The Divine Command to sing, proper antiphons, and you.

[Elizium23]

Actually there is some truth to this. And since the Vatican has issued Jubilate Deo at no charge, it is easy to see why the local publishers dislike the JD music.

The same has been said of free software. It was a revolutionary concept to write software that was unencumbered by restrictive license agreements, and for some, it was hard to see how a business model could be built if you were not charging for or controlling the distribution of the code. Yet the free software industry is flourishing and has found plenty of ways to generate revenue, through support, through certification, through bundling and other value-added services.

There is much chant and polyphony whose copyright has long expired and cannot be locked up by a publishing house charging substantial fees for licensing. There is plenty of the same music being produced today whose authors have chosen alternative licensing such as Creative Commons which permits greater degrees of freedom to the users of this music to copy, share, distribute and modify it.

I believe that big publishing houses and restrictive licensing are something of a dinosaur in today’s world of electronic distribution and Internet sharing. I think that permissive licensing will come into its own, and those who produce and provide content will learn to adapt or fail trying. Those who truly appreciate the Church’s legacy and patrimony of fine musical works will rediscover those which have been freely available for a long time, and parishes which don’t have to pay exorbitant music licensing fees will free up budgets to pay to hire musicians who are skilled in the correct areas, and even to support their continuing education as the musical landscape shifts.

 

[ProVobis]

Except for France and Germany, hymns were only admitted to low mass in the 1950s so there was not a reportoire of traditional Catholic hymnody for the mass to draw on. The hymns that Catholics sang were written for the Liturgy of the Hours and not for mass, which is why the Bishops admitted those by non-Catholics to be sung. I would be interested to know what Catholic-penned traditional English hymns you used to sing

Luckily my parish does sing traditional hymns - 75% are Methodist or Anglican in origin.

I think it was around 1964 where the Prayers of the Foot of the Altar and Last Gospel were replaced with hymns and many were somewhat foreign to Catholics. I know they were to me. Now it is a fact that no two people have the exact same taste in music so it is easy to see why there was a growing dislike for the Mass reforms, whereas the Anglicans and Methodist had already been used to those same hymns. At least that’s my theory. There were other changes coming down the road, but I remember that one as the most striking at that time.

Before that, sung perhaps at the end of Mass were one verse, sometimes two verses, which almost everyone had memorized in school of from parents, of Immaculate Mary, Come Holy Ghost, Holy God We Praise Thy Name, Salve Regina, and such. I don’t remember any hymnals per se, although now they tell me St. Basil’s Hymnal was used in some countries and dioceses.

 

[27lw]

Elizium wrote:
“The reason that this effort must start at the grass roots is that it needs to be supported by education and building awareness. Children must be taught by their parents to appreciate the musical patrimony of the Roman Rite, and the parents and young adults need to seek out education on Latin and chant and polyphony and organ playing.”​

Oh, if only we had a system of educating Catholic children. I don’t know, maybe an alternative school system or something. Maybe each parish could support a school?

Oh - - wait. We already have that. But for some reason children still aren’t educated about Catholic music and liturgy…sigh. Because they are limited mainly to dreck at Sunday Masses and school Masses, rather than Chant, polyphony - - the musical heritage of Holy Mother Church.
Sad!

 

[thistle]

That is above my pay grade, to borrow a phrase. I am not qualified to answer matters of conscience. Ask your confessor.

I ask you because you are the one implying such by stating it is a divine command.
The bottom line is that it is NOT a sin of grave matter or even a sin of any kind not to sing.
You are making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

[liturgyluver]

I ask you because you are the one implying such by stating it is a divine command.
The bottom line is that it is NOT a sin of grave matter or even a sin of any kind not to sing.
You are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Whilst it is not a sin not sing (and nobody here has made any such implication!) the alternative which you are proposing does not accord with church norms which asks for the assembly to join in song:

Musicum Sacram is quite clear about this:

*I. Some General Norms

1. Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song, with the ministers of each degree fulfilling their ministry and the people participating in it.[4]

Indeed, through this form, prayer is expressed in a more attractive way, the mystery of the liturgy, with its hierarchical and community nature, is more openly shown, the unity of hearts is more profoundly achieved by the union of voices, minds are more easily raised to heavenly things by the beauty of the sacred rites, and the whole celebration more clearly prefigures that heavenly liturgy which is enacted in the holy city of Jerusalem.

