Least Favorite Songs at Mass

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Isn’t it sad to seee that in some parishes the Holy SACRIFICE of the Mass has become a form of entertainment, and some “hymns” used are one of the things that make it seem so? I really cannot understand why? Since Vatican II’s ACTUAL document on the Liturgy says that the organ is to take preference over all other instruments, and it goes on to say that Gregorian Chant REMAINS an essential laudable tradition in the church. I personally like Gregorian Chant, and even more so sacred Polyphony such as works by Palestrina. I believe that if people do not understand one single word of latin, then isn’t it logical that the priest should then exercise his role as TEACHER? Though Vatican II said Latin is to be maintained (not completely eliminated as some pastors and parishes have done), there ARE beutiful english language hymns too such as: “Oh Sacred Head Sorrounded” “Jesus My Lord, My God, My All”, “Oh Sacred Heart of Jesus”, etc., etc., etc.
I believe it is time to finally obey what not only Vatican II has said regarding Mass Hymns, but also all other previous Dogmatic Councils, such as the Council of Trent (cited by the NEW Catehism of the Catholic Church). Enough with feel-good distracting hymns such as: “On Eagles Wings”, and the protestant “Amazing Grace.”
Lets focus on ROMAN CATHOLIC HYMNS IN ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISHES.
 
YIKES! Why did you print the lyrics to “Lord of the Dance?” Now that silly song is stuck in my head. Get it out, get it out, get it out… :banghead:

My favorite these days is “Soul of my Saviour” (Anima Christi). Just been going 'round my head since watching 'The Passion of the Christ." I love all those old Eucharistic songs, though - “Humbly We Adore Thee,” “O Lord, I am not Worthy,” “Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All” Great stuff!
 
“Lord of the Dance” has an annoyingly catchy tune, but I just can’t abide the verse on Good Friday. We fast and abstain on Good Friday because the crucifixation was a horribly sad thing. There are beautiful, mournful tunes like “Stabat Mater” that convey that message.

Another song that my parish uses sometimes as a communion song is “The Supper of the Lord” which talks about the Lord here in bread and wine. I think it’s a Lutheran theology -consubstantion- though I do not know the origin of the song.

My third nominee: “We are Marching” (later verses, singing, dancing, etc) from South Africa. I nearly laughed the first time we sang it, it was so “pre-school.”

I’ve recommend this book on another thread about music in church:
Why Catholics Can’t Sing by Thomas Day.

If you have an interest in this area, you’ll enjoy his critique of where we are and how we got here.

If you have an interest in sacred music, you’d enjoy his critique of
 
Of all the songs I thought might be mentioned, I never dreamed “Amazing Grace” would make thid debate. I am truly shot through the heart. I have had numerous Catholics, cradle and convert, let me know that this is their favorite hymn. There is nothing irreverent about this song (done properly) and if being from a protestant tradition is its worse flaw, then I guess I am doomed along with all other converts. Besides, I love the theme of God’s grace. After all, everything is grace.
 
Amazing Grace would certainly be on my list as well of worst songs. I always cringe at “saved a wretch like me” Not only are there issues with the term “saved” in the past tense, i.e. Once saved always saved eternal security stuff, but there is also a problem with the heretical Lutheran view of Original Sin and the “corruption” of human nature, which particularly tinges the term “wretch”. Luther did believe that man was sanctified through Baptism, but that man is inherently wretched and is only saved by Christ “covering” this wretchedness, I believe the analogy used was of a dunghill covered with snow.

However, I would still object to its use at Mass on the grounds that it is not Catholic. I think that we come to a point where we wonder what the definition of sacred music is, for indeed only sacred music is fitting to be sung at Mass, I should think that we would never consider music for a Buddhist prayer service sacred, nor should I think that we would include music from heretical prayer services. Sacred Music is that Music which is produced by the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, in my opinion.
 
I agree. It seems to me that the one, true Church should be able to do better than music from the Shakers (Lord of the Dance) and the Quakers (How Can I Keep from Singing).
 
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Katholish:
I should think that we would never consider music for a Buddhist prayer service sacred, nor should I think that we would include music from heretical prayer services. Sacred Music is that Music which is produced by the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, in my opinion.
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Heretical? Is “heretic” the proper term for separated brethren? If so, then I guess it is a good thing that we at least pray for them on Good Friday. By the way, you requirement would preclude the singing of Psalms. 😉
 
“Sing a New Church” has to be the worst ever.
SING A NEW CHURCH (1991)

Tune: Nettleton 87.87D
Text: Delores Dufner, OSB

Summoned by the God who made us
Rich in our diversity
Gathered in the name of Jesus
Richer still in unity
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.

Radiant risen from the water,
Robed in holiness and light,
Male and female in God’s image,
Male and female, God’s delight:
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.

Trust the goodness of creation;
Trust the Spirit strong within,
Dare to dream the vision promised
sprung from seed of what has been.
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.

Bring the hopes of ev’ry nation;
Bring the art of ev’ry race.
Weave a song of peace and justice;
Let it sound through time and space.
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.

Draw together at one table
All the human family;
Shape a circle ever wider
And a people ever free
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.

Talk about being PC. Gotta get in that “diversity”.
Also, “to sing into being a new Church” implies that there is someting wrong with the existing Church.
 
Many Protestant-originated hymns are used in Catholic churches and are probably here to stay. Lots of Christmas carols come from Protestant traditions too. The key is to weed out the ones that are popular and catchy, but do not reflect Catholic doctrine (like Amazing Grace which is sung at my parish too).

