Suggestions on how to get a congregation to sing

[jmcrae]

Hi Jim!

Your right BUT

1. Its not being done because it would have to intrupt th takling that is now the defacto norm.

1. Is not singing 'Praying twice"?

If the singing were the Prayers Before Mass set to music, I’d be right there with you.

Quite often, they’re not, though.

God Bless you Jim, and sincere thanks for all you do for the FORUM!

God bless you, too, Pat - and I sincerely appreciate your question, and your dilemma. I, too, would love to see more singing at Mass.

The problem is, how do we get there without interfering with other aspects of Church and faith life?

 

[Corki]

Ok, I confess that my mind wandered to this thread while at Mass today when we were supposed to be thinking. Here are some observations and suggestions.

Obs. - hardly anyone sings the hymns but almost everyone sings the Gloria and the Lord’s prayer

Obs. - we no longer have the song numbers posted, they just announce them. At the Spanish Mass, they don’t even announce the song numbers.

Obs. - if the song leader/accompanist/solist are really good, some people just seem to prefer listening

Obs. - In my parish there is no continuity to the hynm choice Today, there was a mix of styles and had no obvious connection to the place in the liturgical calendar

Obs.- many of the responsorial psalm settings are hard to sing, even for me and I sight read.

Suggestion - stop trying to be novel and innovative. Chose a few hymns that everyone knows and likes and use them every week, at least for Ordinary time and at least for the procession and recessional.

Suggestion - test out the songs on “regular people”. Just because the soprano song leader can hit all those notes doesn’t mean we all can. As soon as a song goes out of range, most people just stop singing.

Suggestion - use the seasonal psalm responses but tell people that you are going to do that and where to find the words. Otherwise people just flip around trying to find out why they are singing something different than the missalette.

Suggestion - unless you have a really large congregation, don’t bother with a song during the Communion procession. People aren’t going to bother looking up the song only to sing half a verse and then put their books down when it is their turn to line up. Use an instrumental for this time and then a song after Communion for everyone to sing.

Suggestion - don’t tell people you expect them to sing. It only makes them self-conscious.

Suggestion - train the altar servers and anyone else who is “front and center” to sing. But this only works if you have a few well-known songs.

Suggestion - turn the volume down on the microphones but put some speakers behind the congregation. Even better put the singers where you can’t see them (choir loft). Putting them in front just adds to the perception that they are to be watched, not joined.

Suggestion - use four-part harmony or descants sparingly. For those not musically trained, they think they have lost their place and shut down.

Suggestion - don’t applaud the choir. It just makes it seem like they are the “pros” and we are the ones who can’t sing - so we don’t

Suggestion - post, announce, announce again the song numbers. Then WAIT for people to find the page before starting to sing. If the song starts before they are ready, many people just put their hymnals down and listen.

Just my random thoughts.

 

[YoungTradCath]

Is it really so bad to just let the choir do its job? I don’t really want to sing. I imagine most people don’t want to, either. More of this “forced participation” stuff isn’t going to get people to participate, it’s just going to turn people bitter.

 

[ataylorfam]

It saddens me to go and not see people singing, and being new to the mass, it makes me confused as to what I am supposed to be doing and when. Am I supposed to sing or listen? Does just the choir sing now? I just don’t know. Can someone fill me in on when I can sing? Because if I can or am supposed to be, me and my family definitely will be - I just don’t want to be doing it if I am not supposed to be.

 

[YoungTradCath]

It saddens me to go and not see people singing, and being new to the mass, it makes me confused as to what I am supposed to be doing and when. Am I supposed to sing or listen? Does just the choir sing now? I just don’t know. Can someone fill me in on when I can sing? Because if I can or am supposed to be, me and my family definitely will be - I just don’t want to be doing it if I am not supposed to be.

