Want to write parish priest about poor music at Mass but don't know how to go about it - Any suggestions?

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I am a more traditional Catholic! I am not schismatic but like authentically Catholic forms of worship, praxis, and doctrine. I have come to a point where I believe that I must comfront (charitably) my pastor about the confusing selection of liturgical music the past few weeks. I am very frustrated and confused! One week they are solid, thoroughly CATHOLIC in liturgy, music, and manner, then the next, it is like a rockfest! Our priest does not seem to be liturgical wack-job, but actually tells the people how it is and the truths of the Faith. But can he be a true “conservative” or “traditional” priest if he allows non-Catholic, and in the words of St. Pius X, profane music to be performed at the Sacred Liturgy? We just had Easter Mass set to William Byrd’s Mass for 5-voices and Christmas Mass set to Palestrina’s Misse Brevis. But for Pentacost the processional hymn was a jazzy version of “Come andFill this Temple” and the recessional hymn was “Go Out in the World” - drum, electric guitars, etc. I am going to write a letter to my pastor and the music minister, but need recommendations. I do not want to come across angry and visceral. He is a priest of God and deserves a degree of respect and love. But I have had enough! My parish is St. Thomas the Apostle in Phoenix, AZ!
 
This sounds familiar. I’m in our parish choir and have been on the fence about it for a long time. For Pentecost, a Gregorian chant was shelved and at the pastor’s request, we sang “Go Make a Difference” as the recessional. Many songs like that have us doing a parody of gospel singers, who are great for what they are, singing in their own context. But when we do it, it’s not Catholic and we are mimicking, in my opinion.
Anyway, that’s my problem with our music, which I tend to tolerate less and less.
If you’re going to write a complaint, you could use some disclaimers like…“I’m sorry to complain…I know our pastor and priests have their plate full…”
Be gentle, respectful of the musicians, then voice your beliefs. “I strongly believe that…”
Maybe nothing will happen, but at least you will have cleared the air.
If there are other masses to choose from without electric guitars, that would be nice. We have a “rock” group once a month at a mass I never go to. There are very early masses and daily mass with no music at all.
I hope you have a choice. A lot of the music keeps young people interested, even though there are many young people who like more formal music. Good luck and God bless you.
 
What’s the worst thing that could happen?

They could make you the new person in charge of music!
 
“Dear Father, I would like to volunteer my services as music director.”

There will never be a music director who can make everyone happy. The fact that a song is modern does not make it non catholic or profane. While it is true that not every song is appropriate for liturgy, we do not need to limit selection to Gregorian chant, either.

Please, before everyone jumps down my throat…cut your music people some slack. They are doing the best they can with the limited resources that they have. Most of them are volunteers and every one of them uses their unique gifts in service to the Lord.
 
CatholicZ09 said:
:eek::eek::eek:
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yep! “Go make a difference, we can make a difference, go make a difference in the world…” verses following with lyrics that had me mention to a friend that it reminded me of the music from “Godspell”; which was fine for that situation.😉
I’m not saying we should have all Gregorian chant; there is a mass in town that does that. And I’m one of those giving of my time and talent voluntarily, so excuse me if I gripe now and then. Once I asked why we couldn’t do the Schumann version of “Ave Maria” and the director said because he didn’t have an SATB copy. (for all voices)
So I found an SATB version, printed it out, paid for it and made copies, which the sheet music site said was allowable for that piece of music. I brought the copies to the director months ago during the Christmas season…and haven’t heard anything since. 🤷
Maybe I should get the score from “Godspell”…😉
 
Sadly, it’s one of those contemporary songs that you can’t get out of your head once it’s in there. 😦
 
CatholicZ09 said:
Sadly, it’s one of those contemporary songs that you can’t get out of your head once it’s in there. 😦
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I know the feeling. Having endured the 24-song CD from OCP’s Flor y Canto, I can certainly attest to that. I am trying to be charitable in my reviews, but, the music is just not very good. There are less than a handful of songs that I would even consider suitable for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
 
benedictgal said:
I know the feeling. Having endured the 24-song CD from OCP’s Flor y Canto, I can certainly attest to that. I am trying to be charitable in my reviews, but, the music is just not very good. There are less than a handful of songs that I would even consider suitable for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
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It’s funny; I found myself singing “Go Make a Difference” when I was nodding off to sleep one night. Then I was like, “Woah, why am I singing this?” 🤷

I tend not to like the hymns that want to make the congregation break out into a jig.
 
