I don't sing.

[Nepenthe]

Hey, I’m no Catholic, but really, aren’t you simply asked to ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord’?

I bet even you can tootle a kazoo or one of those paper newyear’s whistles…okay, maybe not in church or anything, but if there’s anyone Out There listening, I’d bet they’d be pleased anyhow! After all, King David did the naked Can-Can all through the city like a total loony!

 

[Sarabande]

As a cantor, I LOVE it when people join in with the singing. It really brings some of the scriptures to life. I’m not in to the new stuff with drums and such, but to have some pretty meditative music, easy enough for the congregation to join in is wonderful. I could care less if you can sing on key…the joy I see in your face from where I’m standing is priceless. That is truly the work of Christ’s love right there.

I would agree. Although I rarely look at the congregation when I cantor (I usually look at my music or above the heads if I have the music memorized - a trick I learned from doing vocal recitals) because I’d get too self-concious and out of focus of prayer, I can hear if the congregation is singing along. And that is wonderful when they do that.

At the same time, I don’t see anything wrong with a person who doesn’t want to sing. For some it can be distracting for them and take them away from prayer. Or it is more prayerful for them to hear the music rather than to actually partake in making the music. Even for me, I sometimes prefer to hear only the choir sing for my spiritual nourishment, even though I love to sing.

Our parish has begun doing propers for mass as we are the starting parish for the rest of diocese to begin doing this for all of the parishes. Until we are used to doing them and until the choir comes back on board next weekend, we won’t have any hymns except for the recessional. Once the music director has everything down for the music, we will be able to put some more hymns and motets in after we sing the propers. Anyway, being in the congregation for these masses, people are singing the responses for the propers, but it depends on the mass and the week since we have a lot of visitors - Actually it’s a lot like a typical mass where they have the hymns. Some sing and some don’t, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with either one. They are both “participating” in their way - as long as it brings them spiritual nourishment.

 

[notsmart]

Hey, I’m no Catholic, but really, aren’t you simply asked to ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord’?

I bet even you can tootle a kazoo or one of those paper newyear’s whistles…okay, maybe not in church or anything, but if there’s anyone Out There listening, I’d bet they’d be pleased anyhow! After all, King David did the naked Can-Can all through the city like a total loony!

I think about that passage sometimes too. I guess a momentary slip of modesty is allowable as long as you are singing to God:shrug:

I doubt the police would “look the other way” if offered that as a reason for public indecency today.

What about singing at a wedding? I have a wedding to go to at our Church next month! I have no idea why I got an invitation. I go to daily mass kinda often, and the bride’s grandmother usually sits next to me at the daily masses. Sometimes we talk afterward and say the Rosary next to each other after mass. I usually drive her home because she cant drive.
I dont sing at the daily masses because there are like only 15 of us present for them usually. At most, 20 or so. And, you really stick out if you do sing. She is really nice, and I think I will have to sing for the wedding. So, I have been stepping up on practicing. I do it in front of a mirror now, while listening to catholic music I like. (but the ones I like are really hard to sing)
I wish everyone would just go to gregorian chant because then I could do it.

 

[cavalierfan]

I cantor too and sometimes I notice that most people are singing while others are taking it all in or praying. That’s fine. I don’t go for music in a can… let’s leave that for the Protestants!

 

[ProVobis]

I am allergic to perfume and after shave. As a result, I no longer attend Sunday Mass in prson. I watch my mass on EWTN and find it holds me from beginning to end. I love it and feel like I have really worshiped. The last time I went to Mass in person there was a small rock combo on the altar (too much noise for my tender ears) and I was disgusted when at the end of hte mass there was a rush for the doors. What do they teach in Catholic Schools these days? Also, there was perfume and after-shave floaoting around, and I am allergic to scents because I have (fibromyalgia) and it increases the symptoms. I Ihad to change my seat several times. How can people be educated to understand that one persons fragrance is stink to somebody else.? This doesn’t happen when I watch that very beautiful mass on EWTN. So can I coontinue to participate in Sunday Mass on EWTN and receive communion at a weekday mass? (On the tongue – Only priests should touch the host once it is consecrated. )
Also, I don’t (can’t) signg at Mass. God gave me a beautiful alto voice which I shared at Sunday mass – even as a child. But what God giveth He sometimes taketh away and now I sound like Freddy the frog. I croak. Aging can be a humbling experiece. ,

