Least Favorite Songs at Mass

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In my ‘druid’ days, I LOVED ‘Gather Us In’ because of the lines:
“Not in dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven, light years away,
but here in this place,
a new day is dawning…”

Really, a very appropriate song for neo pagans to sing in their ‘sacred’ groves.

My all time hated song for mass is the ‘Gloria’ written by Michael Anderson and printed in all the OCP books: a bit less reverent [at least the way our song leader performs it] than the Laura Branigan tune of the same name: with hand clapping and fiercely ringing bells, it sounds like something from a bad pep rally…

sam
 
With all the beautiful liturgical music that’s been written over the centuries, why do we have to be stuck with such boring, dreary songs like “One Bread, One Body”?
Whatever happened to the hymn “O Lord, I Am Not Worthy” for Communion time? Have we all now become worthy?
 
Anything accompanied by a banjo, which is standard at the 9 in my parish.
 
that whirling hand clap thing during the Alleluia. What is that all about anyway!?!
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Have you ever been at a Mass the is signed. The whiliing thing is the sign-language word for Alleluia.
 
“Come to the Feast” has GOT to be the most drivel-packed rot gut there ever was!

table of plenty
wine of compassion
bread of new birth

It makes me sick.
 
I came back to the Church 23 years ago after a short dalliance with Calvinism. One of the things that brought me back to the Church was the Catholic folk music (for want of a better term) of the time. It was the authority issue that was paramount in my re-verting. However, if I had come back with some of the ‘Traditional’ Catholic hymody I don’t know what would have happened.

I am a musican (guitar). Some of the music that has moved me the most is by Hass, Haugen, Cooney, Foley, etc. I can now appreciate well-down tradional style hymns but that is not the way I fell lead to worship. The Church is big enough for many worship forms/styles.
 
Not for anything, I think there are better Catholic songs that can be used besides “Amazing Grace.” It’s a decent song but I heard it was written by a protestant and is backed by protestant theology (grace/faith alone), there are many better hymns that can be used.
 
Today, fwe opened with Battle hymn of the Republic (first two verses), then Lord of the Dance for offitory, Song of the Body of Christ for communion (not nearly as good as it is named), Taste and See for meditation, and last two of Batlle Hymn at the end. I like taste and see when done properly, but it was not done properly. I am glad that it was not an important feast like Corpus Christi or anything. :banghead:
 
I’m a cantor at the youth mass. The songs we sung for today, the fiest of the body and blood of Christ:

Opening: One Bread, One Body

Glory to God: Mass of Light “Glory to God in the highest, SING glory to God! Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth!”

Psalm: Taste and See

Gospel Acclamation: Resuscito

Preperation: We are One Body (you know: We are one body, one body in Christ, and we do not stand alone. We are one body, one body in Christ, and he came that we might have life.)

Mass Parts: Mass of Life (you know: Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen, we do believe!)

Lamb of God: Mass of Rememberence

Communion: Look Beyond (Look beyond the cup we drink, see his life poured out as blood)

Recessional Song: I am the Bread of Life (and I will Raise you up! And I will Raise you up! And I will raise you up on the last day!)

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’m a cantor at the youth mass. The songs we sung for today, the fiest of the body and blood of Christ:

Opening: One Bread, One Body

Glory to God: Mass of Light “Glory to God in the highest, SING glory to God! Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth!”

Psalm: Taste and See

Gospel Acclamation: Resuscito

Preperation: We are One Body (you know: We are one body, one body in Christ, and we do not stand alone. We are one body, one body in Christ, and he came that we might have life.)

Mass Parts: Mass of Life (you know: Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen, we do believe!)

Lamb of God: Mass of Rememberence

Communion: Look Beyond (Look beyond the cup we drink, see his life poured out as blood)

Recessional Song: I am the Bread of Life (and I will Raise you up! And I will Raise you up! And I will raise you up on the last day!)

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.
 
I think I have a healthy love of country, but I have to grit my teeth through Mass every Fourth of July Weekend. Is it just my wife and I who are uncomfortable with singing The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful and My Country Tis of Thee in Mass? Just kinda has a “serving two masters” feel about it to me.

Another one I hate year-round is “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” and this is on several levels. First, I’m not so crazy about the “my God can kick your God’s butt” tone of the whole thing. Second, should the Gather hymnal really have hymns credited to Martin Luther and copyrighted to the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship? FYI, here are the lyrics:

A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe!
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
No strength of ours can match his might!
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is he!
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.

Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threatening to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage!
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.

God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
 
Has anyone looked at the Adoremus hymnal? I heard that it contains faithful Catholic music. I know that it can be obtained through Ignatius Press. I don’t like any of the songs that are sung at Mass. They’re banal, and they do not engage the soul nor allow for transcendence. Plus, they have no ties to our tradition. They cut us off from our Catholic heritage and set us adrift in some cacaphonous sea. The old songs evoke the Catholicism of the ages. The new songs pander to the spirit of the times, but he who is married to the spirit of the times will be a widow in the next. So let us call for a return to the old songs because it is through those songs that we sense the majesty of God.
 
