Should we retun to Folk music at the Mass!

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DaveBj said:
If the parish were to go to all-guitar folk masses, I would vote with my feet. There are other options in the county
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My local Catholic Church has a ‘folk’ Mass just like you describe. I think it would be very difficult to change things in the parish because most of the old people are heavily invested in that style of liturgy. I’ve spoke to a few parishioners about chant but they said they didn’t want to go back to the old days. Hence, I voted with my feet and I’ve never been back.
 
About half the churches I visit are using guitars, sometimes with piano accompaniment, and one church has an amplified rock band with a drum kit (youth ministry thing at one Mass per weekend).

Although the quality of the guitar music varies based on musical ability, I can’t really speak against it given that I spent 2 or 3 years of Catholic high school singing and playing in the Mass/prayer service guitar group led by two hip lay teachers. I daresay we blew the roof off. One time somebody got a priest to visit and play bagpipes with us at a big school Mass. I also remember my friend and I painstakingly transcribing Lennon’'s “War is Over if You Want It” for a Communion reflection right after he got shot. Memories…

I do miss some of the late 60s/very early 70s guitar hymns that seem to have vanished. “Zacchaeus”, " I Cannot Come to the Banquet", there are a few more I can’t think of right now. I was a young child under 7 and loved those songs and the guitars. My traditional parents, who probably would have preferred the organ, were bemused by my fascination with guitars.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
" I Cannot Come to the Banquet",
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We played that one too. I also remember “Shout Out Your Joy,” “It’s A Brand New Day,” “Peace I Leave With You My Friends,” and a call and response version of the Our Father, all for guitar. We used to play “I Am the Bread of Life” too, which is one of the few songs from those old days that I still hear used at our parishes (except now it’s no longer “And I will raise him up,” but “And I will raise you up” in the refrain).

I’m not advocating going back to those days and hymns/songs, but this thread is bringing back some memories for me. Almost every parish around me still has guitar played at least one of their Sunday Masses, but around here piano is king.
 
Another one I miss is “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, and they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
Have heard that one in both guitar and organ arrangements in past decades, but nobody is playing it lately.
 
It is important to remember what the music at Mass is for. It is a offering of praise to God, giving the best that we can give. The instrument is not what we need to pay attention to, but how it is being played. Music at Mass is not primarily to move us, though it should lead us to contemplate on God and his works (what is going on at the moment in the Mass supernaturally). I was at an “Independence Day” (for best comparison) Mass in Poland where the trumpets blared at the consecration, which I found to fulfill the function of the bells just fine.
That being said, I would prefer to have the human voice foremost and instrument in the background, than to have a guitar or anything else playing loud and being dominant. The nice thing about organs is that they are a wind instrument and harmonize well with the human voice; however, they are expensive and not a necessity. I have been at many a Mass with few people who could fulfill the function of music at Mass without an instrument even if they (myself included) could not sing well.
 
I agree. I love Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Simon and Garfunkel along with other folk singers. Folk music is great but there are better options for Mass. I prefer chant because it’s not something I hear on the radio; it reminds me that the Mass is unique, special and mysterious. The chant also connects us to the Saints of the past. And as you said, Protestants have contemporary music but we have beautiful chant that was created by the Church in the devotion of centuries. We ought to reclaim our Catholic heritage and not be afraid to be different and unique.
 
As the Cathedral parish we have always followed the norms as closely as possible, but we did have guitar music at the 5 PM mass. Finding music that is fitting for mass and guitar can be done if the effort is made. Some parishes that allow anything, settle for goofy or even heretical lyrics.

