Music leaders, show us your song list - NEW!!

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hosea said:
Praise God for your healing!
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Yes!!! 🙂 I didn’t get to tell you, pnewton, how happy I am to hear that you are getting back to playing again. I know how horrible it feels to not be able to play or sing for a few days, let along a few weeks.
 
Last year our organist used “Every Valley” by Bob Dufford S.J. on the Second Sunday of Advent. It’s text is based upon Saint John the Baptist’s proclamation of Jesus’ first coming.

I am really hoping we don’t use it this year at my church because it has two High E’s and the cantor wailed those notes when we sang the song. It made it very un-attractive.

I would perfer “On Jordan’s Bank” over that, even though I picked “Every Valley.”
 
To benedictgal:

Thank you for recommending using “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” all 4 weeks of Advent. I was discerning whether I should do it, and I did. It will be the processional for all 4 weeks.
 
CatholicZ09 said:
I am really hoping we don’t use it this year at my church because it has two High E’s and the cantor wailed those notes when we sang the song. It made it very un-attractive.

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Transpose it down a step. Also, just sing the prior note instead of the 2 high E’s and it fits in the chord
 
benedictgal said:
I have finally finished choosing the music for my cousin’s wedding (which will take place on Friday evening). These are the readings that I chose:

Song of Songs
Revelation
St. John’s Gospel Account of the Wedding at Cana

This is the music:

Prelude: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (instrumental)

Entrance Processional: Jesu, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desring

Psalm: Spanish - Dichoso el que teme al Senor y sigue sus caminos. (Manuel Garcia) Groom’s family does not understand English.

Alleuia setting from the Installation Mass for Pope Benedict XVI

Offertory: Panis Angelicus

Sanctus, Memorial and Great Amen: A Community Mass Setting by Richard Proulx (with When we eat this bread… Memorial Acclamation option)

Agnus Dei: Chant

Communion: Donde Hay Caridad (J. Madrugas)

Presentation of bouquet to BVM: Ave Maria

Recessonal: Ode to Joy

I have also been asked to assist in the planning of someone else’s wedding. As his wedding is in December, I will be choosing Advent music for a good part.

The best advice that I can give to anyone involved in selecting music for the Mass, whether it’s Sunday or for some sacramental liturgy, is to not follow what the publishers suggest. Often, they will push their product as opposed to the Church’s rich repository of Sacred Music. A lot of the times, the songs are feel-good ditties that have no depth, no richness, no sacredness, no majesty, no beauty, no transcendence and no dignity. You can never go wrong tapping into truly sacred music.

Another thing to consider is using the Church’s authoritative documents (those promulgated by the Holy See) as your guide when selecting what you will use for the liturgy. The writings of Pope Benedict XVI and, even Pope John Paul II, are effective tools in helping you make wise choices in selecting music.

Finally, the older, more venerable hymns are neither scary nor dated. They are timeless and do not sound like some 1960s-70s hippy folk pieces, the sappy 1980s songs or the rock anthems currently pushed by Time-Life’s Protestant Praise and Worship collections. They are also very easy to sing and easy enough to remember.

This process does not come via osmosis. I have had a lot of hard knocks along the way, learning some painful lessons in my early years. But, we learn by reading, by studying and by doing.
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Benedictgal,

Where did you find the Alleluia setting used at Pope Benedict XVI’s Installation Mass? I would love to have that music!

Thanks!
 
The songs I’m doing for Thanksgiving Day Mass are:

Opening: Now Thank We All Our God

Offertory: For the Fruits of This Creation

Communion: Gift of FInest Wheat

Recessional: America, The Beautiful - especially verse 2

What do you think?
 
For Advent, I am using the Missa Emmanuel Mass by Proulx. I love this setting!!
 
benedictgal said:
The focus during the first Sunday of Advent is on the Second Coming. St. John the Baptist does not make his presence known until the Second Sunday of Advent.
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John the Baptist is one part of one verse. I understand you would not use it. I got that part.
 
grandeorgue said:
Benedictgal,

Where did you find the Alleluia setting used at Pope Benedict XVI’s Installation Mass? I would love to have that music!

