No Hymns at Mass Saturday

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I went to Mass at the local small parish Saturday evening. There were no hymn sung at all.
the Mass lasted forty-five minutes. I thought all Mass’s had hymns sung. Perhaps the organ player or was not there or something. I don’t know. But I love the hymns and singing. Are hymns technically part of the Mass?
 
Yes, they are part of the Mass but not a required part. The only thing I know that must be sung is the Alleluia, and even that can be omitted if not sung.

Benedictgal knows her stuff pretty well. Maybe she can chime in on this.
 
pnewton said:
Yes, they are part of the Mass but not a required part. The only thing I know that must be sung is the Alleluia, and even that can be omitted if not sung.

Benedictgal knows her stuff pretty well. Maybe she can chime in on this.
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I’m not benedictgal but a reading of the GIRM will show that no hymns are necessary. The Entrance and Communion antiphons are the default at any Mass, replaced often by hymns. If no hymn is sung, those antiphons are said.

It’s not rare to have a totally music/singing free Mass on Sundays. It should be remembered that the most important parts to be sung according to “Musicam Sacram” are the dialog followed by the acclamations of the Eucharistic Prayer. Hymns are the least important things.
 
I would thoroughly enjoy a Mass with no musicians or choir! Our church has so much continuous noise from the choir loft all during Mass that there is absolutely no time for quiet reflection or personal prayer.
 
Bob_Aliano said:
I would thoroughly enjoy a Mass with no musicians or choir! Our church has so much continuous noise from the choir loft all during Mass that there is absolutely no time for quiet reflection or personal prayer.
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The times for quiet reflection and/or personal prayer are built into the Liturgy and nothing the choir does should have any effect on that. Those times are the moments after “Let us pray”, after the readings and after the homily. It’s unfortunate if the Celebrant doesn’t give you those times.

After Communion there is the option for quiet time or a communal hymn.
 
Why not just ask the priest? There could be several reasons for this. At our parish for over a year we didn’t have an organist at some of the Masses and Father would just start singing when he started the processional. Everyone sung accapella. I thought it was great. He doesn’t have the best voice, but who cares.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
At least in my experience, it’s very common to not have music at weekday Masses and even in the early Masses Sunday morning.
 
PKinsale said:
At least in my experience, it’s very common to not have music at weekday Masses and even in the early Masses Sunday morning.
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Our first SUnday morning Mass only has music on Christmas and Easter, and then the regulars complain. They like it quiet.
 
Is there any reason why the congregation couldn’t have sung acapella?

You don’t need an organist or cantor to sing. It definitely helps but you I’ve been to Holy Hours and Masses before where the congregation just sung with no cantor or musician and it was actually very beautiful, very peaceful. True, we weren’t going to win any music awards but the point was to lift our voices in song to God. I’m sure it sounded good to God even though if a professional musician walked in the Church, they would have ran screaming for the hills.
 
One of the choir members attends our weekday mass and leads us in singing unaccompanied. I think it obeys the command to make a joyful noise to the Lord. 😃
 
Bob_Aliano said:
I would thoroughly enjoy a Mass with no musicians or choir! Our church has so much continuous noise from the choir loft all during Mass that there is absolutely no time for quiet reflection or personal prayer.
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The church I went to this morning just had an organ player going. It was quite different from the other church I’ve been going to where there’s always a choir, acoustic guitars, and an organ. It did feel a bit weird not having hymns sung (we did sing How Great Thou Art at the end), but I did like the quietness during communion.
 
Phemie said:
It should be remembered that the most important parts to be sung according to “Musicam Sacram” are the dialog followed by the acclamations of the Eucharistic Prayer. Hymns are the least important things.
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👍 If only more people were aware of this. It’s even in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.
 
I love good music at Mass, but I also kind of like the peacefulness of the vigil Masses that have no hymns. In any case I’d much rather have NO music than distractingly bad music. If you go to another Mass like this, maybe try to appreciate the peace and quiet and the extra time for reflection and prayer, and see if if adds anything to your experience of the Mass. You might end up being surprised like I was.
 
Phemie said:
The times for quiet reflection and/or personal prayer are built into the Liturgy and nothing the choir does should have any effect on that. Those times are the moments after “Let us pray”, after the readings and after the homily. It’s unfortunate if the Celebrant doesn’t give you those times.

After Communion there is the option for quiet time or a communal hymn.
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If and when we get those quiet moments, moments being the key word, they are insufficient to gather one’s thoughts never mind recite a prayer.
 
I went to Satuurday vigil Mass two weeks ago at a small parish where a friend of mine is pastor. When we arrived, we found that the air conditioner wasn’t working and it was 94 degrees in the church! He gave instructions for no music so he could expedite things because it was so hot.
 
Angel_Bradford said:
I went to Satuurday vigil Mass two weeks ago at a small parish where a friend of mine is pastor. When we arrived, we found that the air conditioner wasn’t working and it was 94 degrees in the church! He gave instructions for no music so he could expedite things because it was so hot.
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I expect that it is twice as hot for the celebrant in his robes. 😦
 
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