Some of you might have appreciated our choir’s last Sunday of the season, which was Corpus Christi this year. We sang the Gloria from “Mozart’s Mass in C”, Mozart’s Tantum Ergo for offertory, and Mozart’s “Ave Verum” (one of my favorites) for the communion meditation. Our rector likes Mozart and our director likes to keep “the boss” happy. We are fortunate to have a string quartet, a brass quartet, tympanist, and great soloists for special occasions.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/vide...001&hsimp=yhs-prodege_001&hspart=prodege&tt=b
 
I’m probably considered an extremist in this regard, but I think that the organ should be the only instrument permitted in the Mass (with possibly some reasonable exceptions for weddings and an occasional orchestral Mass). I just have trouble imagining standing at the foot of the cross and banging on a tambourine or accordion while the Lord is hanging above in agony. I think that the proper place for other types of instruments, hymns and musical styles is in extra-liturgical prayer services, especially public praying of the LOTH and religiously-themes concerts. In my opinion parishes should make an effort to frequently include these types of services outside of Mass for those who are drawn to this type of worship.
 
I tried to place a youtube video pertaining to the subject: Can you tell the difference?? Sacred Music vs. Secular Music at Mass. It presents the teachings of the magisterium on the subject.

Here is the link:
 
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Thank you for a post that allows me (in a small way) to vent. I personally don’t care if the music is traditional or contemporary as long as the cantor is competent. I will not publicly complain in my own parish as I believe if you are not going to volunteer to lead, don’t criticize the leader. That said, the cantor at the Mass I usually attend, I call, "Screech.’ They said that the rock singer Joe Cocker had a voice like a man gargling razor blades. He sounds like Pavarotti compared to this one. Actually, I have no problem going to communion at mass with her singing (if that’s what you could call it). Her voice is a penance and I offer it up to the Lord.

The good thing is, the church is attached to a monastery. I can attend Vespers any day and listen to the monks chant. It sort of balances things out.

Thank for letting me let off some steam. Now, back to 11:30 tomorrow, and the dulcet tones of “Screech.”
 
Some of the best contemplative music that I’ve encountered at any worship service would be considered folk style. I’m more concerned with the meaning of the song and the skill/reverence displayed by the musicians involved. At my parish, the problem is solved by having different masses. We are so large that we have to have 4 English masses and 1 Spanish mass every sunday. The first three English masses of the day tend to have more traditional stuff with the organ. The 5pm mass occasionally involves guitars. I’ve also been to a lovely divine liturgy at the Byzantine church across town where it was primarily a Capella. I find that rather dividing the community, it allows us to avoid division. We still get together for community events like picnics. One days of obligation the style varies but mostly consists of bilingual hymns.
 
Music should be composed specifically for use in the Mass, and appropriate to the place in the Mass. For example, I don’t ever use too raucous or lively Lamb of God settings. Plenty of time to get boisterous in the recessional.
So long as the music is well prepared, and the musicians are skilled, I don’t care what the instrumentation is. I attended a Mass on a Pueblo in New Mexico where the native drummers did all the music. It was beautiful.
it’s all in the execution.
Many places rely on well-meaning and frankly, untrained volunteers. That’s what people get upset about. A fine musician can make a “meh” hymn sounds beautiful.
 
pianistclare said:
Music should be composed specifically for use in the Mass, and appropriate to the place in the Mass. For example, I don’t ever use too raucous or lively Lamb of God settings. Plenty of time to get boisterous in the recessional.
So long as the music is well prepared, and the musicians are skilled, I don’t care what the instrumentation is. I attended a Mass on a Pueblo in New Mexico where the native drummers did all the music. It was beautiful.
it’s all in the execution.
Many places rely on well-meaning and frankly, untrained volunteers. That’s what people get upset about. A fine musician can make a “meh” hymn sounds beautiful.
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So what about contemporary artists like Matt Mahar, John Michael Talbot and Audrey Assad who compose a piece specifically for a place in Mass but it is then taken and given radio play?
 
Tallbot’s music is in nearly every Catholic hymnal already.
 
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pianistclare said:
What about them? They write fine music.
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You said that music should be composed specifically for Mass. However others mentioned that music that is popular/secular should not be used. Given modern technology, it is possible for both to occur. I was curious about your feelings.
 
I concur that some contemporary music IS written specifically for the Mass and indeed, sign off as not containing error by various Bishops. One of my favorites, and a personal friend is Ed Bolduc who writes for the Mass, as well as Paul Tate who writes and arranges for Mass.
 
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