Thanks!
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I got the little Mass booklet off of evilbay (Ebay). It had the musical settings for the parts of the Mass, including the Alleluia. The only thing that it did not have was the music for the versicle. I had my pv play it on his organ and it sounded beautiful. The cantor made up the versicle and it fit.
 
agapewolf said:
Transpose it down a step. Also, just sing the prior note instead of the 2 high E’s and it fits in the chord
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That’s what we do with Every Valley. One whole step makes it very singable. Otherwise I get those brain freezes.
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grandeorgue said:
The songs I’m doing for Thanksgiving Day Mass are:

Opening: Now Thank We All Our God

Offertory: For the Fruits of This Creation

Communion: Gift of FInest Wheat

Recessional: America, The Beautiful - especially verse 2

What do you think?
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Sounds like it will be a great way to celebrate this wonderful American holiday.
Nice choices.
 
baltobetsy said:
It uses the tune, “Puer Nobis,” the same one used for “Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth” in Advent. Is that the one?

Betsy
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Yes, the tune is “Puer Nobis” it’s a very nice tune!
 
grandeorgue said:
It is published by GIA Publications and composed by Richard Proulx.
giamusic.com/search_details.cfm?title_id=750

I don’t use the refrain for the Holy Holy. It is found in most hymnals published by GIA.
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Is the Missa Emmanuel the one that takes the “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” melody? One of the parishes I used to volunteer had used that for a while. Then, after the first week of Advent, the pastor and another priest got really upset with the music director and said that by no means was he to use that mass setting again whenever those two priests said mass. They didn’t think it was appropriate for liturgy and that it was too long. I don’t remember the setting that much since I only sang it once - just that it had the O Veni, Veni Emmanuel melody. But I do remember that those two priests were none too happy about the setting. It was never used again after that.
 
Sarabande said:
Is the Missa Emmanuel the one that takes the “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” melody? One of the parishes I used to volunteer had used that for a while. Then, after the first week of Advent, the pastor and another priest got really upset with the music director and said that by no means was he to use that mass setting again whenever those two priests said mass. They didn’t think it was appropriate for liturgy and that it was too long. I don’t remember the setting that much since I only sang it once - just that it had the O Veni, Veni Emmanuel melody. But I do remember that those two priests were none too happy about the setting. It was never used again after that.
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When I was at the Cathedral, my rector put the kibosh on it before it had the chance to see the light of day. He said that O Veni, Veni Emmanuel was fitting in its original format. He compared the Sanctus adaptation to someone singing the tune of Happy Birthday with different texts. I love Proulx, but, this was not one of his brightest moments. 🤷
 
CatholicZ09 said:
Okay, since the other song list forum was closed, I thought of starting a new one, because I really like posting there.

By the way, please keep any criticism at a low-level.
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Hi,
I’m a convert (mid 80’s) and studied music in college for a few years before wandering off in other directions. When I began dating the woman that was to become my wife, I started going to the Catholic Church with her and a few years after we were married, I took the classes and joined. One thing that really saddened me was the music in the our church, but as I was not raised Catholic I just assumed that this was the way it was supposed to be now and all that stuff I learned in college was just so much ancient history.
I eventually joined the choir and began cantoring (my wife wouldn’t let me gripe about the music unless I was willing to contribute to it’s betterment-wise woman.) But we still sang the stuff that had saddened me. About 2 years ago I inherited the volunteer job of choir director for the two weekly English Masses at our parish and was content to continue the status quo for a while. However, something was nagging at me so I began trying to learn more about the music of the church and to try and discover what had happened to the music that I had thought af as “Catholic Church Music” back in college. In my search I discovered wonderful writings by Saint Pius X (motu proprio Tra le solicitudini), Pope John Paul II , and Pope Benedict XVI among others, as well as “A Chronicle of the Reform: Catholic Music in the 20th Century” by Msgr. Richard J. Schuler which explained a lot. Our choir has spent the last month learning to read nuemes and to sing chant (quite enthusiastically, I must say) and we are going to introduce a few chants at a time back into our Mass begining this week for the first Sunday of Advent.
Sorry about the long build up to my point, but finally, here it is–I need suggestions on how to introduce these to our congregation. I’m sure there are some of the older parishoners that will remember these but there are probably more that have never sung them. Any time I’ve introduced new music in the past I’ve gotten a lot of criticism because they can’t sing along with the choir right away. I’ve invited the congregation to come to the choir practices to learn the new pieces but only a few came. Before the Mass is not good for several reasons that I’ll not get into here. Any Ideas?
 
