Solo Music after Communion: Is it proper?

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Our parish got a new priest last year, and he made some changes to the way things are done at Mass, all of which seem fine and within Church guidelines, except possibly the one that is the subject of this question. During Communion, just instrumental music (usually piano) is played while everyone receives. Then, right after the last few people have received, the choir (if there is one) sings, or else the cantor alone sings a solo. There is usually no congregational hymn during reception of the Eucharist as I have seen done at other parishes.

Is this practice within Church guidelines? I tried to look it up in Church documents such as the GIRM, but I am still not sure of the answer.
 
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This section from the article “The Reception of Holy Communion” on the USCCB site would seem to indicate that that the practice may not be permitted:
This action by Christ’s body, the Church assembled for the Eucharist, is manifested and supported by the Communion Chant, a hymn in praise of Christ sung by the united voices of those who believe in him and share his life. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal takes this hymn very seriously, mandating that it should begin at the Communion of the priest and extend until the last person has received Communion.

For some, however, the singing of this hymn is perceived as an intrusion on their own prayer, their private thanksgiving after Communion. In fact, however, this hymn is prayer, the corporate thanksgiving prayer of the members of Christ’s Body, united with one another. Over and over again the prayers of the liturgy and the norms of the General Instruction emphasize this fundamental concept of the unity of the baptized, stressing that when we come together to participate in the Eucharistic celebration we come, not as individuals, but as united members of Christ’s Body. In each of the Eucharistic Prayers, though the petition is worded in slightly different ways, God is asked to send his Holy Spirit to make us one body, one spirit in Christ; the General Instruction admonishes the faithful that “they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing…” (no. 96). It describes one of the purposes of the opening song of the Mass as to “foster the unity of those who have been gathered” (no. 47), and says of the Communion Chant that “its purpose [is] to express the spiritual union of the communicants by means of the unity of their voices, to show gladness of heart, and to bring out more clearly the ‘communitarian’ character of the procession to receive the Eucharist” (no. 86).
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It is okay, except during Lent.

During Lent no instrumental solos, instruments must accompany singing during that Season.
 
GIRM
87 In the Dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for singing at Communion: (1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another musical setting; (2) the antiphon with Psalm from the Graduale Simplex of the liturgical time; (3) a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) some other suitable liturgical chant (cf. no. 86) approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. This is sung either by the choir alone or by the choir or a cantor with the people.
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However, if there is no singing, the antiphon given in the Missal may be recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a reader; otherwise, it is recited by the Priest himself after he has received Communion and before he distributes Communion to the faithful.
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88 When the distribution of Communion is over, if appropriate, the Priest and faithful pray quietly for some time. If desired, a Psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may also be sung by the whole congregation.
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Technically, solos are not allowed during Mass because a solo is a performance style of singing.

If it happens from time to time? It’s not the sort of thing to be made into an issue.
 
FrDavid96 said:
Technically, solos are not allowed during Mass because a solo is a performance style of singing.

If it happens from time to time? It’s not the sort of thing to be made into an issue.
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It happens every week.
 
EnglishTeacher said:
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FrDavid96:
Technically, solos are not allowed during Mass because a solo is a performance style of singing.

If it happens from time to time? It’s not the sort of thing to be made into an issue.
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It happens every week.
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Do you mean literally a “solo” which. by definition, is sung by only one person ? Or do you mean that the choir as a choir sings? There is a difference.

I’m not sure how there can be two different things happening (from the original post) while at the same time something happens “every week.”
 
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Based on the description I think they mean an instrumental i.e. organ/whatever instrument is played only.
 
FrDavid96 said:
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EnglishTeacher:
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FrDavid96:
Technically, solos are not allowed during Mass because a solo is a performance style of singing.

If it happens from time to time? It’s not the sort of thing to be made into an issue.
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It happens every week.
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Do you mean literally a “solo” which. by definition, is sung by only one person ? Or do you mean that the choir as a choir sings? There is a difference.
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I know of a parish where the cantor sings a solo after communion, after every mass. And it’s typically religious songs/hymns I’ve never heard of. Its almost seems as if she is practicing for a professional career by singing contemporary Christian songs to us.

That mass has the same cantor every week at that particular mass.
 
FrDavid96 said:
Do you mean literally a “solo” which. by definition, is sung by only one person ? Or do you mean that the choir as a choir sings? There is a difference.

