No one is singing!

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Faithdancer

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Looking around while our choir and band were leading the hymns yesterday at Mass, I was struck by how few people were singing! I like to sing, so it’s no problem for me, and I understand that some of the music can be tricky, but even where the customary hymns are given at the customary places, most people just stare straight ahead. Do they feel awkward? I mean, c’mon, lift a joyful voice unto the Lord! Nobody cares if you’re Andrea Bocelli or Sarah Brightman or not, and even the priests are up there singing along half the time. What gives?:eek:
 
A few people are going to pipe in here and say its because of the music choices, or the fact you had a band.

But that doesn’t hold up because my parish sings so loud they drown the band out…and I do music across all ages.
 
I have a deep contralto voice, and the contemporary music is very difficult for me sing, as it’s just too high. I can sing Gregorian chant fine, but I refuse to strain my voice for contemporary music that’s too high for me to sing, and it sounds really funny when I sing an octave lower than what’s written.
 
Love_Divine said:
I have a deep contralto voice, and the contemporary music is very difficult for me sing, as it’s just too high. I can sing Gregorian chant fine, but I refuse to strain my voice for contemporary music that’s too high for me to sing, and it sounds really funny when I sing an octave lower than what’s written.
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I think you need to define “contemporary”. Gregorian chant could just as well be put up high — same thing, higher key.

Most p/w songs I do were written by men, which means that they would fit perfectly with a contralto voice. I usually sing a harmony when the high end of the song is out of my range (When I’m not leading). When I’m leading, I transpose it.
 
Good point though, about the contemporary music. I’m a baritone with a big range, can hit low tenor and was once told I could sing basso profundo (!), which I don’t think I really can, but some of the contemporary music is high tenor, causing me to drop or jump an octave in the middle of the song. However, once I’ve heard it a few times, I can find the range and sing it straight through.

So do you guys think a lot of people are just insecure about their vocal ability? I can see why the midnight Mass/Easter Sunday people might not sing, because they don’t know any of the songs. But our band and choir repeat a lot, from Sunday to Sunday, so people should at least know that music. I don’t know…just seems like they’re missing out.

That being said, the guy seated right in front of me yesterday was singing consistently, until he went up to help administer the Eucharist. I guess he had better be singing, lol!
 
agapewolf said:
I think you need to define “contemporary”. Gregorian chant could just as well be put up high — same thing, higher key.

Most p/w songs I do were written by men, which means that they would fit perfectly with a contralto voice. I usually sing a harmony when the high end of the song is out of my range (When I’m not leading). When I’m leading, I transpose it.
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I can get up to the C above middle C if I sing in my head voice, that’s about it. I’m most comfortable singing below middle C. And then those songs that jump an octave from say the D above middle C to the second D above middle C, forget about it. Not happening. :mad:
 
My dear, beautiful daughter will sing every song, even one she doesn’t know (she’ll listen to one stanza/chorus and have it from there) and she can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket. She inspires me.

She’s a big Casting Crowns fan and she’ll lapse into one of their songs at any moment, and being the dutiful dad, I’ll sing along.

Make unto the Lord a joyful noise 🙂
 
I don’t know a low C from a middle R (C what I mean? LOL), but I was raised to sing at Mass, so I sing. (I skip the high notes) Others maybe weren’t so raised.

If we all sing together, we can cancel each other’s mistakes out. Our pastor says that’s called harmony. (You take the high notes, and I’ll take the low notes…)
 
I’m a dancer, and absolutely not a singer. In fact, in eight grade, Sister specifically asked me to lip-sync during Confirmation practice. My singing voice sounds like a convention of angry bees. And some of the contemporary songs (the ones that are in the missalettes?) The range is even more extreme than The Star Spangled Banner.
 
Faithdancer said:
Looking around while our choir and band were leading the hymns yesterday at Mass, I was struck by how few people were singing! I like to sing, so it’s no problem for me, and I understand that some of the music can be tricky, but even where the customary hymns are given at the customary places, most people just stare straight ahead. Do they feel awkward? I mean, c’mon, lift a joyful voice unto the Lord! Nobody cares if you’re Andrea Bocelli or Sarah Brightman or not, and even the priests are up there singing along half the time. What gives?:eek:
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I think it comes down to sloth. I believe that more and more Catholics view the Mass as a required process they have to endure every Sunday morning and not the Holy Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to His Father.

They want to get it done as quickly as possible with as little effort as necessary. Ever hear any encouragement from a priest for the faithful to sing? I can’t remember ever hearing that. Singing time is also a prime opportunity to day-dream about breakfast or how to play the first hole at the country club in 46 minutes plus drive time.
 