You can sing whenever you want to. There’s no rule that says you have to be quiet. However, most congregations either are singers, or not, and as a whole. It’s a bit of a Catholic thing, at least in the United States, to leave the singing to the singers, although many “modern” people will try to quietly shove that fact under the carpet. Personally, I hate when I’m in a situation where I’m expected to sing in mass. I think the silence of the congregation adds to the sobriety of the occasion. But, as I said, no one is going to tell you to pipe down, so go ahead and sing your heart out if you want.

 

[liturgyluver]

Ok, I confess that my mind wandered to this thread while at Mass today when we were supposed to be thinking. Here are some observations and suggestions.

Obs. - hardly anyone sings the hymns but almost everyone sings the Gloria and the Lord’s prayer

Obs. - we no longer have the song numbers posted, they just announce them. At the Spanish Mass, they don’t even announce the song numbers.

Obs. - if the song leader/accompanist/solist are really good, some people just seem to prefer listening

Obs. - In my parish there is no continuity to the hynm choice Today, there was a mix of styles and had no obvious connection to the place in the liturgical calendar

Obs.- many of the responsorial psalm settings are hard to sing, even for me and I sight read.

Suggestion - stop trying to be novel and innovative. Chose a few hymns that everyone knows and likes and use them every week, at least for Ordinary time and at least for the procession and recessional.

Suggestion - test out the songs on “regular people”. Just because the soprano song leader can hit all those notes doesn’t mean we all can. As soon as a song goes out of range, most people just stop singing.

Suggestion - use the seasonal psalm responses but tell people that you are going to do that and where to find the words. Otherwise people just flip around trying to find out why they are singing something different than the missalette.

Suggestion - unless you have a really large congregation, don’t bother with a song during the Communion procession. People aren’t going to bother looking up the song only to sing half a verse and then put their books down when it is their turn to line up. Use an instrumental for this time and then a song after Communion for everyone to sing.

Suggestion - don’t tell people you expect them to sing. It only makes them self-conscious.

Suggestion - train the altar servers and anyone else who is “front and center” to sing. But this only works if you have a few well-known songs.

Suggestion - turn the volume down on the microphones but put some speakers behind the congregation. Even better put the singers where you can’t see them (choir loft). Putting them in front just adds to the perception that they are to be watched, not joined.

Suggestion - use four-part harmony or descants sparingly. For those not musically trained, they think they have lost their place and shut down.

Suggestion - don’t applaud the choir. It just makes it seem like they are the “pros” and we are the ones who can’t sing - so we don’t

Suggestion - post, announce, announce again the song numbers. Then WAIT for people to find the page before starting to sing. If the song starts before they are ready, many people just put their hymnals down and listen.

Just my random thoughts.

I think there are some very sensible suggestions here, and I am increasingly coming round to the view that it would be sensible to build up a core reportoire of hymns initially to help the congregation gain confidence. I have also noticed the point you make that music in many Catholic parishes fails to be appropriate to the liturgical year, and that hymns are chosen that really don’t support the liturgy despite the suggestions in the hymnals.

To add to your list above I would say that congregations really need to understand the difference between a motet or anthem, which should be sung by the choir in 4-part harmony (as should the ordinaries of the mass if sung to a choral setting), and the hymns which the congregation are supposed to sing supported by the choir. It’s not hard: the number on the board relates to the hymnal, and you have been given the hymnal so you can sing.

As others have said, there also seems to be a cultural difference between Catholics in the UK and US compared with elsewhere: German Catholics sing their hymns beautifully, and, coincidently, I sat beside two yesterday in central London who were aghast at the terrible lack of participation in 3 popular and well-known hymns. I later went to a friend’s baptism with High Mass at an Anglican church nearby and the music and singing was beautiful: it really was like day and night.

If despite all these efforts, congregations won’t engage with the hymns, then I’d reluctantly rather have more spoken masses: there is nothing worse than going to a Sung Mass, with the organ playing and silence and restlessness during the hymn (or somebody checking their shopping list which I once saw).

