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exnihilo
Guest
I don’t sing. I used to as a Protestant. I don’t enjoy singing the melody an octave down and Catholics don’t seem to understand four part harmony. It results in a sound that I don’t enjoy. I wouldn’t sing the communion hymn because I find it to be distracting just having it. On the rare occasion there is chant I’ll sing.
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DeniseNY
Guest
I want to sing! But I’m afraid after Liturgy we’ll go outside and there will all of a sudden be a bunch of stray cats hanging around trying to figure out where that sound was coming from!“Don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing, sing a song.”
I am sure it is all music to God’s ears.
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JenniferPrays
Guest
Don’t worry. I’m sure all the strays are hanging outside my church, confused by my, um, “joyful noises”. My love of singing is much outweighed by my ability.I want to sing! But I’m afraid after Liturgy we’ll go outside and there will all of a sudden be a bunch of stray cats hanging around trying to figure out where that sound was coming from!
Except for the Communion hymn (I am usually deep in Adoration, since I cannot receive at this time), I really belt it out. An advantage to my awful singing is that I’ve noticed everyone else sings louder to cover it up. I’m sure God is deeply pleased at the overall outcome
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Phemie
Guest
Don’t worry. I’m sure all the strays are hanging outside my church, confused by my, um, “joyful noises”. My love of singing is much outweighed by my ability.
Except for the Communion hymn (I am usually deep in Adoration, since I cannot receive at this time), I really belt it out. An advantage to my awful singing is that I’ve noticed everyone else sings louder to cover it up. I’m sure God is deeply pleased at the overall outcome
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friardchips
Guest
I murmur.Do you sing at mass?
I ask because on Sunday nobody wants to sing (besides the choir), and therefore it is difficult for me to be the only one.
I like to sing, so that is one reason I like to go to a weekday mass, where we all participate.
:harp:
It can be difficult to sing sometimes because of how the sound carries - the acoustics - in the areas I sometimes sit in Church. I don’t like it if I can’t hear my own voice when singing as it is not a nice feeling to be unaware of whether one is singing in the right key, or not. I like responses - for those, I put up a braver attempt. Sometimes, there will be someone who can sing well (not necessarily loudly), and so it is nice to sing very quietly and listen to them.
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friardchips
Guest
Don’t worry. I’m sure all the strays are hanging outside my church, confused by my, um, “joyful noises”. My love of singing is much outweighed by my ability.
Except for the Communion hymn (I am usually deep in Adoration, since I cannot receive at this time), I really belt it out. An advantage to my awful singing is that I’ve noticed everyone else sings louder to cover it up. I’m sure God is deeply pleased at the overall outcome
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michaelArc
Guest
I murmur at best. If there is a choir or if others around me are singing, I will become more audible. I’m moderately self conscience about my singing because I know I sound like Mr.Bean.
But also I dislike about 95% of the music in church. In fact, I don’t care much for organs either, unless it’s some mechanical behemoth in a basilica. I wouldn’t mind some string instruments. I would prefer if everything was just a Gregorian chant.
But also I dislike about 95% of the music in church. In fact, I don’t care much for organs either, unless it’s some mechanical behemoth in a basilica. I wouldn’t mind some string instruments. I would prefer if everything was just a Gregorian chant.
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Mammoths
Guest
I’ve only been to mass a few times but to church lots of times. I always sing either in key or in the crack between or some combination. Interestingly, there is no biblical mention of the angels singing. The angels who announced the holy birth to the shepherds praised God ‘saying’. It seems music is a talent mankind shares uniquely with God. So, I sing.
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friardchips
Guest
The Magnificat, the Benedictus and the Nunc Dimittis, are Canticles. And pretty sure the Angels did sing when announcing the Birth of Christ. And there are choruses of Angels who sing in Heaven. Also, I think animals sometimes sing, take birds, for instance. Pretty sure every living creature has the ability to sing its praises to God.
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peter26
Guest
I sing. I enjoy singing and am apparently passable at it from what others tell me. At the Ordinariate Mass I normally attend, a very large amount of the Ordinary is sung including the Creed.
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Wesrock
Guest
I want to sing, but I’m a terrible singer, and often there are no other voices to hide behind.
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Mammoths
Guest
Perhaps if you sing boldly, those who think they can carry a tune will sing loudly to drown you out and thus all will benefit from your expression of devotion in a unexpected way
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LisaB
Guest
I’d love to, but out of consideration for others around me, I don’t. Yup, it’s that bad.
Most Sundays though I attend a low Mass, so no music.
I find it interesting that many people consider singing by the congregation a good thing, as opposed to neutral, neither good or bad. Most in my parish don’t sing, though they are encouraged to do so if they’d like and can manage chant.
Yup, it’s that bad.Most Sundays though I attend a low Mass, so no music.
I find it interesting that many people consider singing by the congregation a good thing, as opposed to neutral, neither good or bad. Most in my parish don’t sing, though they are encouraged to do so if they’d like and can manage chant.
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Phemie
Guest
I grew up in a parish where you weren’t expected or encouraged to sing. In fact, if you did, people considered it a slap in the choir’s face. I remember my mother saying “the choir does a fine job, they don’t need your help, thank you.”I’d love to, but out of consideration for others around me, I don’t.
Most Sundays though I attend a low Mass, so no music.
I find it interesting that many people consider singing by the congregation a good thing, as opposed to neutral, neither good or bad. Most in my parish don’t sing, though they are encouraged to do so if they’d like and can manage chant.
The situation has not changed in 50 years. There has never been a hymnal or even hymn sheets provided for anything. Since the choir sings a great variety of hymns, there is little repetition that would allow you to learn a hymn from memory. Community seems to like it that way but it’s jarring when you’ve attended Mass in a great number of parishes, none of which took this approach to music.
As for the Ordinary, well, they seem to have a great variety for that too. Although I must admit that in French Canadian parishes such as this I have never experienced the practice of using a particular setting for all of Mass. And rarely experienced singing the mandated words to all the Ordinary. That has a lot to do with the fact that the official missalette usually provides lyrics for the Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei which differ greatly from what’s in the Roman Missal.
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EqualinHim
Guest
One of the most beautiful masses I’ve ever heard was a bilingual Spanish-English mass that was done on Holy Thursday at my local parish with a full choir and practically everyone in the congregation joining in. Try not to be too self-conscious and just let your heart worship.
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