Mushy worship music...

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CanMan86

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Hey,

I find that the music commonly played in non-liturgical Catholic worship settings (and even sometimes liturgical settings) to be overly mushy, modern, protestant, emotional and even effeminate.

Stuff like this: youtube.com/watch?v=-3L5SJyPpZk

youtube.com/watch?v=UQud1LgLPw0

I feel quite an aversion to it. I’d be much more inclined to listen to Gregorian chant or some kind of Byzantine chant. I often don’t want to go to various Catholic conferences fearing it will be full of this kind of music. I am a young man and would even consider youth ministry but the little experience I have had with it (I was invited to a LifeTeen event) involved us holding hands and singing this really mushy type music. This approach to worship just doesn’t appeal to me.

The main thing that bothers me is that this seems to be the norm in the Church today. A lot of my Catholic peers who are really passionate about their faith are really into this kind of stuff and I’m not. I feel somewhat disconnected with my own Church because of this and feel turned off from getting involved with various Church functions. Maybe my heart is just too hard… I don’t know.

I will say that those who are involved in this style of worship are clearly worshiping God with a sincerity that I respect and I am in no way criticizing their faith, in fact I admire it… but it’s just not my style. My main issue is that I feel disconnected from my own Church and this bothers me.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Thoughts?
 
Yes, I feel like you, but usually a large amount of people here like the music you described, and they do come out to defend their preference. This seems to be a very hot topic. Let’s see what anyone else has to say. Personally, I don’t feel that the music you refer to is very sacred, and even if we do like it or it is a lovely piece, it does not make it Mass worthy in my opinion, but only suitable for other use. I thought that we were supposed to working more toward a change in the music selections for Mass, but there is no sign of it in my parish.
 
Actually, I’ve heard hymns at Mass that were super mushy and insipid that were written in the 1700 and 1800 hundreds. When I go to Mass, I will look in the hymnal and try to provide specific examples.
 
I checked out those two examples, and they’re exact representations of the current “praise and worship” music styles I absolutely despise these days. I’ve found that both the musical and lyrical quality has degenerated the last couple of decades or so.

That said, I still have a great affection for the praise and worship of the late 80’s to early 90’s, published under such labels as Integrity’s Hosanna!, Maranatha Music and Vineyard Worship. This includes such classics as these:

A couple by Kent Henry
youtube.com/watch?v=mI2vz_uQ5QE
youtube.com/watch?v=dtguK8RUpOs

With Randy Rothwell; a medley of two of my favourite “fight” songs, including The Earth Shakes.
youtube.com/watch?v=giEeVuP6rJI

Holy is the Lord on High by Scott Brenner
youtube.com/watch?v=rJaulFrzKQA

I’m sure my preferences and my age colour my judgment, but I’m sure others will be able to tell that there is a difference in the quality of the past samples and the current ones posted by the OP. I just find that the more recent offerings are “harder” (as in “hard” rock), but weaker and shallower.

Still, none of these are suitable for Mass or Divine Office because they still don’t fit in the sacred music category. They should be fine however for private, non-liturgical events such as prayer meetings or Bible studies.
 
CanMan86 said:
Hey,

I find that the music commonly played in non-liturgical Catholic worship settings (and even sometimes liturgical settings) to be overly mushy, modern, protestant, emotional and even effeminate.

Stuff like this: youtube.com/watch?v=-3L5SJyPpZk

youtube.com/watch?v=UQud1LgLPw0

I feel quite an aversion to it. I’d be much more inclined to listen to Gregorian chant or some kind of Byzantine chant. I often don’t want to go to various Catholic conferences fearing it will be full of this kind of music. I am a young man and would even consider youth ministry but the little experience I have had with it (I was invited to a LifeTeen event) involved us holding hands and singing this really mushy type music. This approach to worship just doesn’t appeal to me.

The main thing that bothers me is that this seems to be the norm in the Church today. A lot of my Catholic peers who are really passionate about their faith are really into this kind of stuff and I’m not. I feel somewhat disconnected with my own Church because of this and feel turned off from getting involved with various Church functions. Maybe my heart is just too hard… I don’t know.

I will say that those who are involved in this style of worship are clearly worshiping God with a sincerity that I respect and I am in no way criticizing their faith, in fact I admire it… but it’s just not my style. My main issue is that I feel disconnected from my own Church and this bothers me.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Thoughts?
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Most of the music even at Catholic Mass is mushy and sentimental. It turns me off very much. When I was in the choir for a few years, first of all I was the youngest person there, second I kept asking them to sing some chant or traditional Latin Hymns. I kind of got the cold-shoulder for this and eventually left the choir, only to hear them complain that young people aren’t interested in music ministry. Not true. We are interested- but we crave a little more than the sappy, happy hymns of the previous generation. We want the card-core Catholic stuff back.

