Music during Communion

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I’d like to be able to say I picked the last one, but to me it’s a little distracting–I start focusing on what the choir is singing too much.
 
I like music during communion if I don’t have to sing it (I don’t mind singing if I’m near the back, and have awhile to go before I can receive, but I don’t like singing after) , and it is adoration type music. Polyphonic works, like Mozart’s Ave Verum, Palestrina’s Adoramus Te, and gregorian chants of various Eucharistic chants are great- if the choir can do them. Music that is too hard for the choir, that is too fast, or has too much noise (lots of syncopated rhythms, drums, etc.) is a distraction to me.
 
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m134e5:
I like music during communion if I don’t have to sing it (I don’t mind singing if I’m near the back, and have awhile to go before I can receive, but I don’t like singing after) , and it is adoration type music. Polyphonic works, like Mozart’s Ave Verum, Palestrina’s Adoramus Te, and gregorian chants of various Eucharistic chants are great- if the choir can do them. Music that is too hard for the choir, that is too fast, or has too much noise (lots of syncopated rhythms, drums, etc.) is a distraction to me.
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Yah that’ll be great! I hope that we can have chants during communion in our church. I am really distracted by fast songs during communion. Id rather hear just the sound of an organ rather fast songs.
 
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m134e5:
I like music during communion if I don’t have to sing it (I don’t mind singing if I’m near the back, and have awhile to go before I can receive, but I don’t like singing after) , and it is adoration type music. Polyphonic works, like Mozart’s Ave Verum, Palestrina’s Adoramus Te, and gregorian chants of various Eucharistic chants are great- if the choir can do them. Music that is too hard for the choir, that is too fast, or has too much noise (lots of syncopated rhythms, drums, etc.) is a distraction to me.
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:amen: I agree in full.
 
I like music during Communion, but it has to be the right kind. It should be something quiet and reverent. And I don’t want to have to sing, either on line, or while I’m back in my seat.

That last bit is true for the summer, anyway. The rest of the year, the choir sings; then I have to get ready to sing immediately after receiving – no time for reflection/meditation there. That’s one of the little sacrifices we make to sing in the choir. 🙂

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the Summer is wonderful, the choirs have been given the time off, Masses are a capella so we really get to work on our chant, and blessed silence during communion. I love it and will miss it when our very earnest and well-intentioned but untrained choirs return.
 
Looks like I’m in good company here! I wouldn’t mind music as long as it was uplifting and not a sing-along.

However, since I have not ever experienced that type of music during Communion, I chose no music over the song-fest that I usually encounter.
 
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Genesis315:
What’s your opinion of music during Communion?
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Not only do I like music during Communion, I love to sing! As St. Augustine once said, “To sing belongs to lovers.” What better time to sing than when I approach the Altar of the Lord enraptured by his love for me and mine for him! :love:
 
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MaryAgnes:
Not only do I like music during Communion, I love to sing! As St. Augustine once said, “To sing belongs to lovers.” What better time to sing than when I approach the Altar of the Lord enraptured by his love for me and mine for him! :love:
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I’m with you, MaryAgnes. I love to sing worship to my Lord, especially after receiving Him. When He enters me, my heart sings. I love Him SO MUCH, and can’t NOT sing.
 
It definitely depends on the music. The right song can send my heart soaring, while the wrong song, or or even the right song badly sung (think a butchered Ave Maria), can distract me from what I’m there for. Our parish has done a pretty good job overall of having good music during communion so I don’t find it a problem, but I’ve been in churches where I would have been much happier to have just had total silence.

For me there are just too many variables at work for one answer to be right all the time.

Peace,
John 🙂
 
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CarolAnnSFO:
I like music during Communion, but it has to be the right kind. It should be something quiet and reverent.
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Our choir director gave a talk about music some months ago. In it she mentioned that according to liturgical directives for music, the communion hymn is supposed to be one that emphasizes community; it should not be a ‘devotional’ hymn. I think that may be one of the reasons that we seldom hear devotional music during communion.
 