 

[liturgyluver]

It saddens me to go and not see people singing, and being new to the mass, it makes me confused as to what I am supposed to be doing and when. Am I supposed to sing or listen? Does just the choir sing now? I just don’t know. Can someone fill me in on when I can sing? Because if I can or am supposed to be, me and my family definitely will be - I just don’t want to be doing it if I am not supposed to be.

The bottom line is that the hymns are there to be sung, and you - and others - should sing: that’s why you have been given the hymnal or the words on a sheet. As has been said above there is an unfortunate culture in the US (and in the UK) of Catholics not particpating in the hymns. You might be interested to know there is even a book called “Why Catholics can’t sing”. The culture is difficult to break.

So I hope you and your family do what I do: and sing with all your strength.

 

[jimrob]

The difficulty is not with singing, but with change. If people are used to Mass without singing, they won’t sing. You need to start young. Encourage the children to sing and they will continue to sing later.

How many Catholics does it take to change a light bulb?
Change, change! How dare you mention change?

 

[ProVobis]

As has been said above there is an unfortunate culture in the US (and in the UK) of Catholics not particpating in the hymns.

And why is it “unfortunate” that we don’t participate in something that has nothing to do with the Mass while at Mass and in fact can only distract us away from it? There is no obligation to sing hymns. And I’m not doing it just because the Germans or Anglicans do it. Do they participate in the Mass any better for it? Just saying.

 

[Cat]

Is it really so bad to just let the choir do its job? I don’t really want to sing. I imagine most people don’t want to, either. More of this “forced participation” stuff isn’t going to get people to participate, it’s just going to turn people bitter.

YoungTradCath, this so incredibly sad.

I assume that you really are young. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for being part of the hideous, awful society that has managed to convey to you the wrong idea that singing in a group is something unpleasant that you would prefer to avoid.

In the past, corporate singing, especially among Christians, has been a source of joy, strength, and encouragement. Christian brothers and sisters joined their voices in beautiful songs of praise to God, and in so doing, became friends to the death. In fact, in the days of the martyrs, many marched into the bloody arenas singing hymns and songs and spiritual songs to help each other have courage to face their final agonies.

Now you see corporate singing as an obtrusive chore, something that interferes with your ability to worship God and receive Jesus.

That, to me, is so very very sad. I am 54 years old, and in my world, which obviously isn’t your world, singing with my Christian brothers and sisters is a foretaste of what heaven will be like. Singing with others helps me to focus on Jesus Christ and receive Him.

How did the Church get to this state, where young people are refusing to sing in Mass? We should be ashamed.

 

[liturgyluver]

And why is it “unfortunate” that we don’t participate in something that has nothing to do with the Mass while at Mass and in fact can only distract us away from it? There is no obligation to sing hymns. And I’m not doing it just because the Germans or Anglicans do it. Do they participate in the Mass any better for it? Just saying.

The fact is though - like it or not - hymns are scheduled for a majority of Sunday masses (though there are still said masses too), and this is done with the full knowledge and authority of the Church.

You may find them a distraction but I - and many others who have posted here - feel that they can and do enhance the mass. And in my discussions with priests I have never heard them once refer to hymns negatively - though they do express an exasperation with the lack of singing.

If people feel they can’t sing fine, or if they don’t want to sing fine, but what is coming over in some of the comments is that some people want to sing but don’t feel able to for a variety of reasons. Some people have alluded also that when they do sing, they get reproachful glances from others in the congregation. My message to those people is if you don’t like the hymns then go to a said service, but don’t come to mass sucking lemons and making others feel miserable.

 

[liturgyluver]

That, to me, is so very very sad. I am 54 years old, and in my world, which obviously isn’t your world, singing with my Christian brothers and sisters is a foretaste of what heaven will be like. Singing with others helps me to focus on Jesus Christ and receive Him.

How did the Church get to this state, where young people are refusing to sing in Mass? We should be ashamed.

Cat, I agree. I am 46 and remember singing joyfully at mass as a youngster. I am so sad to think this may be all be gone.

 

[johnnykins]

You want people to sing at Mass? OK.