Love_Divine said:
I have a deep contralto voice, and the contemporary music is very difficult for me sing, as it’s just too high. I can sing Gregorian chant fine, but I refuse to strain my voice for contemporary music that’s too high for me to sing, and it sounds really funny when I sing an octave lower than what’s written.
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Oh come on. Sing an octave lower if you must. I bet your voice is not even as deep as Lisa Gerrard’s who sounds awesome by the way.
 
In our parish we have 2 cantors with operatic voices. If they are cantoring no one sings. If someone else is they might sing. Also the folks at the Sunday evening mass sing more than at the choir mass. I have to get the cantors to step back from the mike. I think people just like hearing them sing since they have such beautiful voices. Maybe they see it as a performance that they shouldn’t interrupt. I find people sing when cantors have “normal” voices (but not grating voices).
 
Joannm said:
In our parish we have 2 cantors with operatic voices. If they are cantoring no one sings. If someone else is they might sing. Also the folks at the Sunday evening mass sing more than at the choir mass. I have to get the cantors to step back from the mike. I think people just like hearing them sing since they have such beautiful voices. Maybe they see it as a performance that they shouldn’t interrupt. I find people sing when cantors have “normal” voices (but not grating voices).
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I find that also, an enthusiastic singer in the congregation encourages people to sing. At last night’s mass, the Credo started and no one sang. It’s almost as if they wondered whether they should let the choir sing. I started singing and slowly but surely some around me started to sing including a guy who was seated right behind me who was not singing at first. He started to really belt it out and he had a gorgeous voice.
 
svid2 said:
I don’t know a low C from a middle R (C what I mean? LOL), but I was raised to sing at Mass, so I sing. (I skip the high notes) Others maybe weren’t so raised.
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THAT is one of the problems. I was raised in a parish where nobody sang – they listened to the choir. No hymnals, no worship aids, nothing. Hymns and settings of the Ordinary changed every week or so, so there was no opportunity to ever learn them. Today when I come home and go to Mass, I sing if they happen to sing something I know but that’s rare and when it happens it’s not well received. It’s as if I’m dissing the choir by daring to sing along.
 
I am in the choir at church and have a problem with most of the hymns because they are written in such a high register. I find that my voice fits comfortably into the tenor register and can sing baritone. Honestly! I really don’t know what my natural voice is. Am I a contralto? Anyway, I just let the sopranos take the high notes because I just end up squeeking. :eek:

We desperatly need some male voices but I am too embarrased to say that I will sing the tenor parts.

Our congragation seems to be very musical, pick up new stuff very easily and belt out all the hymns.
 
Faithdancer said:
Looking around while our choir and band were leading the hymns yesterday at Mass, I was struck by how few people were singing! … I mean, c’mon, lift a joyful voice unto the Lord! …What gives?:eek:
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Many of the songs are simply too difficult to sing. It hurts to sing the high notes (and it’s hard to lift a joyful voice unto the Lord when it hurts!). Sometimes it’s the tempo, and the tunes are simply unfamiliar. Why the music director and accompanist(s) don’t know these things, well, I don’t know.
 
I’ve experienced some wonderful choirs and cantors.

I’ve also seen some talented music groups that seem inappropriate for Mass, for their particular instruments or choice of hymns tend to pull your mind out of a sense of reverence.

When at Mass with accompaniment that’s more likely at a party than a religious service, I may not be able to sing anything except what I feel is required: The Gloria and the Psalm. It does disappoint me when people see the songs are too much like entertainment, or when musical accompaniment wants to be treated with greater appreciation than the reason why they are singing.

I spent years in high school training my bass voice. I don’t like to waste one of the talents that God gave me, but I’m not trying to be a pop singer at Mass, either.
 
I love to sing, but I am not comfortable singing anything but Catholic music in church.
In my home parish, therefore, I rarely sing.
When traveling I do my best to attend Masses in Traditional parishes and I sing all the ordinary parts of the Mass.
In my home parish and other modernist parishes I have noticed that the music is played at such a high pitch that only the performers up front on the stage and a few of the younger women in the congregation can reach the higher notes. Very few men and older women even attempt to sing along with the pop music usually performed.
 
Faithdancer said:
I mean, c’mon, lift a joyful voice unto the Lord! Nobody cares if you’re Andrea Bocelli or Sarah Brightman or not, and even the priests are up there singing along half the time. What gives?:eek:
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Reminds me of the line from the TV show Yes, Dear when Jimmy proclaimed: “I love church. You get to sing as loud as you want. It’s kind of like God’s karaoke bar.”

😃
 
I don’t sing because
a) the song is too high or low so I have to be uncomfortably out of my register
b) the song is unfamiliar and no aide has been provided, or the hymn number has not even been announced
c) the song is heretical in lyric so I refuse to mouth the words
d) the choir and musicians are so out of sync I can’t follow either one
e) I am in the throes of something like asthma or sinus infection and can’t sing w/o coughing
 
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