Pastors of souls will therefore do all they can to achieve this form of celebration.

1. In order that the faithful may actively participate more willingly and with greater benefit, it is fitting that the format of the celebration and the degree of participation in it should be varied as much as possible, according to the solemnity of the day and the nature of the congregation present.
2. Liturgical services are celebrations of the Church, that is, of the holy people, united under and directed by the bishop or priest.[10] The priest and his ministers, because of the sacred order they have received, hold a special place in these celebrations, as do also—by reason of the ministry they perform—the servers, readers, commentators and those in the choir.[11]
3. The faithful fulfil their liturgical role by making that full, conscious and active participation which is demanded by the nature of the liturgy itself and which is, by reason of baptism, the right and duty of the Christian people.[13]

This participation

Must be, on the other hand, external also, that is, such as to show the internal participation by gestures and bodily attitudes, by the acclamations, responses and singing.[15]

1. One cannot find anything more religious and more joyful in sacred celebrations than a whole congregation expressing its faith and devotion in song. Therefore the active participation of the whole people, which is shown in singing, is to be carefully promoted*.

The GIRM makes this even more explicit:

*II. The Functions of the People of God

1. In the celebration of Mass the faithful form a holy people, a people of God’s own possession and a royal Priesthood, so that they may give thanks to God and offer the unblemished sacrificial Victim not only by means of the hands of the Priest but also together with him and so that they may learn to offer their very selves.[82] They should, moreover, take care to show this by their deep religious sense and their charity toward brothers and sisters who participate with them in the same celebration.

They are consequently to avoid any appearance of singularity or division, keeping in mind that they have only one Father in heaven and that hence are all brothers or sisters one to the other.

1. Moreover, they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing, or above all by the common offering of the Sacrifice and by participating together at the Lord’s table. This unity is beautifully apparent from the gestures and bodily postures observed
   together by the faithful.
2. The faithful, moreover, should not refuse to serve the People of God in gladness whenever they are asked to perform some particular service or function in the celebration.*

The church norms are therefore clear that when music is included in a liturgical celebration then the faithful are expected to join in. There is no point going to a sung mass and looking as if you are chewing a wasp when you should be singing!

 

[thistle]

Whilst it is not a sin not sing (and nobody here has made any such implication!) the alternative which you are proposing does not accord with church norms which asks for the assembly to join in song:

Musicum Sacram is quite clear about this:

*I. Some General Norms

1. Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song, with the ministers of each degree fulfilling their ministry and the people participating in it.[4]

Indeed, through this form, prayer is expressed in a more attractive way, the mystery of the liturgy, with its hierarchical and community nature, is more openly shown, the unity of hearts is more profoundly achieved by the union of voices, minds are more easily raised to heavenly things by the beauty of the sacred rites, and the whole celebration more clearly prefigures that heavenly liturgy which is enacted in the holy city of Jerusalem.

Pastors of souls will therefore do all they can to achieve this form of celebration.

1. In order that the faithful may actively participate more willingly and with greater benefit, it is fitting that the format of the celebration and the degree of participation in it should be varied as much as possible, according to the solemnity of the day and the nature of the congregation present.
2. Liturgical services are celebrations of the Church, that is, of the holy people, united under and directed by the bishop or priest.[10] The priest and his ministers, because of the sacred order they have received, hold a special place in these celebrations, as do also—by reason of the ministry they perform—the servers, readers, commentators and those in the choir.[11]
3. The faithful fulfil their liturgical role by making that full, conscious and active participation which is demanded by the nature of the liturgy itself and which is, by reason of baptism, the right and duty of the Christian people.[13]

This participation

Must be, on the other hand, external also, that is, such as to show the internal participation by gestures and bodily attitudes, by the acclamations, responses and singing.[15]*

1. One cannot find anything more religious and more joyful in sacred celebrations than a whole congregation expressing its faith and devotion in song. Therefore the active participation of the whole people, which is shown in singing, is to be carefully promoted.

