There are a number of hymns in today’s hymnals that accurately and poetically reflect solid Catholic theology, and there are many beautiful ones. However, the highest/ideal form/style of Catholic music which the Church has always preferred above all else (and still does today) is Gregorian chant, and flowing from that is sacred polyphony. There are tons of beautiful chant hymns that many people unfortunately today are not aware of.
To answer some of your specific questions - yes, the “modern” hymn was used before the liturgical changes in the 60s, as far as I know. However (someone will correct me, I hope, if I am wrong), at least in the 20th century before VII, the proper texts were still always sung. Anything extra had to be done AFTER the proper texts were sung. In many (most?) churches today the propers are completely replaced with hymns instead of being sung, and although technically the GIRM allows for substitutions, most churches are capable of singing the actual propers yet do not do so.
Music has always been intertwined with the Liturgy. In fact, all Masses used to be completely sung. I have no idea when it was that changed, but obviously at some point the Low Mass made its way in, and today, unfortunately, it is rare to witness a completely sung Mass. Music used to actually BE the Liturgy, because everything that was sung was a liturgical text (i.e., Propers, Ordinary, Epistles, Gospel, etc) that was prescribed. Gregorian Chant goes back to the very early Church. Hymns, while as I mentioned above can be theologically sound and beautiful, are not actually THE Liturgy. They can be sung AT the Liturgy, but that is not the same as actually BEING the Liturgy. Organ music - I am not quite sure exactly when Organ Music began to be regularly used at the Liturgy, but I imagine by the end of the Renaissance period (1600) it was becoming common, if not before. The Church also holds organ music in high esteem because of its grandeur and its ability to mimic so many sounds and therefore make many beautiful musical combinations.
Your final question I suppose I have already answered - no, of course not all hymns in today’s hymnals are explicitly Protestant, but I suspect that there are a number of them that are not distinctly Catholic hymns, and there are certainly a number of hymns that are not distinctly Catholic in style.
Overall, the answer to the title of the thread “what is Catholic music?” is Gregorian Chant and polyphony, and then “modern music” (that is still sacred in style…the traditional hymns fall into this category).
I suspect that the main reason why Masses are not sung today (other than time factors) is that people (specifically the priests) don’t know how to sing because of poor or non-existent music education in the schools and in the HOME.
Singing by non-show business individuals and families is not a part of American culture and hasn’t been for several decades.
Most people in the United States LISTEN to lots of music of all styles (mainly pop and country), but do not actually sing themselves.
Kids used to play all kinds of singing games out on the playground. Now they neither play these singing games nor play out on a playground (too many opportunities for lawsuits getting hurt on the equipment, so many schools and parks have eliminated all playground equipment).
Many families used to sing in their homes, often around a piano or guitar. But nowadays, so few people do this. No time, and many families don’t know any songs other than the pop songs, and these are not easy for families to sing around a piano. Families may sing along with a radio in their car, but doubtful–usually the kids are watching TV or playing a hand-held video game, and the teens are in their own world listening to an iPod. For that matter, many of the moms and dads are also listening to iPods, or to talk radio (conservatives spend 3-9 hours listening to Rush, Sean, and Mark, while liberals listen to NPR–not much singing-along with good songs on these shows!)
In fact, I fear that many people consider it “gay” or “sissy” for a boy or man to sing, even though the majority of our pop and country stars are men. (Not sure about Christian contemporary music nowadays–my husband listens to the local Christian radio station once in a while, and it seems that there are still a lot of men, but I hear more female than male singers on that station.)
In the musical theater, many performers are men, too, but interestingly, about half (or maybe more) of males in show business are homosexuals, so perhaps this is one reason why the feeling is strong among so many Americans that singing is “gay.” I’m not sure why so many homosexuals end up in show business careers. The percentage of homosexuals in show business far exceeds the percentage of homosexuals overall (around 3%).
I hope I don’t get in trouble for making these statements. It is a true assessment of why men and boys in the United States don’t sing–because they associate singing with homosexuality. To deny it is to stick your head in the sand. Just ask boys and men, and tell them to be honest and that they won’t suffer any negative consequences for being honest (nowadays, people are afraid to say anything that might seem “homophobic,” and with good reason–in many companies, saying such things can be grounds for immediate dismissal with no opportunity for appeal).
And it could be one of the reasons why so many males who are called to the priesthood are not comfortable singing, and why congregations may be uncomfortable with a sung Mass–they grew up thinking of singing as “gay” or “sissy,” and they just can’t bring themselves to start doing it.
I don’t like this whole situation any more than any of you do, but it’s the sad state of things here in the U.S. I wish with all my heart it could change.
