Voice-only Mass or service

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How frequently have anybody encountered a Catholic Mass where the songs were voice only? I went to a Mass like this 2 weeks ago and I had forgotten how serene and pleasant it was.

I know there is of course the famous Gregorian chants, which typically wouldn’t have been accompanied by instrumentals (right?) Is there any other common instances where the human voice alone would be used?
 
lots of times it’s only Father singing.
We would do more of it, but people are scared to sing alone, or so ingrained that if there isn’t accompaniment, they simply CAN’T sing.
Which is hogwash. It is nice. I like it too.
Getting people to sing is like getting people to teach Sunday school. They run the other way. Fast.
 
Frequently when attending a Low Mass rather than a High Mass.
 
Daily mass. The only thing sung at our parish then is the Agnus Dei.

I would love to see our parish offer a Sunday mass each week with simple sung propers, antiphones, etc. instead of hymns with instrumental accompaniment, but I doubt it would ever happen. None of our priests or deacons really sing. I know the congregation can since we had sung propers with one of the transitional deacons a few years back and didn’t seem to cause issues.
 
TK421 said:
How frequently have anybody encountered a Catholic Mass where the songs were voice only? I went to a Mass like this 2 weeks ago and I had forgotten how serene and pleasant it was.

I know there is of course the famous Gregorian chants, which typically wouldn’t have been accompanied by instrumentals (right?) Is there any other common instances where the human voice alone would be used?
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What you seem to be asking here is a move toward more contemplative prayer. Not quite there yet though.
 
Oddly enough, this past weekend, that’s exactly what we had, as our organ was broken. But we still has a choir and one member of the choir lead us in singing.
Usige said:
I would love to see our parish offer a Sunday mass each week with simple sung propers, antiphones, etc. instead of hymns with instrumental accompaniment, but I doubt it would ever happen. None of our priests or deacons really sing. I know the congregation can since we had sung propers with one of the transitional deacons a few years back and didn’t seem to cause issues.
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In fact, we have one Sunday Mass per week like that with antiphons and no hymns.

It’s not the one I typically attend but I feel that I get more out of it than a Mass with hymns.
 
pianistclare said:
Getting people to sing is like getting people to teach Sunday school. They run the other way. Fast.
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That’s funny! I too love it when there’s no music being played during the Mass. Doesn’t happen often but is a nice change.
 
It’s very reverent and shows Our Lord proper respect during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
 
TK421 said:
How frequently have anybody encountered a Catholic Mass where the songs were voice only? I went to a Mass like this 2 weeks ago and I had forgotten how serene and pleasant it was.
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I sometimes go to daily Mass at a Latin-rite parish. The closing hymn is sung without accompaniment. They choose songs that everybody knows or can learn and sing easily. They tend to alternate between “How Great Thou Art” and “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”, changing it up for Marian feasts to “Immaculate Mary”. Christmas season gets a nice selection of classic Christmas carols.
I know there is of course the famous Gregorian chants, which typically wouldn’t have been accompanied by instrumentals (right?) Is there any other common instances where the human voice alone would be used?
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In the Byzantine rite, we don’t use musical instruments and we sing the whole liturgy, so every service is as you describe - and most everybody does sing. Some traditions use a choir, but the Ruthenian church has a strong tradition of congregational singing, led by a cantor. We use a simple, but beautiful plainchant, which most people can sing once they have had a chance to learn it.
 
Usige said:
Daily mass.
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Same here. We have one a cappella Mass every day during the week, those offered by our pastor, during which we sing just about everything except the Agnus Dei.

Our parochial vicar (four Masses weekly) has a cantor sing.

Our two other priests (nine Masses weekly between them) never sing anything.

Occasionally during the summer when the organists are all away on vacation (no exaggeration—the city’s population dwindles to about half in July and August), we’ll have an a cappella Sunday Mass. I like it. 👍 Our pastor, less so. :console:

When I attend a low Mass at the ICRSS oratory, we often sing Salve Regina a cappella before Father processes out of the sanctuary.
 
The abbey where I attend Mass always sings a cappella. The organ is used for a pre- and postlude, and played alone at the offertory after the offertory antiphon. In Latin Gregorian chant.

I’m presently staying at an abbey in Rome where Gregorian chant is done accompanied by the organ except for mid-day prayer. I much prefer it a cappella, the organ drowns the chant.
 
Yes, the Missa Cantata I attended on All Souls Day was a cappella. The men’s schola sings beautifully. They wear cassock and surplice. I especially looked forward to hearing the Dies irae, and I was not disappointed.

In fact, I don’t believe that the church has an organ. Isn’t it wonderful that they don’t fake it by bringing in a cheesy electronic keyboard?
 
Tonight actually. I occasionally attend a Tuesday night Rosary followed by Mass at a parish that seems to mainly offer this for kids following a religious ed class. Tonight there were a couple of hymns sung without accompaniment. It wasn’t Gregorian chant, but it was quite nice to have some hymns mid-week.
 
The 8am Daily Mass at my parents parish was completely spoken last I checked. No singing at all during the service. Granted last time I went to one of the services was before the more recent changes to the OF. Not sure if they’re still all spoken but I attend spoken only mass at my current church as well.

I’ve always preferred a spoken mass myself Catholic or Episcopalian. I find myself better able to focus on the words that are being spoken and the meaning behind them. With singing I tend to get distracted from the mass itself. I mean some sung masses are undoubtedly beautiful such as the Gregorian chants or some of the Byzantine services I’ve heard and I enjoy them… but they’re also a far rarer form than what is used today in the typical Catholic OF or most Protestant services I’ve come across.
 
Elizium23 said:
Yes, the Missa Cantata I attended on All Souls Day was a cappella. The men’s schola sings beautifully. They wear cassock and surplice. I especially looked forward to hearing the Dies irae, and I was not disappointed.

In fact, I don’t believe that the church has an organ. Isn’t it wonderful that they don’t fake it by bringing in a cheesy electronic keyboard?
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No. Although I don’t personally mind at all because I very much enjoy the human voice, moreso than with an organ present.
 
babochka said:
In the Byzantine rite, we don’t use musical instruments and we sing the whole liturgy, so every service is as you describe - and most everybody Congregational singing, led by a cantor. We use a simple, but beautiful plainchant, which most people can sing once they have had a chance to learn it.
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I’m fresh out of available Byzantine-rite parishes in rural northern New Mexico, but my stay isn’t permanent, and at a future time perhaps I should explore one.

I don’t “dislike” any music, but I suppose I do prefer simplicity in the setting of the Holy Mass. Catholic parishes, in my limited experience, have such peculiar & unnecessary difficulty with music. They seem somewhat of a chimera; twisted between wanting to provide grand music like a cathedral, and yet having a few novice choir singers and a congregation of average Joe layman, and the result is an unhappy halfway point that achieves relatively little effect. Yet you can adopt simple chants & songs, and spin music as if out of golden thread, for the cost of nothing.
 
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