Should we retun to Folk music at the Mass!

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robertmidwest

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  • Guitar music should return to the Mass!
  • Guitar music should never be used at Mass!
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I’m a Gregorian Chant guy and I love organs and I love polyphony and elaborate, lush melodies. I think they are a wonderful way to worship God. Listening to something like O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen is absolutely breathtaking.

But tasteful “folk music” is fine, as far as I’m concerned, even if it’s not my first choice.
 
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Yeah! A combination of Original music and Palms would be very nice, with a little guitar in the background!
 
Is anything accompanied by a guitar automatically folk music?
 
I support the idea that sacred music belongs to the people and that it should be accessible by the people outside of Mass. If that means guitar than I’m open to it. I think all types of sacred music should be given some “run time” because of each type whether it be ancient or modern, moves the Spirit in some way.
 
In the Book of Psalms, pretty much anything goes:

Give praise with blasts upon the horn,
praise him with harp and lyre.
Give praise with tambourines and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes.
Give praise with crashing cymbals,
praise him with sounding cymbals.

from Psalm 150
 
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I voted yes only because I actually played guitar in what I suppose would be called folk Masses when I was in Catholic grade school back in the '70s.

My more honest opinion is that if the musicians are skilled (which most all of ours are around here) and play with decorum (which again they mostly do) I really don’t mind whatever instruments they play (well, maybe not bagpipes).
 
Most folk Masses I’ve been to in my area sound terrible in my opinion. The instruments don’t harmonize with each other and neither do the singers.
 
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Mass music will never win , you either have the classic depressing mass music, or the irreverent contemporary music, or country, folk, southern baptist style, ethnic/regional music… If the music becomes the center of why one attends mass or it overwhelms the mass because of choir directors or a pretentious choir then that is when it needs to stop or change or both.
 
I feel that a simple piano and cantor is all one needs if a traditional organ and choir/cantor are not available. We don’t need drums, cymbals, or ethnic stylizing. I feel that these are all unnecessary distractions that detract from the sacred mysteries and the glory we are giving to God.
 
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Try telling that to priest who thinks other wise and lets the choir do what they want.

Here is a decent link i found in regards to this topic http://www.matthewhoffman.net/music/

The problem is some of the statements are vague and open to interpretation, and if not, then the problem is priests wanting to keep people in the pews and thus allowing the style and instruments of music used before during and after mass to be what ever is wanted. Either way; you cant please everyone all the time, and the Church would rather be lenient on this than make a stink about it. and then if it isn’t the music it will be the noise factor. It becomes a matter of building up thicker skin and not allowing the distractions to bother oneself.
 
Some years back, the Priest who married us moved to a new parish. We visited him there and some time later, made a return visit. He asked us, “Do you remember the guitar guy? I got rid of him.” They now have a choir with Gregorian chant.
 
That is nothing, at our Cathedral we have a contemporary choir every other Sunday I think, and they are horrible, and they use a giant projection screen all through out Mass that has the readings and music and prayers for people to follow along, but there is no parking and it is not worth the drive and so I rarely go there. We have a guitar guy also who is the on the board for our parish and he likes to think he is a mini priest or something cause when ever he is singing by himself he likes to make little speeches before mass and after, sometimes, and he has this giant bad habit of holding the last note every single time for at least a good 4-5 seconds longer than needed.

Interesting to hear at least one Priest was willing to take a risk and make a change.
 
superblue said:
We have a guitar guy also who is the on the board for our parish and he likes to think he is a mini priest or something
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There has got to be a meme in this somewhere.

(Mini Priest! Thank you for the quality chuckle I got out of that. They always do seem to be on or close to the board, these types.)
 
We should do what Vatican II wanted and use the Organ with Gregorian chant.
 
Will you come to our parish fulltime to man the organ and teach us all chant? I say that facetiously, of course, but are there enough musicians with these skills?
 
christofirst said:
Will you come to our parish fulltime to man the organ and teach us all chant? I say that facetiously, of course, but are there enough musicians with these skills?
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Where there is a will there is a way. Plus, priests learn how to chant in seminary so they should be able to teach people. My reply was intended to highlight the fact that organ music and chant should be what is brought back since it’s our traditional music and because Vatican II called for it.
 
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I was a non-Catholic folkie (also a classically trained musician) in the '60s and '70s, and I was exposed to the occasional folk Mass after I started dating (and later married) a cradle Catholic girl. I found the folk Mass music of that period to be embarrassingly bad lyrically, musically, and “folkily”. Some of that music survives in our parish, but it is accompanied by the organ, not guitars. I purposely have not joined the choir, so as not to have to sing songs that I find unpleasant. If we had a schola singing chant and Ren-music, I would join it in a heartbeat.

That said, I would not presume to force my musical tastes on our parish music director, a man whom I like and respect. If the parish were to go to all-guitar folk masses, I would vote with my feet. There are other options in the county 😃

Edit to add: No way am I concerned that the parish will go folk, not as long as Fr. Patrick is pastor ❤️

DaveBj
 
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