I grew up Protestant where the songs we sang were very sentimental and mundane (in my opinion) One thing that attracted me to the Catholic church was it;s ancientness and those older hymns. However, I put up with the sappiness I guess, knowing Jesus is there. But secretly, I long for a change 🙂
 
CanMan86 said:
Hey,

I find that the music commonly played in non-liturgical Catholic worship settings (and even sometimes liturgical settings) to be overly mushy, modern, protestant, emotional and even effeminate.

Stuff like this: youtube.com/watch?v=-3L5SJyPpZk

youtube.com/watch?v=UQud1LgLPw0

I feel quite an aversion to it. I’d be much more inclined to listen to Gregorian chant or some kind of Byzantine chant. I often don’t want to go to various Catholic conferences fearing it will be full of this kind of music. I am a young man and would even consider youth ministry but the little experience I have had with it (I was invited to a LifeTeen event) involved us holding hands and singing this really mushy type music. This approach to worship just doesn’t appeal to me.

The main thing that bothers me is that this seems to be the norm in the Church today. A lot of my Catholic peers who are really passionate about their faith are really into this kind of stuff and I’m not. I feel somewhat disconnected with my own Church because of this and feel turned off from getting involved with various Church functions. Maybe my heart is just too hard… I don’t know.

I will say that those who are involved in this style of worship are clearly worshiping God with a sincerity that I respect and I am in no way criticizing their faith, in fact I admire it… but it’s just not my style. My main issue is that I feel disconnected from my own Church and this bothers me.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Thoughts?
Click to expand...
So you claim you are disconnected from your faith because of music? Do you play an instrument? have you ever spoken with your music leader or minister? Yet you see that those that maybe this music does touch have a lively faith. Blaming musical style for your lack of lively faith is an excuse. You need to look deeper into yourself and holding back or blaming music for this is just the surface. We have too many threads of people that complain about music yet those that do this aren’t involved in their music program and have done nothing about it but come onto the internet to vent their “feelings”.
 
CanMan86 said:
Hey,

I find that the music commonly played in non-liturgical Catholic worship settings (and even sometimes liturgical settings) to be overly mushy, modern, protestant, emotional and even effeminate.

Stuff like this: youtube.com/watch?v=-3L5SJyPpZk

youtube.com/watch?v=UQud1LgLPw0

I feel quite an aversion to it. I’d be much more inclined to listen to Gregorian chant or some kind of Byzantine chant. I often don’t want to go to various Catholic conferences fearing it will be full of this kind of music. I am a young man and would even consider youth ministry but the little experience I have had with it (I was invited to a LifeTeen event) involved us holding hands and singing this really mushy type music. This approach to worship just doesn’t appeal to me.

The main thing that bothers me is that this seems to be the norm in the Church today. A lot of my Catholic peers who are really passionate about their faith are really into this kind of stuff and I’m not. I feel somewhat disconnected with my own Church because of this and feel turned off from getting involved with various Church functions. Maybe my heart is just too hard… I don’t know.

I will say that those who are involved in this style of worship are clearly worshiping God with a sincerity that I respect and I am in no way criticizing their faith, in fact I admire it… but it’s just not my style. My main issue is that I feel disconnected from my own Church and this bothers me.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I am in the same boat as you. I would take def leppard or poison over christian music any day. During the liturgy though I wish all Catholic Churches would adopt Gregorian chant. The music I hear at the Newman center I attend on campus is, as you described, protestant sounding. Doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with the Mass itself. But if I wanted a protestant styled service I’d attend a protestant ecclesiastical community. I want the Catholicism to be put back into the Catholic Church. That is just a personal feeling, one I know is not shared by too many modern Catholics. Perhaps I was just born in the wrong time lol. I would have preferred the middle ages.
 
robwar said:
So you claim you are disconnected from your faith because of music? Do you play an instrument? have you ever spoken with your music leader or minister? Yet you see that those that maybe this music does touch have a lively faith. Blaming musical style for your lack of lively faith is an excuse. You need to look deeper into yourself and holding back or blaming music for this is just the surface. We have too many threads of people that complain about music yet those that do this aren’t involved in their music program and have done nothing about it but come onto the internet to vent their “feelings”.
Click to expand...
At least I can say I was involved in music ministry. Every time I tried to suggest even a small change, I got tuned out, shushed or ignored. Believe me, however, the poor guy probably wouldn’t be able to change anything if he wanted to. he may get tossed out in the dark like I did.
 
