Instruments for Mass

[Mycroft]

dude, we totally need some drums, a couple electric guuitars, and a bass. rock on bras.

and by the way, for those who are against led zeeplin in church, who wouldnt wanna hear “gonna make you burn gonna make you sting” during communion?

 

[gelsbern]

I choose organ and chant too.

To all those who complain about the little old tone deaf lady who plays in your church, God never demands perfection, He only asks that we do our best. If God demanded perfection, the Church wouldn’t have made all those provisions for us to get back into a state of grace. And for those little old tone deaf ladies, well I think they are, in my opinion, within Biblical standards.

Psalms 98:4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.

It doesn’t say anything about perfect pitch and harmony.

 

[davy39]

Catholic Dude:

PIPE ORGANS!!!
The most Heavenly sound ever. The closest thing to the choir of Angels.

Amen, and played loud enough to vibrate the pews. We were at the cathedral recently for rcia, and I cried during the processional. Really beautiful music!

 

[debeater]

Chris-WA:

I don’t think they are excluding electronic instruments that sound just like a pipe organ here either. Who cares as long as they sound the same? I also enjoy the piano. I’m just saying that you won’t even find the “sound” of a pipe organ–be it real or electronic, in many parishes, not because it’s expensive, but because people prefer something modern with a beat. In that, they are ignoring paragraph 120.

 

[debeater]

Chris-WA:

I don’t think they are excluding electronic instruments that sound just like a pipe organ here either. Who cares as long as they sound the same? I also enjoy the piano. I’m just saying that you won’t even find the “sound” of a pipe organ–be it real or electronic, in many parishes, not because it’s expensive, but because people prefer something modern with a beat. In that, they are ignoring paragraph 120.

A few notes about the pipe organ:

1. An electronic organ can sound LIKE a pipe organ, but it is NOT the same as a pipe organ. You simply cannot produce those awe-inspiring, floor-vibrating bass notes from a speaker (at least not your average-quality church speakers; maybe from some really high-end big-as-a-barn speakesr). Also, even with multi-channel stereo speakers (anther thing few churches are equipped with) an electronic organ can’t produce the same effect of different frequency wavelengths coming from pipes in different physical locations and interacting with the space around them that you get from a pipe organ. That is, basically, the sound is similar but NOT the same.
2. When one says a pipe organ is “expensive,” that doesn’t mean compared to the cost of new hymnals or even a new grand piano. We’re talking about something that costs as much as a whole new medium-sized church! And the annual maintenance cost would be enough to replace the roof on that church every 10 years.
3. The pipe organ was the original (pre-electronic era) music synthesizer. The stops on an organ are labelled “viole” or “timpani” or “vox humana” because that combination of pipes mimics the sound of those other instruments. If an organ mimicking the sound of drum is appropriate for worship, why is the drum itself inappropriate?
4. The organ is just an instrument – a tool. A pipe organ can produce jazz or bluegrass or heavy metal just as well as classical music. What comes out of it depends on the user (musician). A good organist with a talent for improvisation can play “O Salutaris Hostia” with a driving rock beat if he chooses. (Fortunately, our organist only does this at choir rehearsal and never at Mass or Benediction! You should hear his Broadway showtunes version of “O Sacred Head Surrounded”. ) And, like any other instrument, it can also be played badly.

I like the pipe organ. I went to an organ concert on my very first date as a teen-ager. But I get the impression that some people push for organ-only music based on romantic sentiment rather than reality.

 

[Ignatius]

I definitely prefer a full choir with an organ; if not that, then the organ or piano. If that is not possible, then simply a cantor. Never guitars, drums, or tambourines, etc.

 

[Jenlyn]

William Bradley:

You obviously never heard the organist at our Parish. What she does to a song can only be termed as Capital Murder.

Yes, I have organist like this!

I picked all of the instruments. Anything can be used as long as it is played well, musically and with the spirit of the mass. I prefer singing to my husband’s guitar. The congregation has NO problem singing with us. Many times I back off the mic and let the congregration sing. They sing very well. With that said, my husband is a very good guitarist and so it works. If you don’t have a talented guitarrist playing it can really affect how the congregation singing but that goes the same for any bad cantor, organists, pianist, percussionist, ect.