Music at communion

  • Thread starter Thread starter musiclady29
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Elizium23 said:
Because God has commanded us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Each of us struggles to the best of his ability, but we should not let perfection be the enemy of the good.

Music is an integral part of liturgy. Musical competence and the arts, particularly appreciation, should be taught alongside religious catechesis and the Three Rs. I cannot draw or paint, and I am more impoverished for this lack, but fortunately drawing and painting are not part of liturgical ministry :cool:

I can assure you that I am never insulted by an assembly who sings ineptly or poorly in response to the leadership of the choir. I am, however, often concerned when an assembly sings intermittently, quietly, or not at all, because this is often an indication of the failure of the choir to fulfill our ministry and encourage others to sing. There can be legitimate times when the choir sings alone, but most of our job is fostering active participation among the faithful, and the best reward for me is an assembly who sings loud and proud.
Click to expand...
Elizium - I think this is an excellent post. If only more would realise that music is part of the liturgy and we have an obligation to participate to the best of our ability.
 
Bonnie said:
Elizium -

It sounds like you belong a big parish with more money & talent to call on than we do. Our parish is tiny & poor. We have about 20 -25 people on an average Sunday - sometimes fewer. Like I said, most of us can’t read music, so can’t sing a cappella. We have no instruments except for the guy who brings his guitar. He does his best, but isn’t there every Sunday.

In a large parish, those who can sing drown out those who can’t. We have maybe 4 or 5 people who can sing on key, & only one can be guarenteed to be there every Sunday. She’s pretty deaf so I don’t think she knows when she ends up singing a solo. 🙂

I’m serious about our need for a parish administrator. Our priest only comes 3 out of 4 Sundays & on most Holy days. It would be icing on the cake if the administrator could also sing and play an instrument. There’s no room for a piano in the church, so the instrument would have to be something portable - a guitar or electric keyboard, maybe.

Our parish does very well on 3 pieces of music, “Hest Yay-su” during the smudging, the Divine Mercy prayer - we sing 1 decade, and the blessing song which is sung instead of “Happy Birthday.”

So with someone to teach us, I think we could learn to sing better.
Click to expand...
Upright piano solves the problem in my Church. Though we use the electronic keyboard most masses since that what the music director plays and sings with. Piano is usually used at 10am
 
agw123 said:
Upright piano solves the problem in my Church. Though we use the electronic keyboard most masses since that what the music director plays and sings with. Piano is usually used at 10am
Click to expand...
If some of the back pews were taken out an upright might fit. The church isn’t heated during the week. Does extreme cold bother pianos?
 
Thank you for all your comments. My question has been answered.
 
There is a general understanding that the type of song should fit with what is taking place in the liturgy or what the Mass is celebrating.

For example, the entrance hymn should be about something on the church or the spirit of coming to God, or about God’s people, etc, or it could be about the celebration itself, for instance, if that Sunday you are celebrating the Holy Spirit in some way then a hymn about the Holy Spirit.

A communion song does not fit an entrance song or, the opposite.

Just some thoughts.​

“You prepare me a banquet in the face of harm and hatred.” (hymn)
 
fred_conty said:
There is a general understanding that the type of song should fit with what is taking place in the liturgy or what the Mass is celebrating.

For example, the entrance hymn should be about something on the church or the spirit of coming to God, or about God’s people, etc, or it could be about the celebration itself, for instance, if that Sunday you are celebrating the Holy Spirit in some way then a hymn about the Holy Spirit.

A communion song does not fit an entrance song or, the opposite.

Just some thoughts.
Click to expand...
And how I would like to validate them for you, Fred, but they’re not correct.
Instead of perpetuating “general understanding,” and whether you’re serving 25 or 25K parishioners, understanding the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal,” as well as the canons of Musicam Sacram and the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy (and even Tra le sollecitudini) must be foundational for anyone, lonely guitarist or organist magnifique.
Even though the “rules” or better, options, listed for the three processions (Entrance, Offertory and Communion) are quite specifically prioritized, most savvy choir/directors of music know that the Proper antiphons accompanying those actions are just as prescribed as are the scriptures. They’re no different in theory than the responsorial or the gospel acclamation verse. However, singing or chanting propers is essentially a brand new phenomenon for most catholics here and abroad, but more and more parishes are starting to discover how perfectly they are matched to the scriptures already, and those actions or themes you mentioned are not necessary to discern. However, using other psalms, antiphonally or otherwise is just as valid, as are the singing of the fourth option, the so-called “other chant that applies,” the alius cantus aptus.
I manage music for a merged parish of four churches with nearly 20 Masses, so I’ve given lots of attention and agenda time with music leadership to “paying attention” to the proper processionals in addition to scriptural or liturgical action criteria, and there are tons of hymns and songs that are allusional to them, and the music leaders’ eyes are now opened to that.
But there are also many hymns or songs that can virtually function at any of the four layers of the “hymn sandwich” mode of choice. One just has to discern when a text (for example “Here at this table” by Janet Whitaker) serves as an Introit, Offertorio, or Communio. Cheers.
 
Charles,
I’m sorry that I’m a little on the slow side, but what you said “I wasn’t sure”; pro or con or inbetween.

I have been to mass where the hymns or songs really don’t match up with the liturgy. So is that what you said, or other?

Just some questions for clearity.
 
Fred, in situations like you describe, where the choices seem random, you are much more attuned to liturgical proprieties than the folks that perpetuate the “We sing what we like and everybody seems happy” paradigm.
But such is the sad state of an apparently still vast majority of parish music programs. After 43 years of this, I have to wonder how many pastor/administrators just think they need a warm body who can play any polyphonic instrument and sing close to any tune’s melody just to fill the time. It’s amazing that these clerics know of the prohibition against liturgical muzak played by devices, but essentially want the same thing from a breathing human. Pathetic.
My point was that there is so much wisdom and guidance to be found online and in organizations such as CMAA that is free, tested and tried and done by professionals in both senses of the word, that could restore a sense of cohernence and solemnity to our Masses.
You’re on the right track, Fred. Just get to know those documents I mentioned. You can search “GIRM…CSL…Musicam Sacram” on the engines, they’ll get you there.
Blessings,
Charles
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top