The GIRM makes this even more explicit:

*II. The Functions of the People of God

1. In the celebration of Mass the faithful form a holy people, a people of God’s own possession and a royal Priesthood, so that they may give thanks to God and offer the unblemished sacrificial Victim not only by means of the hands of the Priest but also together with him and so that they may learn to offer their very selves.[82] They should, moreover, take care to show this by their deep religious sense and their charity toward brothers and sisters who participate with them in the same celebration.

They are consequently to avoid any appearance of singularity or division, keeping in mind that they have only one Father in heaven and that hence are all brothers or sisters one to the other.

1. Moreover, they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing, or above all by the common offering of the Sacrifice and by participating together at the Lord’s table. This unity is beautifully apparent from the gestures and bodily postures observed
   together by the faithful.
2. The faithful, moreover, should not refuse to serve the People of God in gladness whenever they are asked to perform some particular service or function in the celebration.*

The church norms are therefore clear that when music is included in a liturgical celebration then the faithful are expected to join in. There is no point going to a sung mass and looking as if you are chewing a wasp when you should be singing!

You obviously did not read the OP or even the thread title which starts The Divine Command to sing… The subsequent thrust of the OP was to imply we are obligated to sing and if we don’t fulfill that obligation then we have sinned.
It is NOT a sin not to sing.

Having said that, and I have not said otherwise in any post, I don’t see any reason not to sing along. In our parish Church, however, we do not have hymns throughout the Mass. There is an opening hymn sung by the choir during the entrance procession. They are the only ones who know the words - we have no books or sheets with the words. Then there is a hymn sung by the choir during Communion. Again only they know the words. For us, then, we do not have the choice to sing or not. There is nothing for us to sing.

You mention the alternative proposal made by me. I read my posts and can’t see any proposal coming from me.
Saying the OP is making a mountain out of a molehill is not a proposal so I would be interested to know what proposal you think I made.

 

[liturgyluver]

You obviously did not read the OP or even the thread title which starts The Divine Command to sing… The subsequent thrust of the OP was to imply we are obligated to sing and if we don’t fulfill that obligation then we have sinned.
It is NOT a sin not to sing.

Having said that, and I have not said otherwise in any post, I don’t see any reason not to sing along. In our parish Church, however, we do not have hymns throughout the Mass. There is an opening hymn sung by the choir during the entrance procession. They are the only ones who know the words - we have no books or sheets with the words. Then there is a hymn sung by the choir during Communion. Again only they know the words. For us, then, we do not have the choice to sing or not. There is nothing for us to sing.

You mention the alternative proposal made by me. I read my posts and can’t see any proposal coming from me.
Saying the OP is making a mountain out of a molehill is not a proposal so I would be interested to know what proposal you think I made.

Of course if there is nothing for you to sing at a fully choral mass then you are not expected to sing, but this is highly unusual in the Catholic church today. If your choir are chanting the propers to a difficult setting then fine, but if they are just singing hymns (as you said above) that could be sung congregationally then your church is not complying with church directives in enabling the full participation of the people. .

When the Ordinary of the mass is set to congregational settings and hymns are used (as permitted by the GIRM) at entrance offertory and post communion then the assembly is expected to participate. You implied in your posts that when hymns or music are scheduled in the mass to be sung congregationally that people have a right to opt out - and it is that suggestion that is against church norms.

