Least Favorite Songs at Mass

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Chris C.:
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.
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Some of the songs mentioned (“On Eagles Wings”, “Be Not Afraid”) are based on scripture verses (those two specifically are from Isaiah, I think). There’s a long tradition of setting psalms to music, with the difference that the psalms are usually someone’s prayer TO or ABOUT God, rather than the words OF God spoken through a prophet, or by Jesus. A lot of the older hymns also seem to be statements ABOUT God, e.g. “Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty”. “Gather Us In”, on the other hand, is probably meant to be more of a prayer TO God, set to music.

I certainly don’t object to the idea of some songs being based on scripture verses, even if the voice of the scripture being used is that of God. Whether such songs are appropriate for use in Mass is a different question, and I’m not really sure what to say. I would ask…
  • To what extent is a song true to the sense of the scripture verse on which it is supposedly based?
  • Is use of scripture in a given song conducive to the prayer of the Mass?
  • For a non-scriptural song like “Gather Us In”, is the sentiment expressed appropriate for the context in Mass in which it’s being used?
 
I generally don’t like any of the anemic songs from the 70s-80s: Ray Repp, Dan Schutte, etc. Maybe they sounded OK when a few strong folk singers belted them out, but they transfer very poorly to congregational singing.

Another ick factor for me are songs like Lord of the Dance (the Shaker Song so beautifully orchestrated in Copeland’s Appalachian Spring) and Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee (Beethoven’s Ninth of-all-things!!!). There are very few church versions that don’t sound almost comical in their plodding tempo.
 
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Annunciata:
Didn’t St. Augustine say,“When you sing you pray twice”?😉
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Did that include rap or mindnumbing folk music?
 
I don’t like “Gather Us In.” This could be because we sang it at the opening of EVERY school Mass and I’m over it now.

And “Amazing Grace” can be sang to lots of different tunes:
  • House of the Rising Sun
  • Peaceful Easy Feeling
  • The Lion Sleeps Tonight
At youth group a couple times we have played “Hymn Remake” where they take a hymn and put it to a new tune. We usually use Amazing Grace because everyone knows the first verse. 🙂
Also, my sister was a music director at a church where the Priest gave a final say on music parts. He was very strict about making sure all communion songs mentioned the Body and Blood and NOT Bread and Wine. These were fine for before the consecratino, but not after.
 
I’ve got one that tops all. At Mass in a small parish, it was communion time, people were starting to receive, and in an effort to make more holy, the organ player begins his solo, “The hills are alive with the sound of music.” Needless to say, I about fell out of the pew. Now Iove the movie, but what that song has to do with holy communion is beyond me.
 
My experience may top even that. I was at my now-former parish, and the priest had used the World Series to make an analogy of some sort…well, at some point during the homily there was enough talk about baseball that our organist had the brilliant idea to go over to the organ (a beautiful pipe organ probably 30 feet tall) and play Take Me Out to the Ball Game!!! In Mass!!! :eek: :mad:
 
While out of the ordinary, I got a chance to do something in Mass I will probably never do again. We were having a closing Mass for a camp in the gym of a middle school. During the week they were having summer school and so right in the middle of the Prayers to the Faithful we were interrupted by the loudspeaker in the school. Not knowing what else to do we said the Pledge of Alliegance with them and joined in a moment of silence for Pres. Reagan. 😃 I guess it was good that it happened during the Prayers of the Faithful. Can’t say that’ll happen again soon. 🙂
 
Dr.Colossus, Yes, I believe you have me on that one. You have to wonder where brains are sometimes. God bless
 
I just wanted to chime in with my disgust with Lord of the Dance. Fortunately, I haven’t heard it for a long time, but I believe it was the first song I ever heard where I refused to sing because I thought it too irreverant…especially the oft-referenced verse about dancing “with the devil on your back”, but also in the verse before I thought they made way too light of the passion when singing in that sing-song way, “They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high and they left me there on a cross to die.” Ugh. That song disgusts me.
 
Dr. Colossus:
My experience may top even that. I was at my now-former parish, and the priest had used the World Series to make an analogy of some sort…well, at some point during the homily there was enough talk about baseball that our organist had the brilliant idea to go over to the organ (a beautiful pipe organ probably 30 feet tall) and play Take Me Out to the Ball Game!!! In Mass!!! :eek: :mad:
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I remember a priest who would sometimes say Mass at my Catholic high school and who once took of his vestments to reveal a baseball jersey. I have no idea what the sermon was about.
 
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pnewton:
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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The implication seems to be that the grace took hold once and for all “the hour I first believed.” Also, I’ve read that the reference to “the hour I first believed” was de-emphasizing baptism, suggesting that grace comes through faith alone rather than the sacraments. Honestly, though, I don’t think most Catholics who sing the song have that in mind.
 
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condan:
Anything accompanied by a banjo, which is standard at the 9 in my parish.
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I am SO sorry. Your time in purgatory should be brief! 😃
 
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bquinnan:
The implication seems to be that the grace took hold once and for all “the hour I first believed.” Also, I’ve read that the reference to “the hour I first believed” was de-emphasizing baptism, suggesting that grace comes through faith alone rather than the sacraments. Honestly, though, I don’t think most Catholics who sing the song have that in mind.
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I’m glad you pointed this out. I am not a cradle Catholic so I relate conversion (belief) with baptism since both happened latter in life. Surely the majority of Catholics who were baptized as infants receiving that grace and then had their faith develop with their maturity might see this as you do.

I guess you can tell I am a former Baptist the way I keep defending this song.
 
The Barrister:
I am SO sorry. Your time in purgatory should be brief! 😃
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Jeff Cavins has a great tape series on redemptive suffering that might be of help to some of you.
 
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ravenkc:
My vote goes for “Gather Us In”. Catchy tune, but the words celebrate us instead of God.
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When I started playing/cantoring at my parish that was our weekly song so I had to learn it. I am pleased to say I haven’t sang it in well over a year (and don’t plan to again).
 
I have MANY ‘Least Favorite Songs’. Anything that draws you into yourself and takes away from God is my least favorite. If you ever want to hear some truly sacred and beautiful music (while at the same time delving into your ancient Catholic roots) I would hightly reccomend Gregorian Chant or anything Polyphonic. 👍 Truly beautiful and true to our roots

Blessings
 
Sorry, I like Gather us in and also Lord of the Dance. Whenever Amazing Grace is sung I have to roll my eyes. I know I’m suppose to like it but my husband is under strict instructions not to have it played at my funeral. Pick something else. Anything else.
 
I’ll be a weird one here I’m sure, but I dislike Ave Maria. When sung - it always seem to center around the soloist (is it ever sung by a congregation?) and the soloist usuallys seems to put that extra resonance (my music vocab is limited but I think that’s what I mean) into it. By that I mean his or her voice “vibrates”.

Since I know little latin, the words have little meaning for me. Someone on another post said it originally was banned since it was the equivalent of a “show tune” when written. As I always told my daughter, some day the oldies radio station will be playing “BackStreet Boys” so all “classics” were new at one point.

Be Not Afraid is also on my list just because my parish sang it all the time - with the organ, with the guitar, accapella. I always swore I was going to keep track of how many Sundays in a row it was played!

Like I said, many here will think I’m “out there”, didn’t mean to offend anyone.

Kris
 
MaryA - I actually have the opposite instructions from my husband. He wants Amazing Grace played on the bagpipes at his funeral!!! I’m with you though.

Kris
 
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