I almost thought I had written this note. Spot on about perfume and after-shave. Once I countered with my own “scent” (I worked in a chemical laboratory with access to all kinds of stuff) and found out that many of these people wearing perfumes have a very deficient sense of smell. They don’t care what others wear and it’s not a big deal to them. In the office I complain to my boss. They stop wearing it for a week or so, only to resume. Life isn’t pretty until they quit or get fired. I don’t know what it is; maybe some don’t even bother with showers so they wear this perfume to cover it? But in any case I sympathize with you.

As far as signing, it hurts me to sing so I simply hum throught the tough parts.

 

[elgar]

I cantor too and sometimes I notice that most people are singing while others are taking it all in or praying. That’s fine. I don’t go for music in a can… let’s leave that for the Protestants!

Not just Protestants. I’ve experienced canned music in Catholic settings and complained to the priest. His response: “can’t find organists to play”. My response: “no music is better than canned”. And furthermore, I pointed out how he is messing with the GIRM forbidding this practice. He didn’t like me after that.

 

[Sarabande]

I cantor too and sometimes I notice that most people are singing while others are taking it all in or praying. That’s fine. I don’t go for music in a can… let’s leave that for the Protestants!

I can’t stand canned music for mass either, but I wouldn’t lump Protestants with canned music. Most of the Protestant services I’ve been hired to sing for or have attended to see my musician friends who are singing or playing, have music programs and musicians which would put most music programs in Catholic parishes to shame if we are just comparing music and nothing else. But that is all for another thread.

 

[notsmart]

Cav and Sara,

(I apologize for the shortened names here)

But - I see both of your points. I have attended Protestant services recently. And, I would not make a statement of comparison just yet, because there is such a variety amoung catholic churches I have seen too!

I will assume protestant (liturgical that is) services can also vary.

I don’t think being in the “true” Church will help in this case though.

 

[Sarabande]

Cav and Sara,

(I apologize for the shortened names here)

But - I see both of your points. I have attended Protestant services recently. And, I would not make a statement of comparison just yet, because there is such a variety amoung catholic churches I have seen too!

I will assume protestant (liturgical that is) services can also vary.

I don’t think being in the “true” Church will help in this case though.

That was the point I was trying to make. One can’t make a broad statement as if all Protestant churches and all Catholic churches, for that matter, do the same kind of music. As I’ve said, I’ve been a musician in many Protestant churches with music programs that are heads above many of the Catholic churches that I’ve also been a musician for. I’ve also been to a few Prot. churches that had pretty bad music programs as well, mostly depending on the denomination. There has been a bit of an upswing for the music programs in some Catholic churches, so I’ve been fortunate to play with some good musicians and programs in these parishes, but for the most part, depending on the denomination, the Protestant churches tend to have better music programs. I’m not putting down anyone about that - just my experience in the matter. I’m sure it’s different for others. God bless.

 

[SeekerJen]

I almost thought I had written this note. Spot on about perfume and after-shave. Once I countered with my own “scent” (I worked in a chemical laboratory with access to all kinds of stuff) and found out that many of these people wearing perfumes have a very deficient sense of smell. They don’t care what others wear and it’s not a big deal to them. In the office I complain to my boss. They stop wearing it for a week or so, only to resume. Life isn’t pretty until they quit or get fired. I don’t know what it is; maybe some don’t even bother with showers so they wear this perfume to cover it? But in any case I sympathize with you.

As far as signing, it hurts me to sing so I simply hum throught the tough parts.

It’s not that they have a deficient sense of smell, it’s that they’ve gotten so used to the smell of their own perfume that they have to keep putting more and more on if they want to smell it on themselves. And the rest of us have to suffer. The reason they don’t seem to care is that if their own scent doesn’t bother their allergies or whatever, it’s unlikely that someone else’s will.

This is the reason why our parish music director makes a request every year (at least, he used to): deodorant- YES, perfume- NO.