Hymns & Lyrics

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arieh0310 said:
I would have to support Rand on this one. There are hundreds of hymns written by Catholics through the centuries that many Catholics today have never heard. Yet waltz into nearly any parish and you will get many (if not the majority) of the hymns sung at mass that were written by Protestants. Using a Protestant hymn should be an absolute last resort (Protestantism is a heresy after all). I wonder if fourth and fifth century Fathers used snappy Arian hymns at their masses?
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People use Protestant hymnals because, historically, hymn singing was one aspect of the Reformation. I’ve been to plenty of Churches and, bluntly said, most Protestant congregations do hymn singing better than the Catholic ones. That’s not to say that there isn’t good Catholic hymns (I especially like Humbly I Adore Thee Verity Unseen), but that there are more and better Protestant ones.

So, which is better? It depends on whether you believe hymn singing should be part of the service or not. I think that it offers much in the way of worship and helping to put ourselves in the proper framework for worship. When I say that, the usual response I get from Catholics is “but we have the true worship with the Mass and don’t need the false substitute of hymns singing”. Fine. But we are all to make joyful music unto the Lord and there is nothing wrong with singing his praises in Church. Again, the touchstones should be: (1) is the hymn theologically true, (2) is it theologically appropriate for the service (link it together with the liturgical readings), and (3) is it good music? If the answer is “yes” to these questions, then it’s a good hymn to use.
 
pm1853 said:
After taking over as music director, I have succesfully banned several hymns from the rotation. These include among others:

-Here I am Lord
-Eagle’s Wings
-Gather Us In
-Glory and Praise
-A Mighty Fortress (something about singing this in a Catholic just doesn’t sit right with me)
-City of God

Additionally, as of November, the Mass of Creation will be no more.

This doesn’t mean I’ve eliminated all of the Hagen/Haas et al… output. There’s some that I rather like, but while I am at the church, these particular hymns will not be heard. My pastor has given me full support too.

We’ve also gotten away from the Owen Alstott psalmody. I actually am rather neutral to most of his music, but the pastor is pretty adament about getting rid of those.
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I’d also ban Eagle’s Wings. I actually do like the song, but as it has been the “official” funeral Mass song for my family for as long as I can remember, I tend to associate it with death.
 
a_cermak said:
Does anyone here just want to do away with the music entirely? I would like that. First of all, most of the songs have nothing to do with the order of the Mass that day anyway. Second of all, why waste the time? If you took out all the music you could easily shrink a Mass down by 6 minutes.
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:hmmm:

I would vote for eliminating ALL singing except for the opening and closing songs and just doing melodies for communion and offertory. The opening song gets you motivated to start the Mass and the closing song gets you pumped to go spread God’s Word. 😃
 
rr1213 said:
Again, the touchstones should be: (1) is the hymn theologically true, (2) is it theologically appropriate for the service (link it together with the liturgical readings), and (3) is it good music? If the answer is “yes” to these questions, then it’s a good hymn to use.
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Vatican II pretty much says the same thing, yet there are always the hippy holdovers who don’t care if it is theologically appropriate, who just want to feel good.
They don’t want to be bothered by doctrine they just want music that sounds “artsy”“modern” and it ends up sounding crummy and shallow.

I have nothing to add to the list as if I did, we wouldn’t sing anything in my Church. Thank God my friend who teaches Bible Study is friends with the new music director, hopefully we see some changes in my Church soon.

God Bless
Scylla
 
scylla said:
Vatican II pretty much says the same thing, yet there are always the hippy holdovers who don’t care if it is theologically appropriate, who just want to feel good.
They don’t want to be bothered by doctrine they just want music that sounds “artsy”“modern” and it ends up sounding crummy and shallow.

I have nothing to add to the list as if I did, we wouldn’t sing anything in my Church. Thank God my friend who teaches Bible Study is friends with the new music director, hopefully we see some changes in my Church soon.

God Bless
Scylla
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I agree. If it is NOT theologically true, then why would you ever sing it in Church? What would be the point? To teach error? Now, like I said before, there are plenty of hymns written by Protestants which would still pass the Catholic muster, not all of course, but a good many. There are also lots of “praise music” that is downright insipid. It might not be heresy, but it fails the test of good music. I was very blessed to sing in a church choir for many years under a music director who emphasized that the role of the choir was not to entertain but to lead the congregation in musical worship. He also had the role of choosing the music and, I’ll guarantee you, the pieces were orthodox (small “o”), appropriate for the scripture readings of the day, and musically significant. Good text and good music.
 
