Suitable music for Mass?

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singerlady

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I wonder if I could solicit some help here on the board. I am part of the music planning team at my parish. Lately we have been getting blasted from all areas because of our choice of music. We try to strike a balance between newer and older music, but it seems that lately we can’t please anyone, including the pastor. He is hinting that people are leaving us because of the music. Because most of our ministry was exercised under the former Bishop of Saginaw, Kenneth Untener, we are suddenly finding ourselves uncertain of what is and isn’t good liturgical music. We want to do right by our parish, but we are finding ourselves on uncertain ground as of late.
Could you point us toward some kind of guide that might help us out? Thanks so much.
 
I’m not sure there is a good guide to this…particularly when it comes to the “style wars”…the national association of pastoral musicians has a pretty helpful planning calendar on their website…www.npm.org.

Not taking the texts of songs into account…I would simply ask if the song is singable…and don’t let people fall into the trap of “if it’s new it must be good”.

I get kind of upset when every song at a mass is by a composer who is still alive (I know that sounds morbid…but I’m sure you get the point).

World Library Publications www.wlpmusic.com
has published hymns recently based on the ‘introit’ for each sunday of the year…at least that gives you a liturgical jumping off point.
 
You’re not very clear in your post. Who is displeased with what? Does the pastor dislike the old or the new? Do the people dislike the old or the new? I think a balance between old and new isn’t a bad idea…

As far as liturgical music is concerned (ie: the mass ordinary) the absolute best place to start is settings that use the approved text, the whole approved text, and nothing but the approved text (so help you God). No troping, no additions, no subtractions.

Frommi is right about singable music. Keep it simple. People will appreciate that. Simple can still be high quality. I hope.

Be more specific about who’s getting on your case about what. Hope this helps.
 
Sorry for not being clear. I guess I"M not clear on what their complaints are. They use the term “slow and draggy” to basically describe anything they don’t like. On Eagle’s Wings is fine, but For the Healing of the Nations is slow and draggy. The tempos are the same, so I’m thinking that “slow and draggy” doesn’t really mean “slow and draggy.” It means, “we don’t like that song.” The pastor has a “God is woman hear her roar” type of spirituality so hymns that don’t reflect that are unsuitable. He also forbids the use of Amazing Grace because in our hymnal, there are no alternate words for “that saved a wretch like me.” This is one the people like. We don’t usually get complaints on the service music, i.e. Mass settings.

FromMi, I hear you on the “dead composers” remark. If we don’t want to incur wrath, we have to stick pretty much to Haas, Haugen and the like. If we use anything that remotely smacks of Vatican I we get jumped on. We are getting very discouraged and are about ready to turn it over to those who think they can do a better job. NPM. org is one our our sources.

I appreciate both of you taking the time to answer this cloudy post. We’ve never had this problem before and all of a sudden we’re getting weekly complaints.
 
that saved a wretch like me
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Nor should he allow that. For Catholics, it should be “that saves a wretch like me” or “thats saving a wretch like me.” 😃 Believe it or not, some people use “worm” instead of wretch. Try that one out. I’m unaware of which came first.

I’m so very sorry about how things are with your priest. I iwsh I could offer some advice. There are some OCP (I’m guessing thats your hymnal) hymns (and even some H & H music) that are pretty good. Do what you can. Its unfortunate that you’re involved in such a situation. Try to keep the pastor in mind (he is the pastor of course). But first and foremost, find music whose texts are at least faithful to the church, even if the music is not of the greatest quality. Right now, I think thats the best you’re going to do. Its not ideal, but its a start. Good luck.
 
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singerlady:
Lately we have been getting blasted from all areas because of our choice of music. We try to strike a balance between newer and older music, but it seems that lately we can’t please anyone, including the pastor. … We want to do right by our parish, but we are finding ourselves on uncertain ground as of late.
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First of all, get your head in the right place. Music is not there to please the pastor or the parish. It is there because it is integral to the liturgy and serves as such. You have a teaching opportunity. Explain that you are trying to “do right” for the Liturgy. You should not be trying to “please” anyone. You should strive to prepare music that is suitable for Mass first.

You will no doubt proably find yourself in a bit of trouble from time to time as a result. But keep that very important goal first. Music for Mass first and foremost is a mirror of the Liturgy. Whether or not it “pleases” anyone is really irrelevant.

(This one is pet peave of mine. Glad you brought it up. Show some fortitude! )

Joe B
 
I dont like Amazing grace because its a protestan song. And its lines about ‘the hour i frist believed’ in dealing with grace is a complete slap in the face to catholic practice of infant baptism. As if you do not recieve the graces of God until you are ‘born again’. Rubbish.
 
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A.Pelliccio:
I dont like Amazing grace because its a protestan song. And its lines about ‘the hour i frist believed’ in dealing with grace is a complete slap in the face to catholic practice of infant baptism. As if you do not recieve the graces of God until you are ‘born again’. Rubbish.
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I guess it would be a slap in the face if one were to take it that baptism as a sacrament was being denied by the song, to be substituted with a time specific committment.

I have never taken it that way; it always reminds me of when I made a Cursillo; that was most certainly a period of great grace I received.
 
I am not in a choir, and I sure don’t lead one. However, I believe OCP has a guide they publish for matching songs to the texts of the Sunday readings thematically.