1. For the Ordinary start with familiar tunes and keep with it: Kyrie, Gloria, Short responses, Credo, Pater Noster, Agnus Dei. Traditional chant would be good, (in Latin or Greek, as applicable - but English etc., would be fine). BTW since the priest almost always chants when he sings, non-chant almost always is inappropriate and stupid juxtaposed to the chant of the priest. I’ve always been amazed that “Music Directors” can’t figure that out - which reinforces my belief too many are ****** musicians with no taste or understanding.
2. For hymns, start with familiar ones. When introducing new hymns, go slow - introduce only one or two. Sappy, stupid, syncopated, irregular and heretical hymns should be avoided at all cost. Throw away “Gather.” Folk rock went out with the 70’s and you are not Peter, Paul and Mary, in any case. Kill the guitars and bongos.
3. Make sure the tempos are singable by a congregation - that means slower than a choir might be able to take them. Make sure there are appropriate places to breath. When our choir director is forced to introduce stuff he dislikes, he takes it at super-human speed and the cantor and choir mess it up while the congregation shuts up. Then, he goes around complaining the congregation won’t sing new songs.
4. Set them in a key that is comfortable for most folks. Just because the cantor is a soprano and the choir sopranos can sing the descant doesn’t mean the congregation is or can. If you chose polyphony, get folks the 4 part music.
5. GIVE PEOPLE THE MUSIC - I’ve been to Mass where only the lyrics are distributed for syncopated unfamiliar songs - and no one sings!? Gee, I wonder why?

Good and appropriate music that is familiar and easy to sing will get a congregation singing. Works every time. Lousy music, that is offensive or stupid and basically unsingable, will lead to a silent congregation. I know of no serious musician that is impressed with the garden variety music offered at the usual Mass - it’s largely abominable, unsingable, idiotic drek. If your congregation is not singing - look to your own failings oh Music Director.

 

[Gordon_Sims]

One of the things that really stirs me at Mass (and I’ve had several priests tell me the same thing) is when the entire congregation (or at least most of them) join in on a hymn and the entire church reverberates with singing. This usually only happens during Christmas with the most familiar hymns anymore, but it’s really something to hear.

I was in the church choir for several years when I was younger and one of the things I appreciated most about the experience was that, even into my mid-20’s or so, I was able to sing along with just about every song at Mass by heart. There wasn’t a great deal of variation to the hymn selection, but the songs were singable and familiar, and it always seemed as though there was a large portion of the congregation singing along.

When the Church changed the requirements for music several years back, although it led to a more Catholic selection of hymns, it seems as though the new music selection is better suited to a choir and more difficult for the average singer. On top of that, at my parish at least, it seems as though the choir director feels a need to try to run through every song in the hymnal, so there’s seldom even a chance for any of the songs to take on any degree of familiarity. I’ve asked my daughters several times what their favorite song at Mass is and the only ones they can come up with are the few older hymns we still sing on an occasional basis.

If a particular parish is really looking to increase participation, then I agree with the others who say they essentially need to take a page from the Top 40 radio playbook and have a relatively small group of core hymns that make up the bulk of what’s sung, then rotate in the other songs that are less familiar or not as easy to sing. The “easy to sing” stipulation is a big one, since even I tend to clam up on songs with wide-reaching ranges anymore (I don’t have nearly the range I did when I was a teen). I also like the idea of having a few “ringers” in the pews. These shouldn’t be the best singers–the kind who make everyone else quiet down just so they can listen–but competent singers whose presence is enough to give others that extra boost of confidence to sing along. On the other hand, they could instead pick some very loud, very lousy singers that will encourage others to sing in effort to drown them out (I’m only half-kidding here; we had just this thing go on this past week at Mass). Finally, I think a word or two of encouragement from the priest and/or choir director is a must, as are clearly and correctly displayed hymn numbers (few things at Mass annoy me more than when I look up number 622 in the hymnal only to later find, after lots of searching, that it was actually 413).

