When I hear about screeching “sopranos” or organists who only play melody lines, etc., it occurs to me that the people these churches have to lead the music liturgy are most-likely ok or bad musicians or not well-trained singers. When you don’t have good musicians for ANY genre of music, it makes for a bad, bad experience.
It’s a shame because, at least in my area and amongst my colleagues, the majority of good organists, who can really play and inspire don’t work in Catholic churches mainly because most Catholic churches just can’t afford to pay a liveable wage. So we’re stuck with people who are either ok or just bad. They give organists a bad name with poor stop choices, heavy “wah-wah” vibrato sound, playing everything at a funeral dirge, and a poor sense of rhythm. But I have been to some parishes where they have young people who are organ students and can play exceptionally well. I’ve also been to others where surprisingly there is an older organist who is a consummate musician, but have chosen to also have another day job - this is a difficult sacrifice to many musicians - we’d rather be practicing and perfecting our art. I’m also spoiled because our main organist at our Cathedral is one of the best in the city and he can make people rattle and shake and cry in spiritual awe and amazement with his playing. The people there are always so appreciative. The other “organist” - that’s a totally different story and that’s all I’ll say about him.
In regards to certain singers/cantors, I understand people’s frustration with some of them. I’m a professional singer and a cantor - a classically trained mezzo-soprano (lower than a soprano, higher than an alto - “Middle” voice) who is also a musician. Haha! Most cantors are not vocally trained or are early in their training. The women who aren’t trained and who have a naturally high voice don’t know how to ground their voices and sing “organically”. It’s hard to explain but by singing within your body, balanced with the head voice, it won’t make it sound like the voice is constantly in the stratosphere and too hard to sing for the congregant. It will sound, grounded, rich, full and approachable by someone who just wants to sing the hymn. The microphone is also a deterent in letting the congregation sing. If the cantor doesn’t know how to step away from the microphone to allow the people to sing (and unfortunately, for some, there is an ego issue, especially for those who always wanted a “career” in singing, but never got it), it will sound overbearing and turn off the congregant from singing. Anyway, that’s for another thread, but I believe this is the case by my own experience and the good feedback made by congregants who have attended the masses that I’ve cantored.
In terms of guitars for mass. I think it’s fine for retreats or house blessings where there is only mass in a room of a house. It might also be fine in a more modern church. Personally, I have yet to attend a guitar mass where I was inspired by the musicianship. It’s usually just strumming. I guess if that’s the best the church can offer, then it’s ok. But again, I’m spoiled by being around really good musicians and being trained musically, so my view is skewed by those things. It’s hard to go back when you’ve had the best, in my view, especially if there are possibilities for making something better and I have become panicked and physically ill, on the verge of vomiting when attending mass and having to sit through poor musicianship. Something I can’t help, but have tried to quell it by prayer.
Someone asked where do people live that have the big old churches with the choir lofts, altar rails, great acoustics, etc. I live on the east coast, and many of the churches here have those old churches. The people who lament them are probably from that area or maybe the midwest. I’ve never attended mass on the west coast, so I don’t know what the churches are like there. But I can totally understand an organ not sounded good in the type of church that the previous poster described. Perhaps a guitar or piano would sound better in them.
This just had me laughing because there’s a few places where I’ve been where they’ve even had a few pianos with just a “soprano screeching along”.
