Solo Music after Communion: Is it proper?

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At the abbey, the schola chants the communion antiphon with one or two psalm verses as the faithful go up for communion. If there are many people and there aren’t enough verses, after the antiphon and verses the organist will play something quiet on the organ until everyone is back in their pew. Except in Advent and Lent of course.

The communion antiphon is sung the first time by the schola; then the verse is sung solo by a cantor, and then the entire community (and those of the faithful like myself who can), repeat the singing of the antiphon. If there’s a second verse, the cantor sings it solo as well. Solo cantering in a responsorial manner is perfectly acceptable, as is a solo instrumental piece in the appropriate seasons.
 
I mean at Easter Sunday Masses when they usually have a very nice music program, with the choir and often with a classically trained singer who can handle the Ave Maria.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
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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Again (I think this is about the 3rd time I’m posting this), this is technically not allowed because solos are not appropriate for Mass.

At the same time, it’s not something to make into an issue. It can (and yes does) happen from time to time.
 
pnewton said:
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.
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Which is what I want to address
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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That posting on the USCCB website does not indicate who wrote it. That’s the problem we have in the internet age. How much of it is just someone’s opinion? Only the sentences that actually quote the law can be viewed as reliable.

It is just not the case that anything that happens to land on their website is the teaching or position of the USCCB. Website postings carry no authority, except as far as they actually quote the law itself.

Neither do bishops conference committee documents carry any authority, except as far as they quote the law itself.
 
Loud-living-dogma said:
Is it possible that the communion antiphon is being sung by the choir, and it is short?
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Good point.

In the Roman Missal, there is no such thing as a Communion Hymn. Instead, it has the antiphon, which is typically 1 or 2 sentences.

It’s an adaptation allowed for the U.S. (and safe to say for some other countries as well).

It’s hard to reconcile the idea that the Communion hymn must continue all the way through Communion, while the typical edition of the Roman Missal does not even have a Communion hymn.
 
I sing along with the “Ave Maria”.

(And do prefer Gound to Schubert)
 
FrDavid96 said:
Again (I think this is about the 3rd time I’m posting this), this is technically not allowed because solos are not appropriate for Mass.

At the same time, it’s not something to make into an issue. It can (and yes does) happen from time to time.
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another reason for leaving it alone…it will continue to be an issue if we don’t let it rest…its like picking a scab.
 
FrDavid96 said:
Good point.

In the Roman Missal, there is no such thing as a Communion Hymn. Instead, it has the antiphon, which is typically 1 or 2 sentences.

It’s an adaptation allowed for the U.S. (and safe to say for some other countries as well).

It’s hard to reconcile the idea that the Communion hymn must continue all the way through Communion, while the typical edition of the Roman Missal does not even have a Communion hymn.
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The Roman Missal used in Australia, England and Wales, and Scotland distinguishes between what is original and what is for a particular country.

From this GIRM (unmodified for a country):
“87. For singing at Communion, it is possible to use the antiphon from the Graduale Romanum, with or without the Psalm, or the antiphon with Psalm from the Graduale Simplex, or some other suitable liturgical chant approved by the Conference of Bishops.”

So it is talking about songs from two other official liturgical books that it names.

In n. 86 it has: “The singing is prolonged for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful.” It does not envisage the Entrance Antiphon being sung over and over again. The antiphon is provided as an alternative to singing. From 87:

“However, if there is no singing, the antiphon given in the Missal may be recited ….”.

The word “hymn” gets used for after the distribution of communion, in n. 88:
“If desired, a Psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may also be sung by the whole congregation.”
 
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Unless the soloist sounds like a cat being strangled or is singing something secular I could not care less. In fact with a good soloist it’s beautiful. There are far bigger things to worry about.
 
Well people in here would have a melt-down at my parish Mass.

Sometimes our new administrator priest, who celebrates the Mass, will have the Deacon and EMHC distribute Holy Communion while he plays his electric guitar and sings. (FYI, even I have a little problem with this), but don’t let it interfere with my reflection on Jesus Christ whom I’m contemplating on.

However, the other thing we sometimes have is that the organist comes down from the choir loft and plays the harp at at the front of the church. She does a great job and it’s very contemplative.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Sometimes our new administrator priest, who celebrates the Mass, will have the Deacon and EMHC distribute Holy Communion while he plays his electric guitar and sings.
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😶 Oh my.
 
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JimR-OCDS said:
Sometimes our new administrator priest, who celebrates the Mass, will have the Deacon and EMHC distribute Holy Communion while he plays his electric guitar and sings.
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Hope someone has reached out to the superiors at the Diocese about this.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Well people in here would have a melt-down at my parish Mass.

Sometimes our new administrator priest, who celebrates the Mass, will have the Deacon and EMHC distribute Holy Communion while he plays his electric guitar and sings. (FYI, even I have a little problem with this), but don’t let it interfere with my reflection on Jesus Christ whom I’m contemplating on.

Jim
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Can he visit our parish? I would like to hear him singing while playing on his electric guitar. 😁
 
Dare I ask? What does he sing? Is there a little George Benson action?
 
Maybe his parish is on Broadway. Breezin’ through that Mass-querade…
 
No, I doubt that.

He’s the replacement for the priest who was pressured into leaving.

My guess is that he’s a transitional priest before the Bishop assigns a pastor to us, or possibly shuts the parish down.

Jim
 
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