latingirl said:
At least I can say I was involved in music ministry. Every time I tried to suggest even a small change, I got tuned out, shushed or ignored. Believe me, however, the poor guy probably wouldn’t be able to change anything if he wanted to. he may get tossed out in the dark like I did.
Click to expand...
most of these threads about complaints about music are done by people that are not involved at all. Sorry but I love all kinds of music including what you and OP and a bunch of others thumb their noses down at. It’s what is sung at most Catholic Masses. I would accept both and not get so caught up in tastes and opinions.
 
latingirl said:
At least I can say I was involved in music ministry. Every time I tried to suggest even a small change, I got tuned out, shushed or ignored. Believe me, however, the poor guy probably wouldn’t be able to change anything if he wanted to. he may get tossed out in the dark like I did.
Click to expand...
Well, he could start small. For example, by speaking to the priest and offering to chant one weekday Mass, even if alone, perhaps in a month, or in a week if possible. This can have a gravitational effect on the other liturgies, perhaps eventually, including Sundays.

I also echo the sentiment that letting the musical style of a parish (as bad as it is) be the reason to be disconnected from the Church is not the most valid or serious of reasons. You may have to be the catalyst for change, and it starts with talking to your pastor.

The key thing is though, has been stated by the other posters. Complain, sure, but always propose a solution or suggestion.
 
God willing His Holiness will push for every Parish to offer at least one latin mass. There are people in every Parish who would prefer the traditional mass. Unfortunately most of us have to attend the novus ordo. It is 100% valid and a holy mass that can be done just as reverently (though it is often abused). Many of us crave the traditions of the latin mass. We crave the reverence and the closeness to God that we feel that many of us don’t get in the more modern novus ordo style mass. I think it’d be great for the Church the world over to enforce at least one Latin Mass every weekend. It’d bring a lot of the more traditional Catholics a big boost in zeal to be able to experience Mass as it used to be and is supposed to be and often falls short in our modern style 😦
 
SaintFrancis333 said:
God willing His Holiness will push for every Parish to offer at least one latin mass. There are people in every Parish who would prefer the traditional mass. Unfortunately most of us have to attend the novus ordo. It is 100% valid and a holy mass that can be done just as reverently (though it is often abused). Many of us crave the traditions of the latin mass. We crave the reverence and the closeness to God that we feel that many of us don’t get in the more modern novus ordo style mass. I think it’d be great for the Church the world over to enforce at least one Latin Mass every weekend. It’d bring a lot of the more traditional Catholics a big boost in zeal to be able to experience Mass as it used to be and is supposed to be and often falls short in our modern style 😦
Click to expand...
And how are you going to really do this? There is a shortage of priests. There isn’t enough time for them to learn the rubrics and with the liturgical critics that are out there, if they make a mistake, people are going to be running to the Bishop. Likewise, you are assuming that with limited priests, there is a demand for this. Most Catholics I know are not interested in EF Mass. Sorry, but the interest and demand may not be their even though this is your fantasy. Likewise the “liturgical abuse” is frankly abused. To claim that most NO Masses have abuse in them is grossly over stated and a false generalization and even insulting to the priests out there.
 
robwar said:
most of these threads about complaints about music are done by people that are not involved at all. Sorry but I love all kinds of music including what you and OP and a bunch of others thumb their noses down at. It’s what is sung at most Catholic Masses. I would accept both and not get so caught up in tastes and opinions.
Click to expand...
I was involved before my move, and sadly, I must admit that I also used such songs at Mass in my less-educated days. After learning what the Church desired with regards to music at Mass, I worked with my priest to ensure we had at least one Mass a month that was mostly in Latin with simple Gregorian chant melodies. During important feasts, I would gather my little group and sing from the Graduale Simplex; nothing too difficult or elaborate. He later commented that he liked our group because “it was very Catholic.”

Sure, there’s no arguing for taste but the Church does have an opinion on music for liturgy even though she is open to multiple styles outside of Gregorian chant. And while the Church does not draw the line, she does lay down some principles with regards to style and instrumentation (e.g. no use of instruments associated primarily with secular music). I personally found it simpler to equate “praiseworthy” = “do it”.

So again, I would say to the OP: first thing to do is get involved. See your pastor and volunteer. Start with a weekday Mass, for instance.
 
