Music Leader Thread Part IV—Song Lists, Suggestions, and Comments

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Do you guys have plans for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which falls on a Sunday this year?
 
I’m not a fan of the revised Mass of Creation. I too was hoping it would fail. However, that is part of the list of five settings…

Trying to decide what setting to teach next in the fall (Mass of Redemption, MoC, Heritage are left). This congregation isn’t the most receptive, so I’m at a loss as to which to do next.

As for Presentation of the Lord, not quite sure yet. I usually plan the Mass the week before. As I matter of fact, I was going to ask the same question. I’m looking for a few ideas.
 
I’m thinking I may have to follow that same rule for a while at least. This parish is about 6x larger than my previous parish, so I don’t have quite the freedom I used to.

As it is, the first ‘new music’ I introduced was the Mass of Renewal (part of five settings the Diocese wants everyone to learn). There was kicking and screaming from a few, which I expected. The only pro/con response I received (outside of my choir) was “it’s good that we are learning new music so we aren’t singing the same songs all the time, but I absolutely HATE this Mass setting. No one is singing it” (at the last Music/Worship meeting before Christmas).

Which brings up a question. What settings are you all using now that we are two years into the new translation?
The Mass of Renewal is being used a lot, but I really don’t care for it at all.
I prefer the Mass of St. Anne by Ed Bolduc or the Glendalough Mass by Liam Lawton.
My personal opinion is that Masses with a lot of repetition get really old really fast, and tend to sound a bit hokey. Just my opinions though, many like the repetition. I purposely stayed away from reworked settings. It’s confusing and hard for non-musicians to re-learn things they’ve sung for years. They’ll just be frustrated. I started NEW with everything. No looking back. 😉
 
The Mass of Renewal is being used a lot, but I really don’t care for it at all.
I prefer the Mass of St. Anne by Ed Bolduc or the Glendalough Mass by Liam Lawton.
My personal opinion is that Masses with a lot of repetition get really old really fast, and tend to sound a bit hokey. Just my opinions though, many like the repetition. I purposely stayed away from reworked settings. It’s confusing and hard for non-musicians to re-learn things they’ve sung for years. They’ll just be frustrated. I started NEW with everything. No looking back. 😉
WHich renewal are you talking about?

Kaufmann Renewal is the one that won the NPM award, and I find of the published ones that were out at the time of the changeover, that it was the catchiest and easiest to learn. My parish proved me right. I think it was the most solid one out there.

Mass of St. Ann has some similar melody lines and feel as “My heart will go on” from the titanic.
 
A local friend wrote a setting which I think far surpasses any others that I’ve heard in ease of learning, ease of singing, and catchy. My parish sings this one the loudest.

I imagine most people here can’t hear past the guitar. I’ll tell you what… the other music director of Adam’s parish wrote 4 part choir parts to it, and plays it on organ, and magically transformed the mass into a very traditional sound.

adambitter.com/chord-charts-lyrics/mass-parts/
 
The Mass of Renewal is being used a lot, but I really don’t care for it at all.
I prefer the Mass of St. Anne by Ed Bolduc or the Glendalough Mass by Liam Lawton.
My personal opinion is that Masses with a lot of repetition get really old really fast, and tend to sound a bit hokey. Just my opinions though, many like the repetition. I purposely stayed away from reworked settings. It’s confusing and hard for non-musicians to re-learn things they’ve sung for years. They’ll just be frustrated. I started NEW with everything. No looking back. 😉
When the whole thing came out, I initially started new, using Haugen’s “Storrington Mass” It has a nice (6/8 time) bouncy feel to it. And that congregation loved it. Here, they had been using Christ the Savior since the beginning of the translation. Apparently the previous director thought it was the only singable one out there.

Most of my issue is with the Gloria, and that goes for ALL settings. It’s just incredibly redundant in my opinion. “We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory” I understand it’s a prayer glorifying God. But let’s not drag it out for five minutes.

The problem with the revisions is cramming all that extra text into what was already written. In my previous parish, I used everything from MoC EXCEPT the Gloria. I REFUSE to use it. Frankly, I find it almost painful to sing, and from my observations visiting other parishes, people do have a look of pain when they try to sing it.