 

[liturgyluver]

I think it was around 1964 where the Prayers of the Foot of the Altar and Last Gospel were replaced with hymns and many were somewhat foreign to Catholics. I know they were to me. Now it is a fact that no two people have the exact same taste in music so it is easy to see why there was a growing dislike for the Mass reforms, whereas the Anglicans and Methodist had already been used to those same hymns. At least that’s my theory. There were other changes coming down the road, but I remember that one as the most striking at that time.

Before that, sung perhaps at the end of Mass were one verse, sometimes two verses, which almost everyone had memorized in school of from parents, of Immaculate Mary, Come Holy Ghost, Holy God We Praise Thy Name, Salve Regina, and such. I don’t remember any hymnals per se, although now they tell me St. Basil’s Hymnal was used in some countries and dioceses.

I think your theory is right my friend. Yes, the St Basil Hymnal dates from 1914 but I imagine was used mostly for Vespers and Devotions.

 

[thistle]

Of course if there is nothing for you to sing at a fully choral mass then you are not expected to sing, but this is highly unusual in the Catholic church today. If your choir are chanting the propers to a difficult setting then fine, but if they are just singing hymns (as you said above) that could be sung congregationally then your church is not complying with church directives in enabling the full participation of the people. .

When the Ordinary of the mass is set to congregational settings and hymns are used (as permitted by the GIRM) at entrance offertory and post communion then the assembly is expected to participate. You implied in your posts that when hymns or music are scheduled in the mass to be sung congregationally that people have a right to opt out - and it is that suggestion that is against church norms.

I absolutely did NOT imply any such thing. Where did I state that?
I said that it is not a sin of any kind not to sing. In other words if a person refuses to sing they have not committed a sin as they are not under any obligation to sing.
If you read my previous post I said I saw no reason why anyone should not sing.

As for highly unusual it is normal here in the Philippines which has more Catholics than the US.

I repeat. Singing (which I would encourage) is NOT AN OBLIGATION and if anyone does not sing they are not committing a sin.

 

[Enim]

Liturgy Lover IN # 10 mentions the the "degree of sung participation. These are actually enumerated in #29 • I do not present this to be legalistic but to illustrate that here in the USA we have started at the third degree (the level of fullest most solemn participation) and worked backwards toward the minimum. Sort of like licking the frosting off the cupcake first before eating the cake… We sing hymns regularly (3rd degree) and on big solemn Masses the celebrant will add the sung orations and dialogues, (the prerequisite 1sr degree) This current dynamic should actually be reversed. And notice the Creed takes precedence over hymns and propers. Does your church sing the Creed?

Here are the degrees of participation outlined in MS.
29. The following belong to the first degree:MS . girm
o In the entrance rites: the greeting of the priest together with the reply of the people; the prayer.
o In the Liturgy of the Word: the acclamations at the Gospel.
o In the Eucharistic Liturgy: the prayer over the offerings; the preface with its dialogue and the Sanctus; the final doxology of the Canon, the Lord’s Prayer with its introduction and embolism; the Pax Domini; the prayer after the Communion; the formulas of dismissal.
• 30. The following belong to the second degree:
o the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei;
o the Creed;
o the prayer of the faithful.
• 31. The following belong to the third degree:

o the songs at the Entrance and Communion processions;
o the songs after the Lesson or Epistle;
o the Alleluia before the Gospel;
o the song at the Offertory;
o the readings of Sacred Scripture, unless it seems more suitable to proclaim them without singing.
Many of the responses invoked by the celbrant take precedence over hymns, even the Gospel Alleluia.

Later in the document MS the first degree mentioned above this was restated ; as the minimum required participation :• {The Minium} The acclamations and the responses of the faithful to the priest’s greetings and prayers constitute that level of active participation that the gathered faithful are to contribute in every form of the Mass, so that the action of the entire community may be clearly expressed and fostered.35 GIRM referencing 47] Cf. Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction Musicam sacram, On music in the Liturgy, 5 March 1967, no. 16a: AAS 59 (1967), p. 305.