Interesting. When I was in a “non-denominational” Christian high school, we learned the first verse as thus:

A mighty fortress is our God
A bulwark never failing
*Our helper He amid the flood *
Of mortal ills prevailing

That’s the main part that I remember anyway. I have a certain fondness for it since our high school band won the state competition playing this song!

I don’t particularly see anything wrong with the lyrics that I remember, but the ones you quoted are quite a bit more bombastic. And I agree, we shouldn’t be singing theology written by a heretic in Mass.

I think it’s fair to call Martin Luther a heretic. However, I don’t think it’s fair to call today’s Lutherans heretics. A person who inherits a distorted faith is not personally responsible for breaking away from the Church. It is more accurate to call them simply “separated brethren” as we have heard many, many times on Catholic Answers.
 
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cecelia:
Has anyone looked at the Adoremus hymnal? I heard that it contains faithful Catholic music. I know that it can be obtained through Ignatius Press. I don’t like any of the songs that are sung at Mass. They’re banal, and they do not engage the soul nor allow for transcendence. Plus, they have no ties to our tradition. They cut us off from our Catholic heritage and set us adrift in some cacaphonous sea. The old songs evoke the Catholicism of the ages. The new songs pander to the spirit of the times, but he who is married to the spirit of the times will be a widow in the next. So let us call for a return to the old songs because it is through those songs that we sense the majesty of God.
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I have always wondered if any church ever uses the Adoremus hymnal; I have never been to Mass at a church that uses them.

Once in a great while a traditional Catholic hymn will be sung at Mass at our church, usually on a Holy Day or Feast Day. I agree, most of the songs sung now are psychobabble, make me (us) feel good, not about worship to God.

oremus
 
penitentman22 said:
(Amazing Grace) It’s a decent song but I heard it was written by a protestant and is backed by protestant theology (grace/faith alone), there are many better hymns that can be used.
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Actually “faith alone” doesn’t is no where in th lyrics. In fact, “faith” is not in the lyrics. Only “grace” and lots of it. Remember that salvation by grace, through faith was Catholic theology (according to the Catholic theologian, St. Paul) 1500 years before Protestants added the word “alone”.

Everything is grace.
 
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GaryTZ:
Around the time of national holidays: Memorial Day Fourth of July, etc, I dislike intensely the singing of patriotic songs during Mass. I was at a parish which sang the “Star Bangled Banner” for the entrance hymn in honor of Independence Day. At Mass, we are there to worship God and thank Him for His many gifts that He has bestowed on us through His Son Jesus, who sacrificed His life for our salvation. At Mass, we can honor those who have given their lives for our freedom by offering our prayers for them. There is a time and place to show one’s patriotism toward our wonderful country, the United States, but not at Mass. The same holds true for honoring birthdays by singing the “Happy Birthday Song”, playing the “Wedding March” at weddings and anniversaries, etc.
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I agree. Some of my least favorites are the ones that worship the USA and the flag. These are great songs but not at Mass.
Also, when Jesus Christ Superstar came out, I disliked hearing anything from that at Mass (because of the lyrics, not the music).
Some people dislike anything new, but every hymn was new once. If Silent Night / Stille Nacht were introduced today, a lot of people might hate it solely because it was first played on guitar.
Some young people now consider “Here I Am Lord” and “Be Not Afraid” as traditional. I don’t see why something is bad just because it came about during our lifetimes.
 
No one has mentioned “Rain Down”, a very childish song (it’s sure not a hymn!). Maybe our parish is the only one stuck with it. Another unfavorite is the mutilation of “Come Holy Ghost”. Someone who had the gall to think an ancient hymn could be improved added an asinine chorus to it. I only sing the old & keep my mouth shut for the new.

Some of the songs mentioned are what I call camp-fire songs. They are fun, & they are good in the right setting. They just aren’t appropriate for Mass.
 
Yesterday, the Feast of Corpus Christi, our parish rightly chose songs that referenced the Eucharist. Everything was fine until we got to the offertory hymn, “Let Us Break Bread Together”. I read through the lyrics before the singing began and chose not to sing. I received some very odd looks from those around me as I say motionless (I had been participating and singing actively up until this point). But I couldn’t bring myself to sing, especially the words “let us break bread/drink wine together”. Yesterday’s feast was supposed to emphasize the fact that it’s not bread and wine!!!

Forgive me but I’ve got to vent a little more: This song followed a homily that basically consisted of the priest telling us that studies showing falling belief in the Real Presence are wrong and that, if we didn’t believe, we wouldn’t be at Mass. It’s no wonder we have such a problem in the Church when priests deny the problem even exists!
 
Eagles Wings
Be Not Afraid
Gather Us In
AaaaaaaK!

A revolution in liturgical music took place, and by this I don’t simply mean that we took a music style that lends itself to political protest and songs of unrequieted love and tried to use it to worship God. Worse: we started writng “hymns” in which we quote God or worse, put words in his mouth. Instead of us singing to God, we now sing God’s words (or what we want God’s words to be) to us. This is a revolution.

Chris C.
 
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