Of the five settings the diocese listed, I’d say my favorite is Mass of Redemption. I’m still trying to decide whether to use that in the fall or MoC. The only thing I like Creation for is funerals, weddings, and summer because everyone knows it. Outside of those three, I won’t use it unless there is a giant festival with a ton of visitors.
 
A local friend wrote a setting which I think far surpasses any others that I’ve heard in ease of learning, ease of singing, and catchy. My parish sings this one the loudest.

I imagine most people here can’t hear past the guitar. I’ll tell you what… the other music director of Adam’s parish wrote 4 part choir parts to it, and plays it on organ, and magically transformed the mass into a very traditional sound.

adambitter.com/chord-charts-lyrics/mass-parts/
Actually, I think since most of the people on this thread are musicians, they probably can hear past the guitar, but maybe I’m being too optimistic? 😛 I just listened to the Sanctus, and I can see how it can be tweaked to sound more traditional just by changing the style of playing, to the style of singing, as well as just a few chords. The organists I work with do it all the time with more of the “modern” hymns and don’t even use the accompaniment. They play them like old-fashioned Protestant hymnody. My Protestant music director is notorious for doing that and works great most of the time. Sometimes, though, it’s a fail and the music needs to stay in the modern style.
 
I’m not a fan of the revised Mass of Creation. I too was hoping it would fail. However, that is part of the list of five settings…

Trying to decide what setting to teach next in the fall (Mass of Redemption, MoC, Heritage are left). This congregation isn’t the most receptive, so I’m at a loss as to which to do next.

As for Presentation of the Lord, not quite sure yet. I usually plan the Mass the week before. As I matter of fact, I was going to ask the same question. I’m looking for a few ideas.
Heritage is very easy to learn. The parish loves it.
 
Heritage is very easy to learn. The parish loves it.
Yes, I would agree with this. Every parish I work and freelance in that does this mass seems to be very successful with it. They also tend to really like it when it is done with the choir where the Latin parts are used. You sort of get the best of both worlds with the vernacular and the Latin. I do think The Heritage Mass has simple and lovely melodies, and the congregations had an easy time relearning everything.
 
WHich renewal are you talking about?

Kaufmann Renewal is the one that won the NPM award, and I find of the published ones that were out at the time of the changeover, that it was the catchiest and easiest to learn. My parish proved me right. I think it was the most solid one out there.

Mass of St. Ann has some similar melody lines and feel as “My heart will go on” from the titanic.
The Renewal is the Curtis Stephen one, sorry I forgot to lis the composer.
Don’t really care for it.
As for some of the other comments, I the only thing I really don’t like about the MofC is the Lamb of God. I know lots of people like it, but it’s just painful for me. The melody is very tortured, but that’s just me. I see that many here love it. I don’t mind the MofC Gloria. The Kyrie is really the best thing about that Mass setting.
Myself, I try to stay away form the catchy tunes and Lamb of God settings that are way too “up” for that part of the liturgy. But again, that’s just my opinion. I understand that each parish has its own taste.
Peace,
pianist
 
The Renewal is the Curtis Stephen one, sorry I forgot to lis the composer.
Don’t really care for it.
As for some of the other comments, I the only thing I really don’t like about the MofC is the Lamb of God. I know lots of people like it, but it’s just painful for me. The melody is very tortured, but that’s just me. I see that many here love it. I don’t mind the MofC Gloria. The Kyrie is really the best thing about that Mass setting.
Myself, I try to stay away form the catchy tunes and Lamb of God settings that are way too “up” for that part of the liturgy. But again, that’s just my opinion. I understand that each parish has its own taste.
Peace,
pianist
Catchy doesn’t mean “up”.

Catchy means easy to learn, or something that stays in your head…because you “Catch” it.
 
