Singing during Communion?

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DaughterSorrow

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I wanted to get your advice before I approach my music director. I am in our choir and I cantor (once a month). A cantor always leads a communion hymn. After we receive communion (as a choir), and we return to our pews, our MD expects us to keep singing. I really don’t want to sing after I receive the Eucharist. I want to pray. At first I caved in, but now I just silently close my eyes and pray regardless.

My strong feeling is that during communion, instrumental music would be better as it would allow everyone to pray in silence and not expect the choir and congregation to sing.

Additionally, when I cantor, I step further back from the microphone during the communion song because I don’t want to be loud.

What do you guys think? Am I out of line?

In Peace,
DS
 
Silence is an important part of the Communion Rite. The General Instruction on the Roman Missal says, “Afterwards [the distribution of Communion], the priest may return to the chair. A sacred silence may now be observed for some period of time…” (#164). In another place, the Instruction states, “…after Communion, the people praise and pray to God in their hearts” (#45). There will be time for some silent, private prayer after everyone has received Communion. Remember that the celebration of the Mass is the public prayer of the Church. While there are places for silent, private prayer within the liturgy, it is important that we observe them in the places provided. Though you may want to pray privately after receiving Communion (and often I do too), there are others who are either receiving Communion or are still in procession. Our singing supports the prayer of those who have not yet received as well as the prayer of those who have already received. This is a communal act, so it is best to pray with the community until the entire community is ready to pray silently. Our prayer at this moment in the liturgy is the singing of the Communion song. If every person in the assembly stopped singing to pray privately upon returning to his/her place, there would be no sung prayer to support those who come from the last sections of the church to receive Communion.This is one of the key communal moments in the entire liturgy. Maybe someone else will have something to add.
 
In my parish, usually the choir sings while others receiving Holy Communion. After everyone’s done, then it’s their turn. thus, they can sing the communion hymn and later spend quiet moment after receiving Holy Communion.
 
My parish has a communion hymn but we choose not to sing. Once we receive, we return to our seats and kneel (and we are the only ones as our parish does not have kneelers yet. 👍 ). I find it distracting bc as people file by you hear them singing whilst you are praying your tahnks and praise for the Blessed Sacrament.

Pax Vobiscum
 
vince2paul said:
In my parish, usually the choir sings while others receiving Holy Communion. After everyone’s done, then it’s their turn. thus, they can sing the communion hymn and later spend quiet moment after receiving Holy Communion.
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That’s how it works in my parish.
 
Singing during Communion is / has been “somewhat controversial”.

As I recall, there was a Vatican II document that had a word in it that was translated by some as “hubub”…

Prior to that, the Communion period was silent so people could pray without distraction.

Folks who are interested in this issue may wish to research that particular expression … the Latin … and the English translation(s).
 
DaughterSorrow said:
I really don’t want to sing after I receive the Eucharist. I want to pray…

… My strong feeling is that during communion, instrumental music would be better as it would allow everyone to pray in silence and not expect the choir and congregation to sing.
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In the scenario you give, I am curious about when the organist gets his/her opportunity to pray after receiving.
 
MusicMan said:
In the scenario you give, I am curious about when the organist gets his/her opportunity to pray after receiving.
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I’ve never seen the organist receive in my parish, so maybe he’s not Catholic.

In my parish, after receiving Holy Communion, people process back to their pews, then remain standing and sing until everyone has received and the tabernacle is closed by the priest. Then it is ok for pray silently for a few minutes.
 
LittleRose said:
It’s more likely he receives at another mass, especially if he plays music at more than one.
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He plays at all of the weekend Masses. I’ve attended all of them at one point or another and have never seen him receive, so I think he probably is non-Catholic.
 
Thanks for your comments. Regarding our organist, I have never seen her take communion. She goes to several masses a day however.

I guess what would be best would be for the choir to sing something a cappella while she takes communion and prays at the beginning and then she plays the remaining time while the choir and the rest of the congregation take communion.

I guess I just find it distracting to hear a lot of congregational music during communion. I admit it may be a hang up! 😉

Thanks and Peace,
DS
 
Our organist goes up with the EMHCs to receive the Eucharist so he can play the intro to the song while the choir receives. Then we sing while everyone else in the cogregation receives, until the priest is finished clearing the altar. Then we have a few minutes of silence before the Mass is concluded. So, everyone gets their silent prayer. I pray through the music, personally. I have problems, sometimes, coming up with words on my own to pray, so I try to think about the words to the communion hymn and pray that way. As an above poster mentioned, when we sing, we pray twice. ^^ As long as there is a moment of silence in there somewhere, I think singing through communion is fine.
 
pumpkinbeast said:
Our organist goes up with the EMHCs to receive the Eucharist so he can play the intro to the song while the choir receives. Then we sing while everyone else in the cogregation receives, until the priest is finished clearing the altar. Then we have a few minutes of silence before the Mass is concluded. So, everyone gets their silent prayer. I pray through the music, personally. I have problems, sometimes, coming up with words on my own to pray, so I try to think about the words to the communion hymn and pray that way. As an above poster mentioned, when we sing, we pray twice. ^^ As long as there is a moment of silence in there somewhere, I think singing through communion is fine.
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👍 I feel the same.
 