THutch04 said:
I’d rather hear Protestant hymns (many of which are very beautiful) than most of the OCP stuff that’s played so frequently today…
Actually, I rather like Morning has Broken…well, I like the melody at least.
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I would too…and I like Morning Has Broken.👍 … I wonder if I have some leftover Protestant contamination left in me?:rolleyes:…It’s only been 43 years since I converted to Catholicism… 😦
 
netmil(name removed by moderator) said:
Elzee, you have to tell me, what in the world is “Sing a New Church”.

Really is it “Sing” a new church? What is that about?
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It’s to the tune of ‘Come Thou Font of Every Blessing’ (hope I got that name right) so the melody is okay; but, here are the lyrics.

I honestly can’t bring myself to sing it.

I don’t want a new church.

It’s a favorite in our parish.

Refrain: Let us bring the gifts that differ and, in splendid, varied ways, sing a new church into being, one in faith and love and praise.
  1. Summoned by the God who made us rich in our diversity, gathered in the name of Jesus, richer still in unity. 2. Radiant risen from the water, robed in holiness and light, male and female in God’s image, male and female, God’s delight.
  2. Trust the goodness of creation; trust the Spirit strong within. Dare to dream the vision promised, sprung from seed of what has been.
  3. Bring the hopes of every nation; bring the art of every race. Weave a song of peace and justice; let it sound through time and space.
  4. Draw together at one table, all the human family; shape a circle ever wider and a people ever free.
 
I’m not a very knowledgeable music person, but I get the creeps when songs reflect psalm passages in which God is speaking.

So, when those particular psalms are sung by the laity, it is as if the lay people in the congregation are putting themselves in God’s place. Especially when the word “I” is sung as the Lord might be speaking.

Not sure if I was really clear, but that’s my attempt to answer the posted question of what music should be “stifled”.

Seems to me that only the priest / celebrant should sing or read the words spoken in the first person singular by the Lord.
 
Elzee said:
It’s to the tune of ‘Come Thou Font of Every Blessing’ (hope I got that name right) so the melody is okay; but, here are the lyrics.

I honestly can’t bring myself to sing it.

I don’t want a new church.

It’s a favorite in our parish.

Refrain: Let us bring the gifts that differ and, in splendid, varied ways, sing a new church into being, one in faith and love and praise.
  1. Summoned by the God who made us rich in our diversity, gathered in the name of Jesus, richer still in unity. 2. Radiant risen from the water, robed in holiness and light, male and female in God’s image, male and female, God’s delight.
  2. Trust the goodness of creation; trust the Spirit strong within. Dare to dream the vision promised, sprung from seed of what has been.
  3. Bring the hopes of every nation; bring the art of every race. Weave a song of peace and justice; let it sound through time and space.
  4. Draw together at one table, all the human family; shape a circle ever wider and a people ever free.
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The music is great, but why would anyone choose that text (ug) over the original?

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

I mean, THINK about it! How much more profound can you really get than:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

I love this hymn.
 
That’s probably the one thing I’ve missed about being a Protestant since my conversion–the variety in the music. I wrote quite a few original songs while I was a Protestant, but I haven’t written a thing since. What would be the point? None of the people I admire as Catholics would allow it to be sung, and the people who would be open to new music would also be open to other things that I as a Catholic would not be able to put up with.

Fortunately I do have another musical outlet. A community band has been started in town, and I’m now scoring some of my original music for symphonic band.

DaveBj
 
The song I hate the most is “Wade in the Water”. Thankfully they don’t play it in my church but sometimes when I have to venture outside of my church I hear it.
 
Sing A New Church – UGH!!!

Definitely gets my vote for most annoying song. Thank goodness we don’t sing it very often…but even once is too many. I refuse to sing about the art of many nations or whatever the silly lyric is.
 
I have to agree with the suggestion “Amazing Grace” - it never sounds good!
 
I personally cant hear morning has broken anymore since all I can do is fight the picture of Cat Stevens the whole time its being sung. It takes my mind off the Liturgy and on to other thoughts. Not good ones.😦
 
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