Weird songs at Mass

[vz71]

In grade school, the entirety of my class was taken to church for confession.
Since this resulted in a line of 28 eighth grade students waiting for confession, the teacher turned on music to help us ‘meditate’
so we could make a good confession.
She turned on ‘The Rose’ by Bete Midler.
She also set it to loop, so I got to listen to this song over and over for nearly 2 hours.

I do not believe I have ever been that disturbed in a Catholic church before.
Worse - there was no true loop function for the sound equipment of that time. Someone was restarting the song every time it ended.

:banghead:

 

[smessner]

the teacher turned on music to help us ‘meditate’ so we could make a good confession.
She turned on ‘The Rose’ by Bette Midler.
She also set it to loop, so I got to listen to this song over and over for nearly 2 hours.
:banghead:

YIKES!:bigyikes:

I can’t think of ANY song that I’d want to listen to for two solid hours. Kind of reminds me of the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland which only feels like it goes on for two hours.:whacky:

 

[Miserissima]

Oy. I remember one particularly awful song. For some reason our teacher favored rounds and echoes. Thankfully, I don’t remember many of the lyrics:

How beautiful (How beautiful)
on the mountaintops (on the mountaintops)
are the feet of those (are the feet of those)
who bring your praise… (who bring your praise…)

I know, I know, it’s loosely based on a psalm. But I always got it confused with “How beautiful, for spacious skies…”

And I’ve never heard “Hosanna” sung in the same melody and call-and-echo style anywhere else than when I was growing up, either. Thankfully.

 

[lak611]

I went to Mass at my mother’s new church today. We found out that the 12 p.m. Mass is the CCM Mass. The first song was “Shout to the Lord” by Darlene Zschech. Then we were subjected to something by the Newsboys, I think, during Communion. (I recognized the Offertory song from CCM radio, but don’t remember the song or artist.) The recessional song was “Go Light Your World” by Kathy Troccoli. This was done by the choir, with guitar, piano and drum accompaniment. They did every verse. The only reason we went to that Mass is because it was being said for my late father. Unfortunately, next Sunday is a Mass for my late uncle, so we will get more of the Hillsong music at Mass again.

 

[Miserissima]

How beautiful (How beautiful)
on the mountaintops (on the mountaintops)
are the feet of those (are the feet of those)
who bring your praise… (who bring your praise…)

Okay, I found the rest, a song by Joe Wise:

How beautiful, (repeat)
on the mountaintops, (repeat)
are the feet of those (repeat)
who bring your word. (repeat)

How beautiful, (repeat)
on the city streets, (repeat)
are the lips of those (repeat)
who bring your peace. (repeat)

Repeat ad nauseam.

Gee, thinking about this stuff makes me want to do hand movements with “Abba Father” or something from the old Glory and Praise hymnal singalong tapes. Won’t you join me? Come on, now! "You are the po-ah-tter, and we are the clay, the work of your hands…:

“Only a Shadow” was our First Confession song. And if we didn’t all have high, thin, children’s voices, it never would have worked. Here’s the MIDI. We would catterwall "My liiiiiiiiiiife is in your ha-aaa-an-ands! ::shudder::

Then, at my parish, there was once an organist who liked to play “Tea for Two” after Mass when most had left.

I found a forum once where organists talked about what songs they’sd slip into the pre-procession, post-communion or post-recession. Oftentimes, it was unintentions, but rather fuunny. If I find the link, I’ll pass it on.

St. Michael carries a sword instead of a bouquet of daisies for a reason.

Dude, that was schweeeet.

 

[smessner]

Songs that are based on Scripture, whatever their style, get points for effort. CCM songs also get points because most of them at least proclaim that God is God and we are not. Whether or not they are appropriate for Holy Mass is up for debate. There is another thread on Liturgical Music regulations that is addressing a lot of the musical and liturgical standards for hymns that are in use at various parishes

My purpose in starting this thread was to have a lighthearted sharing of some of the “what was I (they) thinking” :doh2: uses of secular music at Mass.

