The only time applause is acceptable is during an ordination or a wedding Mass, when the people are congratulating those involved who have achieved a significant milestone in their life. As an organist for many years, I have had the misfortune of serving under certain well-meaning priests who wanted the people to thank me at the end of Mass for my music. The congregation would turn around to face the choir loft and applaud. Not only was this personally embarrassing, but it completely misses the point of what liturgical music is for. I am not there to put on a concert or to entertain. I simply assist the people in prayer, and having the organ out of sight upstairs is something I strongly recommend. Unfortunately, with most modern church buildings placing the musicians physically close the altar, the tendency toward showmanship (always a temptation for our big musician’s egos) is greatly magnified. This seems particularly true of “folk” groups, who often indulge in extraordinary commentary or guitar riffs at inopportune times, not to mention the distraction of having to watch people shuffling papers and sipping from water bottles. Even some organists like to have their down-front consoles turned so that the congregation can watch their hands and feet, or be mesmerized by the light show given by the brightly-backlit stops many organs have. Applause is not inherently sinful, but should be used very sparingly at Mass, and NEVER to congratulate liturgical ministers for something they do every week. It’s time for a re-evaluation of the use of choir lofts and altars placed AD ORIENTEM!