*** Full and active participation does not mean everybody sings everything.*********
Most of the other reference to full and active participation regarding music will usually state that the congregation should sing their “part.” From SC.MS and the GIRM we see differing roles in song for celebrant , psalmist, choir, and congregation. Full and active participation does not mean everybody sings everything.

These “degrees of participation” provide a course for developing musical skills among all present and it would teach how different pieces of music minister to us in different ways.Imagine that, the church provides a curriculum, the text and the melodies for our music programs!.

 

[liturgyluver]

I absolutely did NOT imply any such thing. Where did I state that?
I said that it is not a sin of any kind not to sing. In other words if a person refuses to sing they have not committed a sin as they are not under any obligation to sing.
If you read my previous post I said I saw no reason why anyone should not sing.

As for highly unusual it is normal here in the Philippines which has more Catholics than the US.

I repeat. Singing (which I would encourage) is NOT AN OBLIGATION and if anyone does not sing they are not committing a sin.

I am afraid your semantics are very tiresome - nobody said or suggested that it was a sin to sing. Saying that it is not an obligation to sing is like saying there is no obligation to participate in the mass. Interesting, but so what? The church norms make clear that outward - as well as inward - participation is expected from the congregation, and that includes joining in with the singing. The bottom line is that the church expects those who attend a sung mass to sing and to say the appropraite responses.

 

[pnewton]

I am afraid your semantics are very tiresome - nobody said or suggested that it was a sin to sing. Saying that it is not an obligation to sing is like saying there is no obligation to participate in the mass.

I can see where thistle is getting this. Failure to fulfill and obligation from God, is sin. That’s what the word means. If there is a semantic problem, it may be that words like “obligation” and “divinie command” are used carelessly, if one does not mean that singing in Mass is something that God commands us do, or that we are obligated to do.

I am of the opinion, that if I refuse to sing, or repeat a response, for no reason and with deliberation, it is a sin.

 

[liturgyluver]

Liturgy Lover IN # 10 mentions the the "degree of sung participation. These are actually enumerated in #29 • I do not present this to be legalistic but to illustrate that here in the USA we have started at the third degree (the level of fullest most solemn participation) and worked backwards toward the minimum. Sort of like licking the frosting off the cupcake first before eating the cake… We sing hymns regularly (3rd degree) and on big solemn Masses the celebrant will add the sung orations and dialogues, (the prerequisite 1sr degree) This current dynamic should actually be reversed. And notice the Creed takes precedence over hymns and propers. Does your church sing the Creed?

Here are the degrees of participation outlined in MS.
29. The following belong to the first degree:MS . girm
o In the entrance rites: the greeting of the priest together with the reply of the people; the prayer.
o In the Liturgy of the Word: the acclamations at the Gospel.
o In the Eucharistic Liturgy: the prayer over the offerings; the preface with its dialogue and the Sanctus; the final doxology of the Canon, the Lord’s Prayer with its introduction and embolism; the Pax Domini; the prayer after the Communion; the formulas of dismissal.
• 30. The following belong to the second degree:
o the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei;
o the Creed;
o the prayer of the faithful.
• 31. The following belong to the third degree:

o the songs at the Entrance and Communion processions;
o the songs after the Lesson or Epistle;
o the Alleluia before the Gospel;
o the song at the Offertory;
o the readings of Sacred Scripture, unless it seems more suitable to proclaim them without singing.
Many of the responses invoked by the celbrant take precedence over hymns, even the Gospel Alleluia.

Later in the document MS the first degree mentioned above this was restated ; as the minimum required participation :• {The Minium} The acclamations and the responses of the faithful to the priest’s greetings and prayers constitute that level of active participation that the gathered faithful are to contribute in every form of the Mass, so that the action of the entire community may be clearly expressed and fostered.35 GIRM referencing 47] Cf. Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction Musicam sacram, On music in the Liturgy, 5 March 1967, no. 16a: AAS 59 (1967), p. 305.