For example, back in the day, One Tin Soldier as an offertory song. I’m still trying to remember why on earth that would remotely seem to be appropriate for Mass. I guess because of the line “do it in the name of Heaven, you’ll be justified in the end. There won’t be any trumpet blowin’ on the judgment day…” If it says Heaven, it must be religious, right?!

 

[Miserissima]

My purpose in starting this thread was to have a lighthearted sharing of some of the “what was I (they) thinking” :doh2: uses of secular music at Mass.

My bad! Then “Let There Be Peace on Earth” is at the top with a college choir rendition of “Turn, Turn Turn.”

 

[mozier]

I have heard the Beatles’ “Let It Be” played on Mother of God solemnity (New Year’s).

 

[CarrieH]

Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” as a praise song, sung by the choir during their usual choral-meditation time following the communion hymn.

In the heresy dept., “Labor of Love,” a pretty-sounding Protestant Christmas song (sung as a solo by the cantor) vividly describing Mary’s suffering during labor. Ummm…the Church teaches that because she was free from original sin, Mary did not suffer labor pains! Oops. I’m surprised that the music director didn’t nix that one, since she had to play the piano for the singer. But she is a convert, so maybe she didn’t know any better. Oh well…

 

[CarrieH]

I found a forum once where organists talked about what songs they’sd slip into the pre-procession, post-communion or post-recession. Oftentimes, it was unintentions, but rather fuunny. If I find the link, I’ll pass it on.

Digressing a bit, this reminds me of a hilarous true story from an organist friend who was playing for a Protestant church many years ago. This church’s secretary was a sweet gal and a good worker, but not too bright or sophisticated, bless her heart. This church had a weekly worship leaflet which would list the hymns, Scripture references, etc. My organist-friend would call the secretary on the phone to tell her the hymns and what music he was playing for that week’s prelude, offertory, etc. (e-mail wasn’t invented yet!). One time he was planning to do an improvisation on a theme of Widor (a French composer) during the offertory. The secretary had no clue about classical music, and when the worship leaflet came out, it said, “Improvisation on a theme by ‘The Doors.’” Fortunately, the organist had stopped by the church on Saturday to practice and happened to look at the leaflet. After he recovered from his huge fit of laughter, he re-printed the leaflet himself with the correct information, saving the secretary from embarrassment and the fuddy-duddies in the congregation from heart attacks and strokes. And when he played the Widor improvisation, he closed it by playing, ever so softly on the pedal, the first few notes of “Light My Fire.”

 

[Petergee]

In the heresy dept., “Labor of Love,” a pretty-sounding Protestant Christmas song (sung as a solo by the cantor) vividly describing Mary’s suffering during labor. Ummm…the Church teaches that because she was free from original sin, Mary did not suffer labor pains! Oops. I’m surprised that the music director didn’t nix that one, since she had to play the piano for the singer. But she is a convert, so maybe she didn’t know any better. Oh well…

Really? Show us where the Church teaches that. There’s definitely no hint of that in the CCC. With so much REAL heresy going on in the world, please don’t be so eager to slap the label “heresy” with such gay abandon on anything you personally don’t agree with.

 

[smessner]

Really? Show us where the Church teaches that. There’s definitely no hint of that in the CCC. With so much REAL heresy going on in the world, please don’t be so eager to slap the label “heresy” with such gay abandon on anything you personally don’t agree with.

Rather than getting into doctrinal issues, I recommend the EWTN website. Clicking on the “Faith” link will allow you to go to the Catholic Q&A site. One of the official answers I found to this question is: “The Church has no official teaching on the obstetrics of Mary’s giving birth to Jesus”. given by Fr. Bob Levis, PhD.

Another recommended site is newadvent.org/cathen/15448a.htm

My mother has told me that Our Lady didn’t experience labor pain. I’m not sure how that belief originated.
And this really has very little to do with the topic of this thread, other than the aforementioned CCM song.

 

[chicago]

“Only a Shadow” was our First Confession song. And if we didn’t all have high, thin, children’s voices, it never would have worked. Here’s the MIDI. We would catterwall "My liiiiiiiiiiife is in your ha-aaa-an-ands! ::shudder::

heh. We used to do the same thing. You also should have heard teh old sister with serious vibrato try that.