CatholicZ09 said:
It’s funny; I found myself singing “Go Make a Difference” when I was nodding off to sleep one night. Then I was like, “Woah, why am I singing this?” 🤷

I tend not to like the hymns that want to make the congregation break out into a jig.
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So you don’t like Bach’s “Jig” Fugue?
 
Sounds like action scene music for an old episode of Starsky & Hutch.
 
It seems as if the Mass was turned into some sort of entertainment show. 😦
 
Yes, Starsky and Hutch, Godspell, and one that reminded me of Sesame Street.:):eek:
But there are times the director intersperses some really good things with the pablum songs. And yes, it’s like a show sometimes; but also like praising God at other times.🙂
 
BcuzISaidSo said:
“Dear Father, I would like to volunteer my services as music director.”

There will never be a music director who can make everyone happy. The fact that a song is modern does not make it non catholic or profane. While it is true that not every song is appropriate for liturgy, we do not need to limit selection to Gregorian chant, either.

Please, before everyone jumps down my throat…cut your music people some slack. They are doing the best they can with the limited resources that they have. Most of them are volunteers and every one of them uses their unique gifts in service to the Lord.
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“Limit”? That implies that it was being done prior to the “limiting”! I just want a happy medium. No outrageous…profane contemporary rock. It has no place in Catholic liturgical worship. I can easily back that up by the documents of the Church concerning music from the entire 20th century.

And the vast majority of contemporary “hymns” that Catholic parishes sing are not Catholic, but Lutheran and Anglican.

With that said, our music people will not be cut any slack. The Lord deserves the best that man can offer. They have proven that they can do complex sacred polyphony (Palestrina/Byrd) and do it very well! To say that two days out of the year get gold and the rest of the time He gets lead…that is not acceptable. I don’t expect Palestrina or Byrd every week…hell, let’s get into the grey area and at least do it as well as the Anglicans do. Or maybe selections adapted from the Graduale Simplex. Maybe when Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB comes out with his adpted ENGLISH version of the Graduale Simplex I will buy two copies for the two of them.

By the way I respect your views and not antagonistic at all, just tired of the same old lines, “Don;t worry! It takes time to get back to what the Church desires!” I am tired of waiting!
 
I can certainly sympathize with you, especially as someone who doesn’t even listen to modern music recreationally. My Parish almost never does Gregorian chants anymore. I was surprised when I went to Germany recently and attended a mass and heard, for the first time in a while, actual Church music being sung by a real and very talented choir. It was awe inspiring.

I’m guessing though that the reason the use modern music isn’t because don’t care about quality; it’s probably more that they think it’s more accessable. I imagine many young people especially find Gregorian chants boring, in part because they can’t understand them (they are after all in Latin, and I am one of the lucky few in my generation that has studied any latin). Of course, I find Gregorian chantsfar more moving than any of the modern hymns that are coming to dominate the liturgy. It is tragic that such beauty is being left behind in the past.
 
Raskolnikov said:
I can certainly sympathize with you, especially as someone who doesn’t even listen to modern music recreationally. My Parish almost never does Gregorian chants anymore. I was surprised when I went to Germany recently and attended a mass and heard, for the first time in a while, actual Church music being sung by a real and very talented choir. It was awe inspiring.

I’m guessing though that the reason the use modern music isn’t because don’t care about quality; it’s probably more that they think it’s more accessable. I imagine many young people especially find Gregorian chants boring, in part because they can’t understand them (they are after all in Latin, and I am one of the lucky few in my generation that has studied any latin). Of course, I find Gregorian chantsfar more moving than any of the modern hymns that are coming to dominate the liturgy. It is tragic that such beauty is being left behind in the past.
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My beloved wife teaches at a more traditional Catholic K through grade 6 school and they are introducing gregorian chant classes. The kids overwhelmingly voted it their favorite class last year. It is great to be at Mass when some of the families from my wife’s school are there too. When we get an occasional chanted hymn, you can hear all their little voices, so pure, ascending above the fray. It is truly inspiring. If k trough 6 graders can learn it in Latin, why can’t adults? I forget who it was, but many years ago, a Dear Abbey type wrote in regards to music at Christian services: “The clergy should approach the issue of church music from the assumption that people have come for something of a spiritual nature and not for the ‘show’!”
 
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