that do.

 

[benedictgal]

Nope, wasn’t my point. Just because hillsong is protestant does not make the music unfit for mass…the lyrics are in line with church teaching.

You said lifeteen music didn’t focus on the holy sacrifice. I proved you wrong. That was the ONLY point I was making. You were wrong in your point.

See, whats gonna happen now, is that B-gal will bring up several other issues, and completely ignore this one point usual. Yes, many different aspects should be considered when evalutating appropriateness for mass, But lets look at them ONE AT A TIME, which is always what I try to do.

I’m just proving ONE POINT incorrect. Lifeteen music, does indeed focus on the sacrifice. There are many many many songs that do.

Actually, you did not prove me wrong. Their version of sacrifice is vastly different from the Catholic perspective. My challenge to you and the other LifeTeen leaders is this: why not try a novel approach and teach the teens geniune sacred music? Why not let them share in the beauty of the Church’s authentic, sacred liturgical music? Eventually, they are going to grow out of the PW genre and what will remain? Nothing. They will want more. They will want something they never experienced.

The reason why I make these statements. I am tired, sickly tired, of the banal tripe that passes for music in my parish, and throughout the diocese. Believe me, if there were an FSSP, an Anglican-Use, or a Byzantine parish down here in the hinterland, I would bolt. It has gotten to the point that I would even risk walking across the bridge to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, if I knew that there was a Mass in the EF there (and there is not).

The music that my parish uses is not conducive to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is not sacred in nature and, frankly, it is pitiful. Those of us who have a real love for sacred music do not want to see it relegated to some museum piece that is only played once a year at special concerts. This music was meant for the Mass. It works at the service of the Mass. It contains essential kernels of our faith.

 

[agapewolf]

Actually, you did not prove me wrong. Their version of sacrifice is vastly different from the Catholic perspective. My challenge to you and the other LifeTeen leaders is this: why not try a novel approach and teach the teens geniune sacred music? Why not let them share in the beauty of the Church’s authentic, sacred liturgical music? Eventually, they are going to grow out of the PW genre and what will remain? Nothing. They will want more. They will want something they never experienced.

The reason why I make these statements. I am tired, sickly tired, of the banal tripe that passes for music in my parish, and throughout the diocese. Believe me, if there were an FSSP, an Anglican-Use, or a Byzantine parish down here in the hinterland, I would bolt. It has gotten to the point that I would even risk walking across the bridge to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, if I knew that there was a Mass in the EF there (and there is not).

The music that my parish uses is not conducive to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is not sacred in nature and, frankly, it is pitiful. Those of us who have a real love for sacred music do not want to see it relegated to some museum piece that is only played once a year at special concerts. This music was meant for the Mass. It works at the service of the Mass. It contains essential kernels of our faith.

Their “version” that is sung about is perfectly in line with church teaching,

See ,here we are talking around the point bringing up so many other things. I’m not playing that game.

 

[benedictgal]

Nope, wasn’t my point. Just because hillsong is protestant does not make the music unfit for mass…the lyrics are in line with church teaching.

You said lifeteen music didn’t focus on the holy sacrifice. I proved you wrong. That was the ONLY point I was making. You were wrong in your point.

See, whats gonna happen now, is that B-gal will bring up several other issues, and completely ignore this one point usual. Yes, many different aspects should be considered when evalutating appropriateness for mass, But lets look at them ONE AT A TIME, which is always what I try to do.

I’m just proving ONE POINT incorrect. Lifeteen music, does indeed focus on the sacrifice. There are many many many songs that do.

You really have proven nothing, agapewolf, nothing at all. You have ignored my challenges about teaching the teens real, authentic sacred music, not the stuff that sounds like something that they could hear on the secular radio station. With all due respect, we do the teenagers a terrible disservice by only exposing them to the usual genre that they hear every day on the pop station. The music used at the Mass should be something that goes beyond the ordinary. Something extraordinary happens at the Mass. We enter into God’s time. That fact seems lost on you, with all due respect.

 

[agapewolf]

You really have proven nothing, agapewolf, nothing at all. You have ignored my challenges about teaching the teens real, authentic sacred music, not the stuff that sounds like something that they could hear on the secular radio station. With all due respect, we do the teenagers a terrible disservice by only exposing them to the usual genre that they hear every day on the pop station. The music used at the Mass should be something that goes beyond the ordinary. Something extraordinary happens at the Mass. We enter into God’s time. That fact seems lost on you, with all due respect.

I have not ignored it, as I’ve responded to it so many times before. I do teach all kinds of music, but thats not the point I’m talking about, and you’ve proven me right about talking around the point.

I’m talking about your point that lifeteen music doesn’t talk about sacrifice. Stick to the point. It does. I’ve listed a few, and there are many many many more.

But again, we won’t talk about that, you’re gonna bring up anything but talk about that…

 

[benedictgal]

Their “version” that is sung about is perfectly in line with church teaching,

See ,here we are talking around the point bringing up so many other things. I’m not playing that game.

Actually, you are. Again, why are you so adamant about not wanting to expose the teens to authentic sacred music? Save the Lifeteen music for life night, but, let the kids experience and use genuine sacred music. What is so wrong about that?

You say that you teach them all kinds of music; however, teaching is different than using. Rather than draw your sources from the Protestants, why not try St. Thomas Aquinas or some of the older, venerable Latin chants that have been translated into English?

The bottom line is that the musical state of the Church, at least here, is quite deplorable and is very discouraging. I refuse to sing whenever I go to the mid-afternoon Mass. The music is tawdry, banal and not at all compatible with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Evidently, quite a few of the faithful seem to agree with me because the first time I actually heard them sing was this past Sunday. The music was traditional and everyone was singing, even those who normally do not pick up a book.

 

[agapewolf]

Actually, you are. Again, why are you so adamant about not wanting to expose the teens to authentic sacred music? Save the Lifeteen music for life night, but, let the kids experience and use genuine sacred music. What is so wrong about that?

Duck duck goose.

I’ve said, so many times, I do teach them all kinds of music. Read above.

B-gal’s point: lifeteen music doesn’t focus on sacrifice.

Me: yes, it does, here’s many examples that this statement is incorrect.

B-gal: gonna talk about anything but this point.

 

[agapewolf]

To everyone else in this thread. This will continue until the other person gets annoyed and quits, because it goes nowhere.

I’ve proven my point, that yes, Lifeteen music does indeed talk about sacrifice.

I’m going for a walk.