 

[chicago]

Songs that are based on Scripture, whatever their style, get points for effort.

You know, as bad as some of them are musically, a lot of the St. Louis Jesuit/Marty Haugen/David Haas, Glory and Parise Hymnal type stuff was actually pretty good at communicating those sorts of things. And they are memorable. So, in an era where memorization and catechesis was de-emphasized a lot of people were getting TONS of Scripture through song. Things which they could remember and call upon later in life.

CCM songs also get points because most of them at least proclaim that God is God and we are not. Whether or not they are appropriate for Holy Mass is up for debate. There is another thread on Liturgical Music regulations that is addressing a lot of the musical and liturgical standards for hymns that are in use at various parishes

I’ve attended Masses where praise and worship music was ths standard. They were actually EXTREMELY devout and touching. Much more moving than your average Sunday liturgy at a typical parish.

 

[chicago]

My mother has told me that Our Lady didn’t experience labor pain. I’m not sure how that belief originated.
And this really has very little to do with the topic of this thread, other than the aforementioned CCM song.

Not to get off topic (but merely respond briefly to the question), the idea is that since pain (and childbirth pain, in particular) is an effect of sin and Mary was not subject to original sin that she did not have to experience such labor pain.

 

[smessner]

You know, as bad as some of them are musically, a lot of the St. Louis Jesuit/Marty Haugen/David Haas, Glory and Praise Hymnal type stuff was actually pretty good at communicating those sorts of things. And they are memorable. So, in an era where memorization and catechesis was de-emphasized a lot of people were getting TONS of Scripture through song. Things which they could remember and call upon later in life.

Very true. At one Easter Vigil Mass at our parish, the Abraham/Isaac reading was to be sung by the choir, using “Yahweh the Faithful One”. I don’t know how Liturgically correct this was, but it was quite a powerful experience as the whole congregation spontaneously joined in singing this song - in the dark, without having the words to look at. Catholics are often accused of not knowing Scripture. These songs have helped many of us “accidentally” memorize Scripture, even if we can’t quote chapter and verse.

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

There are some riotously funny posts in this thread!

The weirdest song I’ve ever hear at Mass was at a former parish. I was in the choir, but thankfully, we didn’t have to sing this one – it was done as an instrumental: House of the Rising Sun.

In my current parish, we get Gregorian Chant for the music during confessions.

In my current choir, we occasionally have some song-fun during rehearsals, but we don’t sing anything weird during Mass!

 

[Petergee]

Not to get off topic (but merely respond briefly to the question), the idea is that since pain (and childbirth pain, in particular) is an effect of sin and Mary was not subject to original sin that she did not have to experience such labor pain.

Genesis says that labour pain **increased **(not “was first created”) as a result of the Fall. And the Apocalypse speaks of Our Lady’s labour pains in giving birth to Christ.

 

[smessner]

There are some riotously funny posts in this thread!

The weirdest song I’ve ever hear at Mass was at a former parish. I was in the choir, but thankfully, we didn’t have to sing this one – it was done as an instrumental: House of the Rising Sun.

:bigyikes: Don’t you imagine that some of the folks knew the words and were thinking them while the song was playing? Yowser! Seriously, what could possibly lead someone to think that that song, in any form, is remotely appropriate for Holy Mass? Maybe because of the line “oh God, I know I’m one”??!
Have mercy!

 

[CarrieH]

Not to get off topic (but merely respond briefly to the question), the idea is that since pain (and childbirth pain, in particular) is an effect of sin and Mary was not subject to original sin that she did not have to experience such labor pain.

OK, maybe I shouldn’t have called it heresy, although I sincerely believed it to be so when I posted that remark about that “Labor of Love” song. But that being said, the fact that this is a widely held traditional belief should be enough to discourage the use of such a song during Mass. If anyone wants to debate the issue further, a search of the forums will lead them to several threads on this very topic, esp. after that “Nativity” movie came out awhile back. Some beliefs are passed down by tradition, like Veronica and her veil, for example, but a search of the Bible or the CCC won’t mention them.

Enough of this. Let’s get back to music and more funny stories!
Pax,
CarrieH