Singing without music at Mass

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lightacandle

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Attended a different church last weekend and was surprised that things had changed there. Same priest presided. There was no loud instrumental music played with the congregational singing. Just voices. Only guitar and a little percussion was played when a Spanish song was sung by choir. I couldn’t believe what a peaceful and calming effect that had on me. And the priest said Mass ad orientum as well. Anyone else like a quieter Mass?

🛐
 
Being a choir director, having music doesn’t equate with being disruptive or loud, so I’m not sure where this is coming from.
Mass doesn’t HAVE to have music, but priests and congregations expect it.
Sometimes everyone in the choir is sick, so we have much less singing.
It’s all good if it’s done well.
 
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This was done very well. I appreciate music also. This was just so opposite from what I am used to. At the other church they have a new pipe organ and the church is not overly large and, imho, the organ is so loud it kinda rattles my teeth. I think I like a little more quiet or just not having my teeth rattled. Probably a good idea to visit another church every once in awhile. We only have two in my town. I enjoyed it. But I enjoy music too. Thanks for being a choir director.

PAX
 
I’ve been to many Masses for which there was no scheduled choir nor cantor. If, as a result, there is no singing during the Mass itself, I find it less than ideal. When the priest has a singing voice and leads the congregation in a couple hymns and/or chants some of his parts, I have no complaints.
 
lightacandle said:
Anyone else like a quieter Mass?
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Personally I like masses where the music just uses a capella voices. That’s what we have for daily mass and I personally find it easier to pray after receiving the Eucharist without music of any type.
 
Music has to be of good quality and appropriately chosen. Full stop.
 
I like the Thursday Mass I attend at RCIA which has no music, though Father C often sings through it.

A few months ago, at the Saturday evening Mass, we had had a new sound system put in. The organist had a violinist alongside them which doesn’t normally happen. The organist played like he had been released from captivity, fancy twiddles of music here there and everywhere, and the violinist was obviously miked up. The sound was awful, out of balance and just overwhelmingly loud. You could tell everyone walking out was kind of staggering.

Thankfully, it was all sorted by the next week, being teething problems quite clearly. But I appreciated my quiet Thursday Mass all the more after that!!!
 
I also like a quieter Mass. We have a wonderful choir with an amazing director. The music is always appropriate for Mass and appropriate for the parts of the Mass. No percussion and no guitars, just an organ, a cello, a flute and very talented voices.

The previous parish I attended had a not so talented choir. What they lacked in talent they made up for in shear volume.
 
We are sometimes without an organist, so the priest leads the singing and we do our best. Parishes like mine in England often only have one volunteer organist. We don’t have designated Musical Directors or anything as formal as that.
 
I don’t like percussion instruments (including the piano). I find them to be distracting.

I prefer music that is “meditative” or “hypnotic” which is why I love Latin Chant and music in Latin (or any other language I don’t understand).

When interments are used, for me, they need to be subtle like an organ, harp, violin, etc. I’m not a fan of trumpets and drums unless it’s the recessional.
 
Yeah, I attend a Latin Mass parish. The thing is the choir needs work (basically more voices) since we moved to another church and got "promoted from a community to an actual parish by the bishop. We lost a few voices with the move. And the organist. Had to get a new one. But the choir director does pretty good considering. We have nice polyphony during Mass.
 
lightacandle said:
Attended a different church last weekend and was surprised that things had changed there. Same priest presided. There was no loud instrumental music played with the congregational singing. Just voices.
Click to expand...
Only voices are allowed in many of the Eastern Catholic churches – they actually look down on some of the Greek Orthodox who have adopted the pipe organ in their own worship. They believe that only the human voice is solemn enough for the liturgy. It seems to encourage people to sing as well.

The former 05:30 Sunday Mass at my parish was completely a capella. It had been that way for generations. It was awesome to attend that Mass now and then – it had a very “spiritual” feel to it. It was fairly well attended, at least as many there as at the 07:00 Mass – about 200 to 250 at least. In 2001 with the coming of a new pastor, “music” was forced onto that Mass. There was a terrible ecclesial fight that included the bishop. Quite ugly. The Mass lasted possibly another year and was then discontinued. Pretty sad when you look back on it.
 
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That is really sad to fight over music and very sad that they no longer have the 5:30 Mass. A loss for everybody.

✝️
 
Your person plays the piano like a percussion instrument?
Gah!

I don’t. Organ is a piano with knobs and bellows. Much louder.
 
pianistclare said:
Your person plays the piano like a percussion instrument?
Gah!

I don’t. Organ is a piano with knobs and bellows. Much louder.
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At my parish, they don’t use the piano much, its usually just the organ. Unfortunately, every time I hear the piano played at Mass (usually at another parish that offers an evening Sunday mass), it sounds like it’s a rock ballad with tons of fancy bridges. It frankly seems like the pianist is showing off. 😦

BTW - If I properly understood one of the Church docs re music and liturgy, the Church considers the Organ to be a wind instrument and considers the piano to be a percussion instrument (which is consistent with 18th century classifications) 🙂
 
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