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CarolAnnSFO:
That last bit is true for the summer, anyway. The rest of the year, the choir sings; then I have to get ready to sing immediately after receiving – no time for reflection/meditation there. That’s one of the little sacrifices we make to sing in the choir. 🙂
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I hear that! We sing a song first then while everybody has gotten Communion , we finally get communion. We are a Spanish choir, so we usually sing songs like “El pan de la Vida”. I play the accordion in my choir, and we never use it during communion. Too loud. 😃
 
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JimG:
Our choir director gave a talk about music some months ago. In it she mentioned that according to liturgical directives for music, the communion hymn is supposed to be one that emphasizes community; it should not be a ‘devotional’ hymn. I think that may be one of the reasons that we seldom hear devotional music during communion.
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I haven’t heard this from my choir director, and my experience tells me that very few people really want to sing right after receiving. Most of them are kneeling, and many have their heads bowed and eyes closed – really not conducive to singing along. 🙂 We (the choir members) receive Communion first, and then sing the Communion hymn. Sometimes it’s something that the congregation can sing along with, and sometimes it isn’t, but thankfully, it’s never anything loud or raucous. If time permits, we will sing a devotional hymn after Communion is finished – that one is never a “sing-along”.

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**Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
 
The idea that the Communion song should foster community is promulgated in Music In Catholic Worship.
60. The two processional chants–the entrance song and the communion song–are very important for creating and sustaining an awareness of community…
62. The communion song should foster a sense of unity. It should be simple and not demand great effort. It gives expression to the joy of unity in the body of Christ and the fulfillment of the mystery being celebrated. Because they emphasize adoration rather than communion, most benediction hymns are not suitable…
And yes… I know that a lot of folks here don’t think much of Music in Catholic Worship but it remains the primary teaching on music in many dioceses in the United States. It’s the teaching that many of today’s bishops probably learned in seminary.
 
Our choir takes a summer hiatus, too. I am the accompanist (mostly piano/Clavinova). Our parish has a certain song (that isn’t even Catholic) that someone brought back from a vacation; they just though it was a nice song; apprently it had touched them. The priest at that time (8 or 9 yrs ago) allowed its use, and it has become an institution after communion! My dh (choir director) and I are sick of it and I personally would prefer silence after communion. As accompanist, it is the ONLY time I get to really pray/meditate. At the consecration, I get to rush a few prayers; I know God knows my prayers without my verbalizing them, even silently. I have to be ready to play the acclamation.

I put my vote in for SILENCE after communion. Perhaps we will be able to do this during Advent and Lent at least. We are trying to do more chant also.

Peace,
Mimi
 
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m134e5:
I like music during communion if I don’t have to sing it (I don’t mind singing if I’m near the back, and have awhile to go before I can receive, but I don’t like singing after) , and it is adoration type music. Polyphonic works, like Mozart’s Ave Verum, Palestrina’s Adoramus Te, and gregorian chants of various Eucharistic chants are great- if the choir can do them. Music that is too hard for the choir, that is too fast, or has too much noise (lots of syncopated rhythms, drums, etc.) is a distraction to me.
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Our liturgical coordinator, who is one of the most “with it,” “active-participation” people in America has come to the conclusion that people are just NOT going to sing during that time and (gasp) this MAY be a time when the choir will be allowed to sing prepared pieces rather than as support for congregational singing. Dare I hope that we will ever hear Mozart and Palestrina again? Down, mercygate. Don’t be ridiculous. The most we can expect is “On Eagle’s Wings” accompanied by 3 guitars, 2 flutes and snare drums.
 
Lately, my church has begun to play Gregorian chants at a low volume. I have found it to be less distracting than some of the up-tempo music that the musical director was fond of playing.
 
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returning:
Lately, my church has begun to play Gregorian chants at a low volume. I have found it to be less distracting than some of the up-tempo music that the musical director was fond of playing.
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Tapes? Gag.
 
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