Also, it is important to utilize our own Catholic heritage as much as possible or it will be lost. For example. many popular new hymns like One Eagle’s Wings and so forth have winnowed out Latin classics which ought to be preserves as well.
 
I guess all the diversity of opinion shows that the church has used a great deal of wisdom in just setting the guidelines, then allowing those on the local level to use prudence and good judgement on what we should or should not sing. I know that my own selection of songs is approved of by my priest as being proper. They are also considered appropriate by those who compile hymnals. (Whoever these folks might be):whacky:
 
I think someone needs to start a new thread on everybody’s favorite songs. 🙂
 
Um, our priest had us sing ‘Kumbaya’ as a processional hymn for a Healing Service during lent…😦

I did not participate.

I was offended.

Pray for us. :o
 
Growing up (w/ 4 brothers), my favorite song was Whatsoever You Do . . . "to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me… " I always took it to heart!! Now, if they sing it, they say, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people…” —KCT
 
I’m a choir member, so I get to sing some goodies and baddies every week. Given that this is VERY subjective, least favorite: Hosea ("…long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life…" huh? I just don’t get it). Current favorite: Dona Nobis Pacem, which we sing around the house all the time, but we substitute the words “Fa-a-ther Mi-i-tch Pacwa… Pacwa” . 🙂

n
 
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pnewton:
Heretical? Is “heretic” the proper term for separated brethren?
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They are heretics, so “heretic” is the proper term. Whether it is tactful in all circumstances is a different question.
If so, then I guess it is a good thing that we at least pray for them on Good Friday.
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Indeed it is good.
By the way, you requirement would preclude the singing of Psalms. 😉
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Not true, the Psalms belong to the Tradition of the Church, just like the rest of the Sacred Scriptures.
 
Isn’t it good that I am not a voice shrieking in the wilderness of my own making?“We are marching in the light of God” is blatant ANC propaganda…you might as well start singing “The Foggy Dew” in Church, if you’re Irish.Out of the question.

Hosea ? Well it got them going because it’s a sexy book of the Bible, with the prophet remarrying a woman of ill repute as a parable symbolic of how God has to deal with unfaithful Israel.So they smooch it up with that abominable "Long have I waited for your coming back"Soap opera applied to the OT . Yuk!

Can people tell me if they know the very substantive reason why Kumbayah is the real Mccoy in terms of being bad? It’s not a subjective thing.How can anyone even dare to keep singing it ?(did anyone see the Addams Family films ?)

Tell me do you dislike the chant or dislike Mitch Pacwa or even both ? He gets involved in discussions about children’s stories, films and vampire myths. They take the poor fella for a ride.

Soul of my Saviour really is overdone in England, if in doubt , start singing it…it’s not the best version of the Anima Christi but it’s about the only one viable.I think as long as you steer clear of the “Bring flowers the rarest” syndrome, the old Marian hymns are okay.Occasionally there is dull rubbish, they set Scarborough Fair up with words about “For the child that mother will bear”…very very ordinary view of the matter, too ordinary and robbing her of her beauty as the Mother of God.

“I cannot tell why He whom angels worshipped” it has absolutely lovely and perfectly theologically accurate words and they choose to sing it to " Danny Boy" No thanks.This is crossover that doesn’t cross over in church.Do you know that the Air isn’t even Irish…the words were made up by an Englishman and morbid and pretend Catholic they are too !Folk songs and settings and politicisation-these are the nub.

This is still better than a hundred evenings out with my old choir mistress!
 
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dcs:
Not true, the Psalms belong to the Tradition of the Church, just like the rest of the Sacred Scriptures.
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While the Psalms are, of course, part of Sacred Scripture, you stated, “Sacred Music is that Music which is produced by the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, in my opinion.” The Psalms were produced 1000 years before the birth of the church. My point is precisely that the actual author is not important as content. I prefer a theologically sound hymn written by a Protestant, to a theologically wishy-washy hymn by a Catholic. BTY, heresy is the “obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same.” So, you were probably right.
 
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pnewton:
While the Psalms are, of course, part of Sacred Scripture, you stated, “Sacred Music is that Music which is produced by the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, in my opinion.”
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I stated no such thing.
The Psalms were produced 1000 years before the birth of the church.
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And yet the Church has made the Psalms Her own, not only by preserving Sacred Scripture but also by singing them in the Divine Office for nearly two millenia.
My point is precisely that the actual author is not important as content. I prefer a theologically sound hymn written by a Protestant, to a theologically wishy-washy hymn by a Catholic.
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Yes, but this is a false dichotomy, since there are plenty of theologically sound works written by Catholics! 😉 Most Protestant hymns sung in church today are theologically ambiguous at best, capable of being interpreted in a Catholic sense or in an heretical Protestant sense. I don’t mind, personally, singing such a hymn every now and then but they should not make up our entire repertoire. If every Protestant musical work performed in church was like Bach’s ‘Mass in B Minor’ then there would be no problem. But this is sadly not the case.
 
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pnewton:
Where in scripture did Jesus dance, or is this part of the early church tradition?
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“Dance” in the context of the hymn means “living fully”.
 
My apologies. That quote was from Katholish. You are absolutely correct in pointing out that their are many fine Catholic composers out there and may we always honor them and give their works preference. Of course Bach is no longer composing, but decomposing (or reposing)
 
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