I am a music director at my church.

2000 years of Catholic Church and we still haven’t figured out how to get the musicians Communion. There is supposed to be a communion song during Communion procession.

PLEASE PLEASE remember if you are a music minister, your job is to LEAD OTHERS in prayer and singing. Remember, while you are leading the singing, YOU ARE PRAYING. It’s just not the internal contemplative kind that you might prefer. If you would prefer that after receiving communion, then attend another Mass in a non-leader role. There should be silence AFTER the communion procession is over.

If you find yourself distracted by the job, perhaps consider attending an additional Mass. (I play 3 masses at my parish, and sometimes I attend an additional Mass on Sunday evening just to soak in everything I might have missed because I was distracted).

As a side note: the liturgy calls for the communion song to start as the priest receives the Eucharist.
 
agapewolf said:
I am a music director at my church.

2000 years of Catholic Church and we still haven’t figured out how to get the musicians Communion. There is supposed to be a communion song during Communion procession.

PLEASE PLEASE remember if you are a music minister, your job is to LEAD OTHERS in prayer and singing. Remember, while you are leading the singing, YOU ARE PRAYING. It’s just not the internal contemplative kind that you might prefer. If you would prefer that after receiving communion, then attend another Mass in a non-leader role. There should be silence AFTER the communion procession is over.

If you find yourself distracted by the job, perhaps consider attending an additional Mass. (I play 3 masses at my parish, and sometimes I attend an additional Mass on Sunday evening just to soak in everything I might have missed because I was distracted).

As a side note: the liturgy calls for the communion song to start as the priest receives the Eucharist.
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Thanks. These comments are helpful. I must also note that as a congregant, I prefer either organ music or softer a capella music. I don’t prefer the hymns. But that’s my hang-up! 😉

We most definitely start the music right as the priest takes communion.
 
:rolleyes: What should happen during reception of communion is a long standing and difficult problem. (It is not limited to Catholics but is also a problem with the equivalent of “communion” in Protestand denominations, who often handle it even worse.)

Part of the problem is historical. For centuries, no one but the priest received communion in the first place. “Communion of the faithful” was officially in the Traditional Latin Mass optional and not always observed, as hard as that is for us to believe (this was already on the way to being reformed under the Old Order). In addition, the “communion antiphon,” derived from monastic tradition, was a simple verse that could not possibly cover the amount of time required for everyone to receive. (It was originally an antiphon for a psalm, like the modern responsorial psalm, but the psalm was dropped centuries ago.) The third consideration is that no one is particularly interested in singing while standing in the “bread line” (at least I know I am not). Discreet music from the organ is what has worked best for me. (from both points of view). If you have an organ. If you have anyone there capable of discretion. :rolleyes:
 
jbuck919 said:
The third consideration is that no one is particularly interested in singing while standing in the “bread line” (at least I know I am not). Discreet music from the organ is what has worked best for me. (from both points of view). If you have an organ. If you have anyone there capable of discretion. :rolleyes:
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I’ll sing when I’m still in my pew before walking in the procession to receive Holy Communion, then I’ll sing once I get back to my pew; but I don’t sing when I’m processing unless it’s a hymn I know all the words to. I’m not going to take my hymnal with me because that would hinder my ability to receive Our Lord.
 
agapewolf said:
I am a music director at my church.

2000 years of Catholic Church and we still haven’t figured out how to get the musicians Communion. There is supposed to be a communion song during Communion procession.

PLEASE PLEASE remember if you are a music minister, your job is to LEAD OTHERS in prayer and singing. Remember, while you are leading the singing, YOU ARE PRAYING. It’s just not the internal contemplative kind that you might prefer. If you would prefer that after receiving communion, then attend another Mass in a non-leader role. There should be silence AFTER the communion procession is over.

If you find yourself distracted by the job, perhaps consider attending an additional Mass. (I play 3 masses at my parish, and sometimes I attend an additional Mass on Sunday evening just to soak in everything I might have missed because I was distracted).

As a side note: the liturgy calls for the communion song to start as the priest receives the Eucharist.
Click to expand...
Is there something official that states there should be silence after the procession? Our leader always tries to keep music going until Fr. is ready to close with prayer or “announcements”.

If you have time, could you possibly start a thread about liturgically correct music practices?
 
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