Tipping the Church Choir

[Marcus_T]

I belong to a very small parish and our choir has only three members, a man, a woman and a teenage girl. It seems that particularly during this time of year people do a lot of tipping, barber, mailman, clergy, etc. but I have never heard of tipping the church choir. Our three-person choir faithfully performs every Saturday at the 5 p.m. Mass and I wanted to show my appreciation but wasn’t sure if a monetary tip is appropriate. Has anyone every done this? Your thoughts, please.

Thank you and have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Mark

 

[Cat]

I belong to a very small parish and our choir has only three members, a man, a woman and a teenage girl. It seems that particularly during this time of year people do a lot of tipping, barber, mailman, clergy, etc. but I have never heard of tipping the church choir. Our three-person choir faithfully performs every Saturday at the 5 p.m. Mass and I wanted to show my appreciation but wasn’t sure if a monetary tip is appropriate. Has anyone every done this? Your thoughts, please.

Thank you and have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Mark

I play piano for Masses.

It’s very kind of you to want to say “thank you” to your choir with a gift! They will appreciate it very much!

Each member should receive their own gift, and it should be the same for each member. Don’t give a single gift of cash and tell them to use it as they see fit. That’s kind of lounge-like. The choir is not on-staff with the church, but they are volunteers, and so their “organization” is not really an organization, it’s just three people who volunteer for the choir.

I personally think gift cards are more appropriate than cash. Get them for a department store (e.g., Target) or mall so that all three members of the choir will be able to use them. But others may disagree with me, and after all, it’s your choice of gift, since you’re the giver. (Some people hate gift cards.)

Even more than the gift, your choir will appreciate a written expression of your thanks. So put the gift card (or cash if you decide to do that) in a pretty card and write a nice note.

Bless you for remembering your Mass musicians!

 

[ServusHumilis]

I’ve heard that some churches pay their musicians though most I’m sure can’t afford to. In times past, a church musician was full time position (think how all those organ pieces and Mass settings got written!), and often a clerical one. I’ve never sang for any sort of compensation (in fact I’d do it daily just for the experience if I could) and while I agree that a small tip would be a very nice gesture, I certainly don’t expect to receive anything of the sort. If you do it, a seperate identical gift for each is indeed the way to go. I prefer to give cash myself. Perhaps consider taking up a secret collection with fellow parishioners for the gifts?

 

[Marcus_T]

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. In fact, what you suggested is exactly what I was thinking, I want to give each choir member $50 cash with a nice Christmas card expressing my thanks and appreciation for singing in the choir every week. Because our parish is very small, I know they don’t get paid by the church, it is strictly on a volunteer basis.

Mark

 

[pianistclare]

Wow, you are generous!
I would think a nice gift would be to to have a Mass said for each one of them.
God bless you for caring!

 

[robwar]

maybe get a gift card to some nice restaurant where they all could go out for dinner or lunch.
That is a very nice idea on your part.

 

[truetofaith]

maybe get a gift card to some nice restaurant where they all could go out for dinner or lunch.
That is a very nice idea on your part.

The organist is usually the choir director & usually is salaried. The others, volunteer.
It is a nice gesture to give a C-mas gift, but very unusual.

I hate gift cards because it restricts someone to a store or restaurant they do not like or is out of the way.

 

[robwar]

The organist is usually the choir director & usually is salaried. The others, volunteer.
It is a nice gesture to give a C-mas gift, but very unusual.

I hate gift cards because it restricts someone to a store or restaurant they do not like or is out of the way.

the suggestion was to Op and another poster did recommend gift cards.

 

[truetofaith]

the suggestion was to Op and another poster did recommend gift cards.

I know…but I was explaining why I hate them, since “Cat” said (some people hate gift cards)

 

[whatsmyname]

My thought is that the choir isn’t performing for you, they’re worshiping the Lord, so you wouldn’t tip them like someone who is providing a service for you.

However, I think it would be kind and generous to give them a Christmas gift such as a gift card as others have said.

 

[corsair]

The choir has expenses, i.e. printing, new hymnals, etc. Perhaps a donation to the choir through the priest to help support the choir. Just a suggestion.

 

[ChemicalBean]

I’ve never heard of this, but it would probably be an appreciated gesture to the musicians, especially if accompanied with a heartfelt note of thanks. Regardless, it is probably going to feel slightly awkward to receive it, since they are not contracted to perform for you.