As for some of the other comments, I the only thing I really don’t like about the MofC is the Lamb of God. I know lots of people like it, but it’s just painful for me. The melody is very tortured, but that’s just me. I see that many here love it. I don’t mind the MofC Gloria. The Kyrie is really the best thing about that Mass setting.
I’m not a fan of the Lamb of God, either, from the MofC. I have always found with every congregation I’ve been in either as a cantor, choir member or just as a congregant that many people have a difficult time vocally negotiating the intervals, especially in “you take away the sins of the world”. Many people crack, pop or drop out in that part. Once I mastered my instrument after years of training was I able to sing it consistently well, myself.

I think the Kyrie isn’t bad, either, but I don’t really like response Glorias. I think if Haugen had written it straight through, it would be more palatable to me, but like you, that is just my opinion on it. The revised Gloria was also somewhat awkward to navigate for the congregation, partly because everyone in that particular parish was so used to the old one. (That parish sang the entire composition, not just the response.) Most musicians I work with don’t like the MofC, itself, even if they do it at their parishes.
 
Catchy doesn’t mean “up”.

Catchy means easy to learn, or something that stays in your head…because you “Catch” it.
Sorry, in my book “catchy” means repetitive and jingle like. I’ve never heard the word catchy used as simple to learn. Just my opinion. It’s also been my experience that music well done is what makes the person in the pew receptive. People memorize lots of convoluted songs from the radio. Repetition is what makes things easy to learn.
But that’s cool if you like it. No worries.
 
Sorry, in my book “catchy” means repetitive and jingle like. I’ve never heard the word catchy used as simple to learn. Just my opinion. It’s also been my experience that music well done is what makes the person in the pew receptive. People memorize lots of convoluted songs from the radio. Repetition is what makes things easy to learn.
But that’s cool if you like it. No worries.
No, repetition does not equal " easy to learn"

“Easy to learn” means its actually, by objective nature of the music and the way the text is put to that music easy to learn.

Catchy means it catches on quickly.
 
No, repetition does not equal " easy to learn"

“Easy to learn” means its actually, by objective nature of the music and the way the text is put to that music easy to learn.

Catchy means it catches on quickly.
Ok you win. 🤷
 
The problem with the revisions is cramming all that extra text into what was already written. In my previous parish, I used everything from MoC EXCEPT the Gloria. I REFUSE to use it.
Before the switch, I used Mass of Creation seasonally (Lent and Advent). Gloria problem solved.
 
For next weekend:

Sunday, January 26, 2014 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Processional Hymn: #414 - “All Are Welcome” TWO OAKS/Haugen
Preparation of the Gifts: #684 - “The Lord Is My Light” Walker
Communion Hymn: #344 - “One Love Released” Frenzel/Keil
Recessional Hymn: #562 - “Sing of the Lord’s Goodness” Sands
 
Just found this thread and LOVE the idea!

Here’s what we sang today:

Entrance: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!

Offertory: What Wondrous Love Is This?

Communion 1: Veni, Jesu, Amor Mi
Communion 2: Come Down, O Love Divine
Communion 3: O God of Loveliness

Closing: Crown Him With Many Crowns

Mass parts: (these are mostly determined by pastor so they are the same at each mass, except we do more Latin at the 11am mass) Latin chant for Sanctus and Agnus Dei; Mass of Christ the Savior for Mem. Acc. and Great Amen; Gloria from Heritage Mass.

We have a very small but committed group of singers (7 at most), mostly college-aged. I play the organ, and usually choose the music, though today I asked the singers to jump in
and plan as I am still recovering from the flu :o

God bless y’all!

Gertie
 
Just found this thread and LOVE the idea!
Me too! :D.
Here’s what we sang today:

Entrance: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!

Offertory: What Wondrous Love Is This?

Communion 1: Veni, Jesu, Amor Mi
Communion 2: Come Down, O Love Divine
Communion 3: O God of Loveliness

Closing: Crown Him With Many Crowns

Mass parts: (these are mostly determined by pastor so they are the same at each mass, except we do more Latin at the 11am mass) Latin chant for Sanctus and Agnus Dei; Mass of Christ the Savior for Mem. Acc. and Great Amen; Gloria from Heritage Mass.
😦

Wish I was there.

I know this is not a controversy thread, but I do have a question…

On second thoughts, it** is not** a controversy thread, so I’ll ask my question with a new thread! It will relate directly to your hymn list. 🙂
 
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