Exalt:
For our mass, we have a rule: the songs we pick must be Scriptural and Singable!
I think that there are many different styles of worship, and the church is absolutely open to different styles of worship. We are reaching out to youth (and, I hope this isn’t news, but the youth have a completely different culture than yours) - so we adjust our worship style to meet the needs of the youth. Period.
And if the music doesn’t meet your needs, there are many other worship styles at other masses to accomodate you =)
I don’t like anything that does not invite the congregation to sing.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
There have been so many posts on this topic that I can’t possibly read them all, but this is the first one I came across that gets to the heart of it. Yes, I understand the reasons why some songs may seem inappropriate or questionable. However, as a professional church musician, I can tell you that many, many people’s opinions of what is good music for the Catholic Mass has more to do with personal preference than with anything else. I get very frustrated with people who tell me that there is only one style of music that is good, or meaningful, or worthy. I believe that, provided the words are not in opposition to Catholic doctrine, any song can be “worthy” of inclusion. One person’s experience may be enhanced only by traditional hymns; someone else may find that style meaningless, but be terrifically moved by a more “contemporary” style of music.
That said, I personally prefer a more traditional style, with one exception. I grew up in the 1980’s, when a lot of the songs that have come under fire here either were introduced or became popular. For that reason, a lot of them have meaning for me - not necessarily because I think the words are particularly inspiring, but because they are familiar and singable for me. I think that comes into play a lot more than we realize or want to admit when it comes to our musical choices/preferences.
A few more observations based on the quote I included - your point about reaching out to the youth is VERY important. I know SO many teens who are bored with Mass, and who would leave for a Protestant contemporary worship service if they could. It is irresponsible of any parish to ignore this desire on their part. The church has always endorsed the adaptation (within limits, of course) of the liturgy to meet the needs of the culture it functions within. Yes, there are things that should not change - many of them. But style of music is one of the adaptable things.
Also, I definitely agree with the comment about singability. Congregational singing is an area of great embarrassment to me. My husband is not Catholic, and in my limited experience of non-Catholic churches, they are so much better at participation! Which absolutely stumps me, since the Catholic population is not somehow inherently less musically able than the Protestant population!
My last comment, I promise - what’s wrong with including Protestant hymns, as long as they do not contradict Catholic doctrine? Sounds like a prejudice to me…
I hope I am not being offensive here, because I don’t mean to be. I’m NOT denying that traditional hymns are wonderful and should continue to thrive at Mass! But, as a professional musician (church musician/music teacher/aspiring opera singer, who holds an MM degree), this is a topic which touches me deeply! Thanks for listening to my rant!
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