SaintFrancis333 said:
God willing His Holiness will push for every Parish to offer at least one latin mass. There are people in every Parish who would prefer the traditional mass. Unfortunately most of us have to attend the novus ordo. It is 100% valid and a holy mass that can be done just as reverently (though it is often abused). Many of us crave the traditions of the latin mass. We crave the reverence and the closeness to God that we feel that many of us don’t get in the more modern novus ordo style mass. I think it’d be great for the Church the world over to enforce at least one Latin Mass every weekend. It’d bring a lot of the more traditional Catholics a big boost in zeal to be able to experience Mass as it used to be and is supposed to be and often falls short in our modern style 😦
Click to expand...
The Church does not have to enforce it. There is a perfectly legitimate and valid Mass, and it’s the Ordinary Form. If you want a Traditional Mass, by all means, gather your stable group and approach your pastor. Be sure to volunteer all that is needed; assure him of your help to raise funds for the training videos, the missal, the maniples, biretta, cassocks and surplices, Graduals and hymnals. Assemble a schola, and the company of servers. Be there to organize the practice sessions and the PR needed for the Mass. Get involved in the parish committee meetings.

The same principles apply to those who have issues with the music. Get involved, volunteer and propose solutions. [edited]
 
Thanks for all the replies… I should clarify… it’s not so much that I feel disconnected from my Church but more that I feel disconnected from my fellow Catholic peers. It seems that if you want to get involved in various ministries you are expect to participate in mushy “praise and worship” music (for example in youth ministry).

With that said I like what some of you had said that I would be better off getting involved and trying to make positive changes instead of just complaining. In other words, take the “be the change you want to see in the world” approach. That’s a good idea and something that I will take seriously.
 
CanMan86 said:
Hey,

I find that the music commonly played in non-liturgical Catholic worship settings (and even sometimes liturgical settings) to be overly mushy, modern, protestant, emotional and even effeminate.

Stuff like this: youtube.com/watch?v=-3L5SJyPpZk

youtube.com/watch?v=UQud1LgLPw0

I feel quite an aversion to it. I’d be much more inclined to listen to Gregorian chant or some kind of Byzantine chant. I often don’t want to go to various Catholic conferences fearing it will be full of this kind of music. I am a young man and would even consider youth ministry but the little experience I have had with it (I was invited to a LifeTeen event) involved us holding hands and singing this really mushy type music. This approach to worship just doesn’t appeal to me.

The main thing that bothers me is that this seems to be the norm in the Church today. A lot of my Catholic peers who are really passionate about their faith are really into this kind of stuff and I’m not. I feel somewhat disconnected with my own Church because of this and feel turned off from getting involved with various Church functions. Maybe my heart is just too hard… I don’t know.

I will say that those who are involved in this style of worship are clearly worshiping God with a sincerity that I respect and I am in no way criticizing their faith, in fact I admire it… but it’s just not my style. My main issue is that I feel disconnected from my own Church and this bothers me.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Thoughts?
Click to expand...
How exactly is that “Protestant”? Please?

Matt Maher is Catholic. There was nothing “protestant” in the lyrics. It’s an anthem.
 
Protestant in the sense that it’s what is often played in many protestant churches, especially evangelical or charismatic. Not protestant in the lyrics but in style I guess you could say. This music “style” is not traditionally thought to be Catholic in my opinion. For example, I showed an Orthodox friend this video:

youtube.com/watch?v=UQud1LgLPw0

and asked him what he thought and his only response was “protestant.”
 
latingirl said:
At least I can say I was involved in music ministry. Every time I tried to suggest even a small change, I got tuned out, shushed or ignored. Believe me, however, the poor guy probably wouldn’t be able to change anything if he wanted to. he may get tossed out in the dark like I did.
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keep trying and don’t give up if this is something you believe in and is important to you.
 
well whos’ responsibility is it to make sure that worship music is appropriate for the celebration of mass ? Does it fall on the Pastor, or the Music Director ?

Or is it the Bishop who needs to travel from parish to parish or send out a memo stating what should an should not be played, what is an is not acceptable ?

Does a layperson relay their concerns in a respective manner to the Pastor or Bishop ?

Because I for one found it utterly embarressing at the end of the Christmas vigil when our choir sung " happy birthday Jesus "; it is not necessiarly bad, but consider that on major Catholic days Christmas / Easter we as Catholics have a lot of visitors ( family ) with us.

How does the choir represent /, help or hurt the celebration to those outsiders who may be on the fence or just visiting ? the example of ( first impressions ).

Granted some areas use music that is apart of their culture, but i would dare to say it would not hurt the Catholic Church to have a flat out standard list of acceptable and unacceptable music to be played an sung at mass. Chances are it already does im just not one to fish it out of any book or look it up.

An no one will be happy either way, so it is one of those things where everyone should be equally unhappy at the very least. At best it should be music that is not going to put the congregation to sleep or be very distracting.
 
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