T
Trader
Guest
As a cathedral parish with a large percentage of visitors who are not parish members, we take our responsibility to be an example for the diocese seriously. Every Sunday the choir sings the communion chant, followed by an easy to sing congregational communion hymn. Usually the selected hymns are an antiphon and verse format because not many people can sing and walk at the same time. We usually have a more difficult meditation anthem sung by the choir during the purification of the vessels. Sometimes we have one or two soloists as part of those anthems, like Panis Angelicus by Franck.
After communion, we usually have a hymn of thanksgiving that everyone can sing while standing still, and then the recessional is usually an organ solo. It seems to solve the problem of people leaving during a recessional hymn.
Many funerals have a soloist sing as a prelude, but not during the mass. The usual exception is for weddings, where a soloist is very common. Funerals and weddings get special treatment because the congregation includes non-Catholics and people from other parishes. Finding a hymn that everyone knows and can sing is nearly hopeless.
After communion, we usually have a hymn of thanksgiving that everyone can sing while standing still, and then the recessional is usually an organ solo. It seems to solve the problem of people leaving during a recessional hymn.
Many funerals have a soloist sing as a prelude, but not during the mass. The usual exception is for weddings, where a soloist is very common. Funerals and weddings get special treatment because the congregation includes non-Catholics and people from other parishes. Finding a hymn that everyone knows and can sing is nearly hopeless.