smelliott417 said:
Hi,
I’m a convert (mid 80’s) and studied music in college for a few years before wandering off in other directions. When I began dating the woman that was to become my wife, I started going to the Catholic Church with her and a few years after we were married, I took the classes and joined. One thing that really saddened me was the music in the our church, but as I was not raised Catholic I just assumed that this was the way it was supposed to be now and all that stuff I learned in college was just so much ancient history.
I eventually joined the choir and began cantoring (my wife wouldn’t let me gripe about the music unless I was willing to contribute to it’s betterment-wise woman.) But we still sang the stuff that had saddened me. About 2 years ago I inherited the volunteer job of choir director for the two weekly English Masses at our parish and was content to continue the status quo for a while. However, something was nagging at me so I began trying to learn more about the music of the church and to try and discover what had happened to the music that I had thought af as “Catholic Church Music” back in college. In my search I discovered wonderful writings by Saint Pius X (motu proprio Tra le solicitudini), Pope John Paul II , and Pope Benedict XVI among others, as well as “A Chronicle of the Reform: Catholic Music in the 20th Century” by Msgr. Richard J. Schuler which explained a lot. Our choir has spent the last month learning to read nuemes and to sing chant (quite enthusiastically, I must say) and we are going to introduce a few chants at a time back into our Mass begining this week for the first Sunday of Advent.
Sorry about the long build up to my point, but finally, here it is–I need suggestions on how to introduce these to our congregation. I’m sure there are some of the older parishoners that will remember these but there are probably more that have never sung them. Any time I’ve introduced new music in the past I’ve gotten a lot of criticism because they can’t sing along with the choir right away. I’ve invited the congregation to come to the choir practices to learn the new pieces but only a few came. Before the Mass is not good for several reasons that I’ll not get into here. Any Ideas?
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The only time I would be able to think of to teach the chant’s would be before Mass. Are there specific reasons why you can’t teach it before Mass? Another thought I have is you can set a date and time that you could do a little teaching session to the congregation. Maybe set a date and time for a Sunday afternoon to teach the chant’s so they will know them for the following Sunday.

I would pick a day where few would be working. Pick like a Saturday or Sunday afternoon/evening to offer to teach the music to the congregation.
 
CatholicZ09 said:
The only time I would be able to think of to teach the chant’s would be before Mass. Are there specific reasons why you can’t teach it before Mass? Another thought I have is you can set a date and time that you could do a little teaching session to the congregation. Maybe set a date and time for a Sunday afternoon to teach the chant’s so they will know them for the following Sunday.

I would pick a day where few would be working. Pick like a Saturday or Sunday afternoon/evening to offer to teach the music to the congregation.
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Sunday afternoon is when we’ve been inviting the congreation to come to practice-not much of a turnout. Before Mass is not impossible just difficult, I think that is my only option at this point. And, it is only a few pieces-Kyrie, Alleluia, Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, and Agnus Dei-nothing terribly complicated. Thanks for your help.
 
Sarabande said:
Is the Missa Emmanuel the one that takes the “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” melody? One of the parishes I used to volunteer had used that for a while. Then, after the first week of Advent, the pastor and another priest got really upset with the music director and said that by no means was he to use that mass setting again whenever those two priests said mass. They didn’t think it was appropriate for liturgy and that it was too long. I don’t remember the setting that much since I only sang it once - just that it had the O Veni, Veni Emmanuel melody. But I do remember that those two priests were none too happy about the setting. It was never used again after that.
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I have to email each week’s liturgy plan to my pastor for his approval, and he said it looked okay. Yes, is is to the tune of VENI VENI EMMANUEL. I personally like it. It is not that long if you take out the refrain. That’s what I did.
 
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