 

[johnnykins]

It’s not hard: the number on the board relates to the hymnal, and you have been given the hymnal so you can sing.

Without getting into the number board issues (I hate them), “the hymnal” is a bit misleading. Many churches have THREE places for hymns: Hymnal #1 (Say, Gather, or some such), Hymnal #2 (take your pick) and the weekly/annual paper back with hymns in the back. Naturally, since there are 3 hymnals, every one must be used. So…hymns are randomly chosen from each. That’s always special.

Then maybe there is a handout. If you’re lucky you’ll get a few notes to give you a hint how to sing whatever. NEVER are the 4 parts included in this case. If you are not lucky, there are NO notes or, even better and more frequent, the WRONG notes. The very special WRONG note Response is a monthly game at my parish. Of course, the more irregular and syncopated the tune, the less likely you are given the music.

Another favorite of mine is unusual notation. It seems to me that chant can be written in standard notation, but our choir director often uses a form of notation that is certainly unfamiliar to most. Except for the fact that he hates gospel-type music, I fully expect to see shapenotes one of these days given some of the strange devises I’ve seen used to save space.

In any event, I lay the problem at the feet of ill-trained, tasteless Music Directors with an ego problem. That, at least, is my experience.

 

[Usige]

When I am in a church where Catholic music is sung, I sing with enthusiasm.

When I am in a church where music is sung which is of questionable Catholicity e.g. OCP or Protestant, I don’t sing.

The common hymns employed in the Ordinary Form are simply horrendous and do not live up to the standard of sacred music.

These quotes reflect what many people feel. Our local parish uses the abominable Breaking Bread “hymnal” from OCP and while I love to sing, I refuse to sing about 90 - 95% of the tripe in it. The small percentage I might consider singing is never selected for any of our 5 Sunday masses (I know because I have asked). It’s also why I will not join the choir. Banish garbage like “One Bread, One Body”, “Here I Am, Lord”, “Christ, Be Our Light” and replace them with things like “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” or “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” and I would be happy to sing.

Other than getting rid of the ghastly tripe foisted upon us, one thing I think might help is to consistently sing those parts of the Mass that are intended to be sung. Our parish will sing these once in a while, but then not do it again for a couple months. Also selecting consistent settings would help. If the music is an integral part of the Mass instead of something halfheartedly tacked on I believe people would be more likely to sing.

 

[johnnykins]

These quotes reflect what many people feel. Our local parish uses the abominable Breaking Bread “hymnal” from OCP and while I love to sing, I refuse to sing about 90 - 95% of the tripe in it. The small percentage I might consider singing is never selected for any of our 5 Sunday masses (I know because I have asked). It’s also why I will not join the choir. Banish garbage like “One Bread, One Body”, “Here I Am, Lord”, “Christ, Be Our Light” and replace them with things like “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” or “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” and I would be happy to sing.

Other than getting rid of the ghastly tripe foisted upon us, one thing I think might help is to consistently sing those parts of the Mass that are intended to be sung. Our parish will sing these once in a while, but then not do it again for a couple months. Also selecting consistent settings would help. If the music is an integral part of the Mass instead of something halfheartedly tacked on I believe people would be more likely to sing.

We really need an easy “like” button on this forum.

 

[Sarabande]

I didn’t read any of the comments yet, so my apologies in advance if I repeat something already mentioned. I’m a musician (a classical singer who is also a musician haha!) who freelances in many different parishes, as well as regularly work at a couple parishes. I have also freelanced at mainstream Protestant churches as a ringer for their choirs, as part of a quartet or as a soloist (since they don’t usually use cantors/leaders of song to lead the hymn singing) and have observed how the congregations there sing and what their music directors do. Most of the Catholic and Protestant churches where I am hired to work use organists or pianists, so I can’t really give suggestions with regard to parishes that mostly use other kinds of instruments.