Full and active participation does not mean everybody sings everything.

Most of the other reference to full and active participation regarding music will usually state that the congregation should sing their “part.” From SC.MS and the GIRM we see differing roles in song for celebrant , psalmist, choir, and congregation. Full and active participation does not mean everybody sings everything.

I do think the way that some parishes fail to embrace singing the parts assigned to the first degree (and sometime those of the second) leads to problems when the feeling arises that mass is being paused so that music is inserted into it rather than singing the liturgy itself. The idea in Musicum Sacram is that when the priest and people either unite their voces or do so in response, they unite themselves together with him - and with Christ - as he offers the holy sacrifice.

However, part of this confusion in the US has arisen because of modifications made by the US Bishops through *Music in Catholic Worship 1972, Liturgical Music Today 1982, and Sing to the Lord * all of which established new - and contradictory - hierarchy for the categories.

Of course full and active participation does not mean that everyone sings everything. But it does demand that the assembly sing those parts assigned to them.

 

[liturgyluver]

I can see where thistle is getting this. Failure to fulfill and obligation from God, is sin. That’s what the word means. If there is a semantic problem, it may be that words like “obligation” and “divinie command” are used carelessly, if one does not mean that singing in Mass is something that God commands us do, or that we are obligated to do.

I am of the opinion, that if I refuse to sing, or repeat a response, for no reason and with deliberation, it is a sin.

I would agree with everything you say.

 

[Elizium23]

Let’s put it this way. We are commanded and obliged to pray, to give praise and worship to the LORD, are we not? This exhortation is repeated time and again throughout Sacred Scripture and Tradition. If anyone disagrees that it is a sin to fail to pray or praise God then that is a whole other thread we can start.

Sometimes the Church decides that prayer, praise or worship should take the form of song. This is very clear in Sacred Scripture where we are given a whole corpus of 150 songs right in the Old Testament. These Psalms were always meant to be sung prayers. I fail to see how ancient participation in the liturgical worship of the Jews could be achieved without making some effort to sing along. Many other passages of Scripture are formatted not as prose, but as poetry, and in fact are called “canticles” and have been often set to music. In the Divine Office alone we have three Canticles from the Gospels. The Mass incorporates sung parts; even if you ignore the “hymn sandwich” offered by most choirs, the Gloria is not optional, and the Alleluia must always be sung, or it is omitted entirely.

Sometimes prayer is inseparable from song. It is extremely effective to set prayer to music because it fully engages the senses, it heightens the emotional effect of the words, it is conducive to memorization and corporate performance, and has many other advantages. Over and over the Psalms and the rest of Scripture exhort us to praise God and worship Him, with our whole being, with all our strength and mind and heart. It is not merely Church custom or liturgical norms which oblige us to sing, it is God’s command and our role as His children to give Him all our best.

 

[ProVobis]

I am of the opinion, that if I refuse to sing, or repeat a response, for no reason and with deliberation, it is a sin.

In the Spanish Mass communities, you’re not “with it” unless you at least clap to the beat. Just saying.

 

[thistle]

I am afraid your semantics are very tiresome - nobody said or suggested that it was a sin to sing. ** Saying that it is not an obligation to sing is like saying there is no obligation to participate in the mass.** Interesting, but so what? The church norms make clear that outward - as well as inward - participation is expected from the congregation, and that includes joining in with the singing. The bottom line is that the church expects those who attend a sung mass to sing and to say the appropraite responses.

You are wrong.
It is a sin of grave matter not to participate (which means attend) in Mass.
It is NOT a sin of grave matter not to sing at Mass.
Big difference.

 

[Elizium23]

It is a sin of grave matter not to participate (which means attend) in Mass.
It is NOT a sin of grave matter not to sing at Mass.

Why is it not? Is it merely venial sin, or no sin at all? Explain your answers with Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition.