I’m not sure how there can be two different things happening (from the original post) while at the same time something happens “every week.”
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I can see how my original post may not have been clear.

There are three weekend Masses. Only one has a choir. Here is what happens:
  1. The congregation comes forward to receive the Eucharist. Instrumental music (no singing), usually piano, begins.
  2. When everyone has finished receiving, the cantor then sings a solo. Or, if it happens to be the one Mass that has a choir, the choir sings instead.
 
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GIRM
This is sung either by the choir alone or by the choir or a cantor with the people.
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The people are allowed to sing, but depending on the hymn and quality of the cantor’s voice, I’ve seen the people meditate as he/she sings alone.

It’s not a solo by design, just as it happens to turn out.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
The people are allowed to sing, but depending on the hymn and quality of the cantor’s voice, I’ve seen the people meditate as he/she sings alone.

It’s not a solo by design, just as it happens to turn out
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Yes, I have seen this, too. 🙂 But the solo by the cantor at our parish is usually not a song in the hymnal, and it is usually not a song that the congregation would know. It is clearly not intended for the congregation to join in.
 
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phil19034 said:
I know of a parish where the cantor sings a solo after communion, after every mass. And it’s typically religious songs/hymns I’ve never heard of. Its almost seems as if she is practicing for a professional career by singing contemporary Christian songs to us.

That mass has the same cantor every week at that particular mass
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Yes, this is more or less what happens at our parish (except, as mentioned above, at the one Sunday Mass that has a choir instead of a lone cantor).
 
Out of curiosity, how would a solo be different from having one person cantor, say, the verses in the Responsorial Psalm / Gospel Acclamation?
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Because of the simple fact that the rubrics say that it’s to be done that way.
Everyone participates in the Psalm by reciting the responsorial-verse.
And isn’t it kind of inevitable if there is only one singer at a particular mass?
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It’s not to be done that way. Everyone should participate in the singing. Not everyone needs to have a professional-level ability to sing. That’s why chant is the preferred method; because it can be done by almost everyone.
And the mass settings written by classical composers…have solo sections…
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Altogether different issue.

Those Masses were not necessarily composed to be uses as Masses (as Liturgy), but rather as a expressions of the composer’s competence. That’s not to exclude them from being used, it’s merely to say that’s not the purpose.

Whether or not any particular Mass composition is suitable for use as an actual Mass is a question to asked of about each one individually.
 
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phil19034 said:
I know of a parish where the cantor sings a solo after communion, after every mass. …
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EnglishTeacher said:
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2) When everyone has finished receiving, the cantor then sings a solo. …
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Same answer. It’s technically not permitted to have solo singing at Mass.

How much of an “issue” should one make of this? I’ll leave that for yourselves to decide.

Personally, while I don’t allow it, I’m willing to permit it on rare occasions.
 
I noted two things. First, I thought the phrase above from the USCCB document, " mandating that it should begin at the Communion," hilarious syntax. I think a proofreader missed something. Either that, or someone wrote their opinion into it.

Second, logistics often make it difficult to judge this sort of practice from afar. For example, the idea of a choir seems quaintly to one who has to scrounge to get a few people for just one of three Masses, as does the idea of beginning at the Communion of the priest and extending until the last person receives communion, yet at the same time seeing that the musician also has a chance to receive??? My solution is bi-location, but I am still struggling with that one.

If a hymn is not a solo, but has a solo (cantor) line, like “Eat This Bread,” where does it fall?

How long can an intro/conclusion be on a hymn before it is a “solo?”

These questions are why it is hard to answer this from afar. Some things must be the judgment of the priest.
 
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I’m confused.

I’ve frequently heard (though on special occasions, not every week) Schubert’s “Ave Maria” as a communion reflection, after everyone has received Communion usually to the accompaniment of a hymn that the congregation can join in. After the hymn ends, the organist goes into “Ave Maria” and, if there is a vocalist on hand competent to sing it - usually this is somebody with classical training - they sing along with the organ. If no vocalist, the organ just plays Ave Maria alone with nobody singing.

This is not allowed? Have heard it in my life done with the singer probably 20 times, usually at Easter Masses or once because a singer known to the priest happened to be visiting the Church and he asked her to sing it for post-communion reflection. Have also heard it many more times with no singer and just the organ.
 
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Is it possible that the communion antiphon is being sung by the choir, and it is short?
 
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