Practice singing before Mass

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jesusmademe

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Evert week I get a pdf file with all the hymns/chant that will be sung at Sunday Mass or other important day. I practice some of the stuff the congregation will sing. If I ask the music director he’ll send me the pdf.
Do you find that this helps you? Or do you just like to be unprepared?
I personally dont understand why People prefer to be musically unprepared.
The music director never upload the pdfs om the parish website even though I think this is important stuff.
What are your thoughts?
 
jesusmademe said:
I personally dont understand why People prefer to be musically unprepared.
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Many of us who are not in the choir are extremely busy, and our worship preparation (to the extent we have time for that);is focused on prayer, and perhaps reviewing the scriptures that will be read, not on learning to sing all the new hymns.
 
I see the hymns as a good way of meditating on the scripture reading.
So please explain why you dont really see it the same way.
 
Please read my post above.
I usually attend daily Mass.
I also pray other daily prayers like the Rosary.
I work full time.
I also have numerous other life responsibilities.
I often don’t know what Mass or which Catholic Church I am going to attend until the day of the Mass or at most the day before, as I have a number of choices.
The parishes I attend also don’t have all the same music at every Sunday Mass - one Mass might be with guitar, one might be with organ, one might have the choir or the children’s choir.

From a practical standpoint, reviewing all the hymns is a low priority for me, even if the overworked music ministers could somehow get this information out for all Masses and to all 1000, 2000 or 5000 people in their parish in advance. The Scripture, on the other hand, can be read from the USCCB site days or even weeks in advance, and is going to be the same on a given day for almost any Mass I choose to attend in the USA (unless it’s a wedding, funeral or other special exception).
 
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People lead busy lives. Getting to Mass weekly and finding personal prayer time can be difficult enough. The music is not a performance, but a form of prayer, so unless you are part of the music ministry, practicing is fine, but unnecessary. As someone with a music degree, I can personally go to Mass “musically unprepared” and sound musically prepared.
 
Many people don’t read music. Or are you just looking for the listing of hymns that will be used for the text?
 
WingsOfEagles said:
As someone with a music degree, I can personally go to Mass “musically unprepared” and sound musically prepared.
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Likewise, I do not have a music degree but I had 12 years of private instruction, can read music and can generally do okay if I wish to sing along with a particular hymn. Sometimes the hymns at the Mass are pitched out of my range, not to my taste or if they happen at Communion they can conflict with my time spent praying, receiving and giving thanks to the Lord. I am also familiar with most hymns from before the 1990s due to my age and from spending time in the 80s as part of a Mass music group.

Those churches that think it’s important to have people review and practice the hymns generally will have the music minister leading a short practice in the 10 minutes before Mass.
 
Why not sing your best at Mass since nothing is more important than Mass?
It seems that you are telling me that people already know all the hymns and chant. The need no singing during the week? And no meditation on the melodies and text?
Have I understood you correcty?
 
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I feel those who would want the music file should just ask for it. I’m with the others, it isn’t of much use to the average parishioner like me.

The lack of desire to have a PDF of the music in no way speaks to a person’s preparation for Mass.
 
I play piano and accordion so I read music.
When I sing I always look up hymns and chants in the hymn book.
 
jesusmademe said:
The averege person dont care about the singing?
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That is not what I said at all.
Horton said:
I’m with the others, it isn’t of much use to the average parishioner like me.
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That is what I said ^^. Putting words into people’s mouths in not a way to win folks over to your point. We all can disagree without being “lacking” in some manner.
 
jesusmademe said:
Why not sing your best at Mass since nothing is more important than Mass?
It seems that you are telling me that people already know all the hymns and chant. The need no singing during the week? And no meditation on the melodies and text?
Have I understood you correcty?
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The point of the Mass for the congregation is not specifically the music. It’s really the sacrifice that happens on the altar. I’d recommend Scott Hahn’s “The Lamb’s Supper”. Pre-Vatican II, the Congregation didn’t sing, only the choir.

You’ve also totally misrepresented what I’ve said. I read music very well and have no need to practice it. I literally have a degree that required me to take 4 semesters of sight-singing and frankly most hymns are based on simple solfege. I never said most people know the hymns and chants. However, in most congregations, the same handful of hymns are repeated somewhat regularly. The text of the hymns is based on your readings for the week. Sure, you could reflect on the hymns of the week if it so pleases you, but no, I think your expectation that everyone should do that is a bit ridiculous. One can have not practiced the hymns for the week and still easily reflect on their text at Mass. Mass isn’t a performance. One needn’t practice all of the parts before arriving.

Frankly, I think you need to do some soul searching as you seem to think you are more pious because you practice your hymns.
 
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For me, even if the parish would offer what songs are being sung and the chants used for mass parts, I wouldn’t find much use for them. Generally the same songs are sung most of the time and when I do encounter a song I don’t know I just read the music for it or stay silent for a verse to get the tune and join in after that. I’m trying to imagine my friends who are married with kids having time (if they had the desire) to practice music. They’re happy if they manage to wrangle the kids into mass and have them sit still for most of it.

My parish will sometimes have the cantor go over the mass parts for the mass if they are changing up what they are using, but even when they don’t I just pick it up over the course of a couple masses. My parish changes the mass parts depending on the liturgical season so you just get used to which ones are being sung.
 
Hm…maybe I sometimes think that I am pius but most of the times I think that most people are so great singers that they need no practice.
I feel that I should sing very good but I need practice.

The thing is that I learn the best when I sing in a small group or alone.
The question arose because…some Priest tell us that Reading the Bible Reading before Mass. I hate being unprepared and want to dö this with music as well. I hate going to Mass and learn the tunes there. I learn at home or with teachers.

How do People learn the hymns by just singing at Mass?
 
It’s possible. Of course, I’m in my 70s, so perhaps I’ve heard most of them by now, but if I run across a hymn I don’t know, after the first stanza, it’s pretty evident where the song is going.

I view singing at Mass as do what you can, it’s not supposed to be competition with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
 
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