Singing obligatory?

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opop

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Hello,

I have heard some people say that it is obligatory to sing the songs during mass. Is it true? Most people don’t sing during mass, as you have certainly noted. And I would find ridiculous to force people to do it, because most people simply can’t sing right. I myself have some difficulties sometimes, because of the notes pitch. Also, I would look ridiculous if I’m the only one to sing with the priest. And let’s not talk about the awful musical quality of most of the contemporary mass songs.
 
This question has a “canonical” answer, from church teaching, which is that yes, one is obliged to join in the singing, however all of your concerns are valid, which I’ll sum up as “The state of contemporary music (in most parishes) discourages singing”.

The canonical answer is found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Article 96:
  1. Indeed, they form one body, whether by hearing the word of God, or by joining in the prayers and the singing, or above all by the common offering of Sacrifice and by a common partaking at the Lord’s table. This unity is beautifully apparent from the gestures and postures observed in common by the faithful.
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On the other hand, there seem to be three main reasons people don’t sing:
  1. The selection of music is often difficult to sing, and the musicians seem indifferent
  2. Most people don’t sing, which has a snowball effect of discouraging the rest from singing
  3. People become used to not singing, so lose the skills. They are not sure whether they are “good enough” to sing, or whether no singing is better than bad singing.
My parish is fortunate that we have always encouraged singing and a slight majority (say, 55%) of the congregation do sing. However I have visited parishes where there is a cantor or choir, a large congregation, and I am the only one (literally!) singing in the congregation, or one of only two or three.
 
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Just sing and praise God with the voice he gave you. If he doesn’t like the way it sounds then maybe he will change it:wink:
 
humbleseeker said:
Just sing and praise God with the voice he gave you. If he doesn’t like the way it sounds then maybe he will change it:wink:
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Yes! However, it’s easier said than done, particularly if no one else is singing.

I have been to Masses where there are only few are singing in a whole congregation, and some of those few are tone deaf, ie. they seem to have no connection to the pitch, yet they sing out anyway. To me, their singing is more beautiful and uplifting than the best trained singer!

Still, it does takes courage.
Crusaderbear said:
I’m a hummer myself…
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I sing in the cracks between the keys. I keep hoping enough other people will sing to drown me out.
 
One isn’t oblige to sing ALL the songs sung at a Mass, but one should try to sing the gathering song at the start of Mass during the processional and one is oblige (if physically able) to sing any prayers that are sung during the Mass, be it the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy) or the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).
 
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As I belong to an online forum dedicated to restoring traditional sacred music in the Roman rite, I could start a diatribe on the difference between singing the Mass and singing at Mass, but I am not going to go there.

No…yes, I will start. The exchange between priest and people is part of the Mass. The director of music might make a suggestion that the priest chant his parts and the faithful likewise return the response.

Go from there, before one starts appealing to the people that they should “sing out”.

The prayers Peter mentions above are part of the Ordinary of the Mass. If the setting is a congregational one (as opposed to a choral setting), one should sing them. The flip side is that composers should quit making dodgy settings thereof.

(I am at a more traditional parish now. I haven’t heard the occasional admonition from the director of music to “sing out” in eleven or more years. They do the exchanges, and yes, hymns -
with gusto. And there is no need to beg people to join the adult choir, mixed voices. It can easily range from twenty to thirty, depending on feasts. This doesn’t include a schola cantorum for an evening Mass, or rotating children’s choirs for an earlier one.)
 
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Okay but what if it’s a mass where thoses prayers are sung by a professional choir (for example with a Mozart’s mass). I think in those cases we are rather supposed to keep silent and to only pray internally, right?
 
You don’t have to sing, but it’s encouraged. The priest at my church often encourages us to sing but always reminds us that it isn’t required.
 
Great topic. I think it really depends on the church.
  1. Many churches have a full choir and appear to really want to be the only ones singing. Usually the main musician is paid by the church as well.
  2. My favorite choirs have a much more humble approach. One piano, a group of singers with none that stand out, and everyone in church is told where the reading is and to join in. Sadly, this style is usually in churches with a very old congregation. Myself, I felt like the songs were prayers, I really enjoyed the quiet singing of everyone and the fact it was another way of participating in church. Listening to others sing really isn’t as fun. I wish this style was adopted more
 
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Not singing is my act of charity for the world 😂
I usually hum or mouth the lyrics like an idiot
 
opop said:
Okay but what if it’s a mass where thoses prayers are sung by a professional choir (for example with a Mozart’s mass). I think in those cases we are rather supposed to keep silent and to only pray internally, right?
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As angelic06 clarified: if the Mass setting (music) is a congregational setting, then the assembly should sing along (this is usually the case at most U.S. parishes). If the Mass setting is a choral setting, then no (but I can’t remember when I attended a Mass that used a choral setting, except at some Masses that were celebrated in a Cathedral).
 
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angelic06 said:
As I belong to an online forum dedicated to restoring traditional sacred music in the Roman rite, I could start a diatribe on the difference between singing the Mass and singing at Mass, but I am not going to go there.

No…yes, I will start. The exchange between priest and people is part of the Mass. The director of music might make a suggestion that the priest chant his parts and the faithful likewise return the response.
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At my church, it’s the Liturgy Committee that has made this exact recommendation to our priests. Some of the priests are more receptive to this recommendation than others. 😉
 
I try. On Sundays, when the choir is there I can manage it.

On Saturdays, if we’re lucky, a husband and wife are there to lead us and I can sing then. But when they’re not there and Father leads the singing, it’s downright impossible. God knows he tries but you all know the saying about tunes and buckets, well, that’s Father. Nobody can sing when he’s singing because none of us have voices that can drown his out to lead the rest and none of us know where he’s going with the tune because it certainly never follows what’s written in the hymnals.
 
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FrancisPio said:
Many churches have a full choir and appear to really want to be the only ones singing. Usually the main musician is paid by the church as well.
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I’m a rebel. I sing whether they want me to or not!! To me, singing (ALL the singing!) is prayer- and I’m not going to let anyone pray for me! 🙂
 
Sugabee43 said:
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FrancisPio:
Many churches have a full choir and appear to really want to be the only ones singing. Usually the main musician is paid by the church as well.
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I’m a rebel. I sing whether they want me to or not!! To me, singing (ALL the singing!) is prayer- and I’m not going to let anyone pray for me! 🙂
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We have an * SATB adult choir (voluntary, with occasional paid choral scholars from high school and college) you can join. You can sing the rich works which composers have made for God’s glory - and yes, there is plenty of opportunity for congregational singing. There is plenty of room in our choir loft. 🙂

*soprano, alto, tenor, bass, if anyone reading this is not familiar with the acronymn.
 
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I have actually considered that at my own parish, but part of me thinks there needs to be some congregants within the pews who unabashedly love to worship with music, to hopefully nudge everyone else along who may be sheepish. 🙂
 
My entire view of liturgical music and “active participation” got turned on its head when I attended the Traditional Latin Mass. I had been a choir director for 20 years. I left the Novus Ordo and never looked back. I learned that prayer, music, and participation take many forms. And silence is part of all of them. Cardinal Sarah and Silence
 
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