 

[thistle]

Why is it not? Is it merely venial sin, or no sin at all? Explain your answers with Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition.

Are you asking why it is not a sin of grave matter not to sing? It is not a sin of grave matter because there is no obligation to bind us.
Whether its a venial sin or not is not relevant to the debate as a venial sin does not separate us from God.
The OP, by invoking “Divine Command”, is implying that Catholics are bound. If we are bound then by not singing we would be committing a sin of grave matter which is of course nonsense as there is no obligation to bind us.
I think if anyone went to a priest and asked if they commit a sin of grave matter by not singing it would give the priest a good laugh!

 

[Cat]

Maybe there aren’t a lot of churches that would have the capability or $$ to so this. Even if they just used the propers (with piano, I suppose or voice alone), that would be do-able.
And I bet there are some churches that are capable of finding a student organist at a university, or some kind of organist. (It’s not like Catholic Churches are known for paying their musicians all that much - - they could probably squeak together a little more for a stipend for a college student organist).

Also, have I trained to be an organist? No, I have thought about it though, but I am not employed as a Church musician. I am in a field where I am supposed to educate myself to keep my job though(as are a lot of us, I think).

It’s really not impossible!

I work full time at a hospital in a lab (microbiology). I have a B.S. in the field of medical technology.

I also am involved in numerous community organizations, and I play (for $$ and personal pleasure) for several choirs and groups in the city.

Taking organ lessons is time-consuming and expensive. I pay my teacher $250.00/month for four lessons. He is a great teacher with lots of experience and credentials,

For the first two years, I scheduled practice times in two churches in the area, but this was very stressful, and usually, I was only able to practice 3 days a week. (The weekends are off limits at churches, since there are activities and services or Masses.)

The Catholic parish has Mass at 5:30, so by the time I got off work and got to the parish, I only had about a half-hour to practice. The Lutheran church was more accommodating but a school made use of the sanctuary (note difference between term “sanctuary” for Catholics and Protestants), and during those times, I was unable to practice.

So finally I decided to buy a used organ. I saved my money and had about $1500 saved. My teacher helped me look, and we found a couple of organs, and ended up purchasing a used 25-year old Rodgers’ organ from a company in a Chicago suburb. The total cost with moving expenses was $4000.00. I was planning on taking out a loan for the balance of the organ, but thankfully my brother stepped in and paid for the entire thing (I didn’t even have to chip in my $1500.)

Since purchasing the organ and installing it in my home (I live in an old ranch home, so the organ and piano pretty much dominate the living room), I have been able to practice almost every day for at least an hour, and I have greatly improved. My husband is going insane, but that’s the way it goes. (I hate wearing headphones of any kind.)

However, I am still unable to play for congregational singing or for a choir, cantor, or soloist. I just simply don’t have the chops for it yet. I’m too clumsy, and I’m very awkward using the registrations quickly. I hope that by next year at this time, I am at least comfortable playing the hymns for the congregation on the organ.

Please keep in mind that I am an excellent pianist with 50 years of experience playing for all kinds of music, including difficult classical music. I have played for churches since I was 10 years old.

And I still am not capable of playing the organ for a Mass.

This is not an easy fix at all. And it isn’t cheap. $250.00/month translates into over 3000.00 a year just for lessons. Organ music books cost a lot of money, too–I paid $120.00 dollars a month ago for a volume of Franck pieces (which are beyond me–I am dreadful with French music!).

My personal opinion is that it has to start with children, not adults. Parents have to get their children into piano lessons with a teacher who can and will transition them into organ lessons. This costs money, much more money than many large Catholic families have.

I think that Catholic schools should hire piano/organ teachers and schedule lessons and practice times during the school day. I understand that this used to be done, but just like many public schools have cut or eliminated the arts budgets, so have Catholic schools.

So in the meantime, unless some action plans are implemented, my advice for the Catholic faithful is to prepare for music-less Masses. Even guitarists are becoming rarer.

So sad.