This is what I’ve observed as a musician and as a congregant. Of course, each parish has it own dynamic and cultural practices, so you really do have to get to know what works best for a parish as there is no true one-size-fits-all solution, but this is what I’ve seen in general.
**

1. Instrumentalists**

First, the instrumentalists don’t have to be spectacular, but they should be competent. A poorly-trained musician can be a cause for less singing.

Next, If the playing of the organist or the pianist is too “wimpy” and light, people tend to not sing. From my own experience and from talking to family and friends, it does make people feel naked and like they are the only ones singing.

The organist/pianist is really the most important aspect to congregational singing IMO. They are the ones who really hold the music and the congregation together even if the cantor is off or the priest who accidentally leaves his mic on sings super slow or super fast or completely off-key.

An organist should also really know his instrument so that he can get the right registrations to create a good, full sound. Not loud, but full, so that it supports the congregation and gives the average Joe/Jane a feeling that they aren’t naked when they are singing. I have noticed at some churches and even when we have a sub at the church where I normally work, the organist may not be that good or doesn’t know the instrument well. So, he will choose the wrong registrations, making the sound too bombastic (great for postludes) for hymn playing.

2. Cantors
I have a lot to say about cantoring because I am one and my feelings are mixed for the most part, even as a cantor.

In my opinion and experience, the cantor should stand away from the mic so that he/she does not sound over-amplified and overpowering the congregation. Cantors are there to help lead, but it is not a solo fest either. Now I want to stress that I think many cantors know that it is not a place for them to be a soloist, but some cantors don’t know how to work with a mic OR they are being required to sing very close to the mic since some priests and music directors want the cantor to practically overpower the congregation. They have a train of thought that it creates better singing of the congregation, but in my experience with many parishes (not all), it has created the opposite.

Cantors also really need to be well-prepared and should be able to sing on pitch, with correct rhythms and tempi that will make it easier for a congregation to sing. Sometimes that’s the fault of the organist/pianist, but it can also be the fault of the cantor who will slow things down and with a mic they can overpower it so that the organist has to follow the tempo that the cantor insists on taking. I’ve heard so many complaints in real life about bad cantors, which the main thing is that they don’t want to sing because the cantor is so off key or off-rhythm. Sometimes it can make people want to sing louder to drown the cantor off, but it’s not always the case.

(continued)

.

 

[Sarabande]

2. Cantors (Continued)

Cantors, especially female cantors, need to learn to sing with his/her entire body and not just with a shallow voice and shallow breath. They have to be grounded when they sing. (And you can still sing with a light voice and even chant with this technique, as I am sometimes required to chant and sing with more of a straight tone for choral singing.) Many female cantors are sopranos who have little or no training. They sometimes have a treble-y voice which I’ve heard people complain about because they think they are singing too high.

I’ve had many people approach me after mass and thank me for making it easier for them to sing. They always think I’m singing in a lower key than the soprano cantors (I’m a mezzo.) How surprised they become when I tell them that I don’t sing in a lower key, but in the exact same key as the other cantor. I can’t really explain to them why because it would look like I am putting down the other cantor which is very unprofessional to do, so when they do ask me why it sounds different, I just tell them that I don’t know. Now it does help that I’m a mezzo which the voice type naturally has a richer, warmer, more caramel-like quality. But I’ve known many professional sopranos who can also sing with that fullness and groundedness and not sound like they are singing in the stratosphere. It is what proper training and practice creates.

And here is something that I know some of my fellow cantor colleagues, but this is how I feel after years of cantoring. I actually don’t think cantors need to be up front at all except to sing the psalm and the Gospel acclamation. I sometimes think that when they see the cantor up front (I’m only talking about Catholic cantors, because the role of the cantor or song leader it is different for other denominations), it makes them think that it’s only the cantor’s job to sing and not theirs. Honestly, if the hymn is well-known and/or the organist/pianist is playing well, we really don’t need to be singing into the mic. Again, it depends on the parish and if the organist is good. Sometimes you really do need a good cantor up front who can keep rhythm and stay on the right notes especially if the organist/pianist is not playing the rhythm correctly or the right notes. I’ve worked in some parishes where they ask the cantor to announce the hymn, start the first line and then step away from the mic. Those congregations still sing. I’ve also had to finish out masses cantoring from the choir loft if the music director required me to sing a meditational solo from the loft since they don’t need a mic and shouldn’t be sung from the front. The congregation still sang the recessional hymn with as much gusto as they would have had I been up front.

