What About Harp?

[AuntMartha]

I was reading the thread about Rock ‘n’ Roll bands. I personally hate bands in any church service. But this got me to thinking about what exactly are appropriate instruments besides, organ and voice.

Would harp music be considered okay? I ask because I play harp and have been thinking about offering to play at Mass at some point in the future.

Thanks, Aunt Martha

 

[space_ghost]

AuntMartha:

I was reading the thread about Rock ‘n’ Roll bands. I personally hate bands in any church service. But this got me to thinking about what exactly are appropriate instruments besides, organ and voice.

Would harp music be considered okay? I ask because I play harp and have been thinking about offering to play at Mass at some point in the future.

Thanks, Aunt Martha

…might not be what you play that matters as much as it is how and what style or lyric you play…

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

I think harp music would be beautiful at Mass (I love the harp). I mean, when we think of harps, we think of… Angels!

Personally, I don’t understand the restrictiveness about what instruments can be allowed and which ones can’t. It is possible to play a guitar or a saxophone or a trumpet very reverently, and it is possible to play an organ in an irreverent manner.

(Ask me about the time in a former church, when we (choir) finished singing, and the organist began to play an instrumental version of “House of the Rising Sun.” We all looked at each other, our eyes bugging out; we couldn’t believe she was playing that song).

So as long as you choose appropriate music, I think the harp would be beautiful.

 

[CatholicNerd]

Go for it! We use harp accompaniment at our parish on a somewhat regular basis. On principal feasts, my girlfriend and I have done harp and organ duets as processionals/recessionals (we really dig the Ravenello. Don’t laugh. lol) at our Chant Mass, and from time to time, the Schola has performed pieces accompanied by harp. I am convinced that the harp is one of the instruments that the GIRM permits to be used for accompaniment of the Mass. It is very difficult to associate the harp with profane, popular styles of music and it’s not grating on the ears or the soul. Then again, I may be a bit biased because my girlfriend plays the thing! :getholy:

What kind of harp have you got? My girlfriend has a Lyon & Healy Salzedo lyonhealy.com/products/lyonhealy/pedal/salzedo.html . Soooooooooooo beautiful!