And for all the grief that OCP receives in this forum, many of their songs are based on the Psalms, the Old Testament and New Testament readings, which is more than I can say for Mother dear oh pray for me.

anyway, you can always listen to their criticism, and then tell them that you did not pick the songs to please the congregation; you picked them to praise and worship God, and now that they understand how you pick them and why, you are sure they will join you in praising God, won’t they?!

and If they are not smart enough to leave it alone at that point, you might say that since they are so critical, and seem to be so well versed, perhaps they would like to conduct the choir next week; practice will begin at __ p.m. next ______ and you assume they will be there with the music picked out and be ready to rehearse everyone, and since they have so much obvious expertise, you are glad thet they have chosen to come forward and volunteer to do this, since it is so obvious you do not know what you are doing; they have just pointed that fact out.
 
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A.Pelliccio:
I dont like Amazing grace because its a protestan song. And its lines about ‘the hour i frist believed’ in dealing with grace is a complete slap in the face to catholic practice of infant baptism. As if you do not recieve the graces of God until you are ‘born again’. Rubbish.
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Here is a pretty good link on John Newton and the Amazing Grace story

anointedlinks.com/amazing_grace.html

This is also an interesting tidbit:

From
joyfulheart.com/misc/newton.htm

It was a book he found on board–Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ–which sowed the seeds of his conversion.

Joe B
 
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otm:
I anyway, you can always listen to their criticism, and then tell them that you did not pick the songs to please the congregation; you picked them to praise and worship God, and now that they understand how you pick them and why, you are sure they will join you in praising God, won’t they?!

and If they are not smart enough to leave it alone at that point, you might say that since they are so critical, and seem to be so well versed, perhaps they would like to conduct the choir next week; practice will begin at __ p.m. next ______ and you assume they will be there with the music picked out and be ready to rehearse everyone, and since they have so much obvious expertise, you are glad thet they have chosen to come forward and volunteer to do this, since it is so obvious you do not know what you are doing; they have just pointed that fact out.
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LOL! You know, I’ve done that very thing. Odd, though, no one ever shows up to take over. We use both the npm and the OCP resources, however, our hymnal is a GIA publication.
 
LOL! You know, I’ve done that very thing. Odd, though, no one ever shows up to take over. We use both the npm and the OCP resources, however, our hymnal is a GIA publication.
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Just so I can get a full idea of the picture…
  1. You have beena music planner (or some comparable position) for some time now (at least a year or so)
  2. Your priest rather suddenly confronts you about the music
  3. The congregation rather suddenly confronts you about the music
  4. No one else is willing to provide “music to their liking”
Did something change in the past year? New priest? Newer congregants? Have you been choosing different music over the past year since the new Bishop came in? What was the disruption? Was there a disruption?

As you seem to be the sole providers of music at your parish, the congregants seem rather…I guess ungrateful is the word, though I hesitate since I don’t know the entire situation. From what I gather, otm is right on the money I have to say. No one obviously is willing to help out. Saginaw diocese is such a puzzlement. I’m very curious what it will look like in ten years. One other question, is it a large number of congergants complaining, or a rather vocal few? Just curious…
 
If you build it, they will come! :rotfl: Sorry, I just caught Field of Dreams the other night. Don’t worry about the people or the pastor. Just worry about God. Of course, that’s easier said than done if you have a paid position. Check out adoremus.org/Musictoc.html and ask you pastor to give you a month or two to see if people adapt. You may draw a different crowd once word gets out.
 
Have you possilbly changed the “style” of singing? I ask this question because we have a group who started rearranging songs to make them more performance oriented. By that I mean that they may have sounded pretty in the new arrangement, which was usually done with rounds, complicated descants and “echo” verses, but are virtually impossilble to sing along with. Everyone just watched the performance. It’s not a bad one either, just not what is supposed to be happening.

They also started adding some songs from the Christian radio stations. There again, pretty songs, just not liturgically appropriate. They were told not to add unapproved songs, that was easy to take care of without hurt feelings, but addressing the other issue is going to take some tact. Sadly for me, as a musician myself, the complaints are brought to me and I have no authority or desire to “police” them. It is not my place.

That may not be at all what is happening with your group. Just a thought. I do find Today’s Liturgy to be very helpful with song planning. I also have no problem with OCP as a whole. Some of the songs are not so great but heh. I always gauge how well we are leading by how loud the congregation is singing with us. If it gets quiet, I figure we’ve lost 'em somewhere.
 
As one of those folks responsible for music at a few parishes…

Let me suggest that ultimatums about things rarely work…

Sometimes people like a particular style of music (be it chant or contemporary) simply because they heard a song at a funeral or at a wedding that holds particular meaning to them. (I think of the song “I am the bread of life” when I say this…that song is high as heck, and nearly unsingable…but people sing it).

There are songs that are simply meant to be ‘slower’…but they dont need to be dirges…likewise…it’s artificial to take a song that is metered more slowly and ‘pep’ it up.

I would not go as far as to use adoremus as the only resource. A little chant goes a long way.

Sorry if I’m babbling…

I would suggest a mix of songs…perhaps a “Hymn” as an opening song…a chant gloria…simple refrain for communion repeated as a mantra…
 
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