3. Choice of Hymns

Choose hymns with simple rhythms. The more complex the rhythms are with a hymn, I’ve found the less the congregation sings.

Choose hymns that don’t have large intervals to negotiate for a typical, non-trained singer. Most hymns are set within the average range of person, but there are some hymns that either sit too low or too high… OR… are composed for someone who has a more trained voice and can negotiate the “jumps” in the notes from high to low. Composers for the voice learn how to write for certain voice types, including for congregation. They understand that just because the notes are within their range, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it can be easily sung. Certain keys are harder to sing in than others, depending on how it is written. So, the same care needs to be taken for congregational singers. You don’t want everything sitting too low or too high all the time or jumping all over the place. A lot of German hymnody and Anglican hymns is really well-composed for congregational singing. They are written in such a way that it can be easily negotiated by an average voice.

1. Teaching before mass

For many people I know and even for myself, there is nothing worse than teaching congregations right before mass. It makes them feel like they are in school. Whenever I’ve had to do this at the request of the pastor or the music director, it pretty much fails. Most people won’t sing. I think what has worked at a few parishes I’ve had to do this in, you include it for the music liturgy for a few weeks every week.

Anyway, this is long enough. These are just a few things I’ve observed and picked up as a musician and congregant in the pews. Again, these are general, as every parish is different.

 

[Cat]

These quotes reflect what many people feel. Our local parish uses the abominable Breaking Bread “hymnal” from OCP and while I love to sing, I refuse to sing about 90 - 95% of the tripe in it. The small percentage I might consider singing is never selected for any of our 5 Sunday masses (I know because I have asked). It’s also why I will not join the choir. Banish garbage like “One Bread, One Body”, “Here I Am, Lord”, “Christ, Be Our Light” and replace them with things like “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” or “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” and I would be happy to sing.

Other than getting rid of the ghastly tripe foisted upon us, one thing I think might help is to consistently sing those parts of the Mass that are intended to be sung. Our parish will sing these once in a while, but then not do it again for a couple months. Also selecting consistent settings would help. If the music is an integral part of the Mass instead of something halfheartedly tacked on I believe people would be more likely to sing.

The song, “Here I Am, Lord,” is one of the reasons my husband and I converted from Protestantism to Catholicism.

We were going back and forth, debating whether we should or should not convert. The Holy Spirit apparently does not agree with your assessment of this song as “ghastly tripe,” because He chose to use THIS particular hymn, “Here I Am, Lord,” to help us to see that we needed to stop stalling and go ahead and make the proper decision to leave our Protestant sects and come home to the True Church of Jesus Christ. We needed to say, “Here I am, Lord.”

I cannot say whether the Holy Spirit could have used “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” in the same way. I’m sure He could have used any hymn or song, including secular hymns. But He chose to use “Here I Am, Lord.”

So perhaps you should have a chat with the Holy Spirit and tell Him that “Here I Am, Lord” is “ghastly tripe” and should never be used again in Mass.

Interestingly, “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” was sung often in the Protestant churches that we grew up in, often enough that I knew it pretty much by heart. When we first started attending Catholic Mass right after 2001, and I heard "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name done, I thought, “Oh, how nice. They’re doing a Protestant hymn.” But when I heard, “Here I Am, Lord,” a hymn that I have never heard in any Protestant church in 47 years of active Protestantism, I said, “What a beautiful CATHOLIC hymn!”

Basically, what I’m trying to tell you is to consider toning down your vitriol against hymns that you don’t like. If the Church allows them in the hymnals, then respect the Church.