With respect to accepting money: I have played in good friends’ weddings, and it is always awkward to discuss money, because I am usually invited to a rehearsal dinner as well as the reception, and often I want to leave them with a small gift and card, yet I do consider my service part of that gift. Often I would receive a note of thanks at the rehearsal dinner with money, and sometimes that would be in the form of a gift card.

Honestly, I always appreciated cash, and/or check, because the giver has placed no strings on how to spend (or save) the value, and I don’t have to spend money to use the full value. Even “VISA debit gift cards” or the like cost money for the giver to activate, and often they cannot be used for certain online purchases, so they cannot be used “anywhere”. In the case of any gift card, you usually have to spend more than the face value of the card to use it up, so often you are forced to spend money to save some.

If someone wanted to offer me $20, and they know I like books and doing music, I would appreciate the gift just as much if it were a crisp $20 bill accompanied with a note about how they know I like to read books and play music, and they hope I can use this toward my goals. (Rather than “Here’s a card for Barnes and Noble or Sam Ash”.) They may not be aware that I like to buy unique used books as I find them, or I often need to order or get service from specialty independent music shops. They may really not be aware that I just need that gift to put that toward a new mattress!

 

[Cat]

The organist is usually the choir director & usually is salaried. The others, volunteer.
It is a nice gesture to give a C-mas gift, but very unusual.

I hate gift cards because it restricts someone to a store or restaurant they do not like or is out of the way.

Don’t make the assumptino that the organist is the choir director/salaried.

I play at my parish, and I’m not on staff, neither do I accept a salary.

Musicians get so much flak and criticism. Honestly, if someone from my parish gave me a nice financial gift, I would start crying right there, I would be so thrilled and touched.

 

[robwar]

I know…but I was explaining why I hate them, since “Cat” said (some people hate gift cards)

I think it shouldn’t matter what one poster thinks, I like gift cards and have given them and even if it was something simple like to a coffee type shop or food place, I am pretty sure most anyone could find something there they like.

 

[truetofaith]

Don’t make the assumptino that the organist is the choir director/salaried.

I play at my parish, and I’m not on staff, neither do I accept a salary.

Musicians get so much flak and criticism. Honestly, if someone from my parish gave me a nice financial gift, I would start crying right there, I would be so thrilled and touched.

Every parish I’ve been in paid the organist. They also usually get $100 to play a wedding.I play guitar at the Charismatic Prayer Group & since I led it, the priest paid me. Then they ran out of money & I volunteered my services.

 

[pianistclare]

Every parish I’ve been in paid the organist. They also usually get $100 to play a wedding.I play guitar at the Charismatic Prayer Group & since I led it, the priest paid me. Then they ran out of money & I volunteered my services.

Wow. The lady that plays for our choir gets $150 every time she sits down. 2 Masses and a rehearsal weekly, she gets paid more than the church secretary.
The first church I ever playing in, in this state to this day, doesn’t pay anyone.
I myself charge $250 per wedding.
I know some people think it sounds like a lot, but it makes up for all the times people assumed that I was paid by the church when I wasn’t and got nothing. Plus, you always have to learn a new piece for some bride that wants something “different”.
Last month I drove 75 miles one way to play a wedding in a church where I was not familiar with their organ.
They thought it was a deal, compared to what their regular church organist wanted.
I think giving a small gift to the choir if it’s that small is a nice gesture. Sometimes all it takes to make people smile are some homemade chocolate chip cookies though.

 

[ServusHumilis]

I think it shouldn’t matter what one poster thinks, I like gift cards and have given them and even if it was something simple like to a coffee type shop or food place, I am pretty sure most anyone could find something there they like.

I hate them too. I used to sell them on eBay for less money than they were worth when I could have just been given the cash.

 

[pianistclare]

I hate them too. I used to sell them for less money than they were worth when I could have just been given cash.

I guess I’m a cheerful “receiver”. Anything I get, I’m pretty grateful for.

Any of y’all that want to send me a gift card, I PROMISE I’ll love you!


just kiddin’

 

[ServusHumilis]

I guess I’m a cheerful “receiver”. Anything I get, I’m pretty grateful for.

Any of y’all that want to send me a gift card, I PROMISE I’ll love you!


just kiddin’

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy and grateful to receive anything at all, but if I had my choice I’d never receive another “gift card” again.

 

[truetofaith]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy and grateful to receive anything at all, but if I had my choice I’d never receive another “gift card” again.

Me too…It’s not that I don’t appreciate a gift…I tell my daughter not to give my wife & I any more gift cards because we can’t find items to buy in the store involved.