What kind of music do you prefer at Mass?

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Do you like to hear music at Mass at all? Are you more comfortable with the “quiet” early Sunday Mass as opposed to Masses with more music?
 
Good idea for a poll. I am going to keep checking back and see how it goes. You left one off that I occasionally like; gospel/spiritual music. (OCP has some)
 
I love the old traditional Catholic hymns. However, being a Catholic Charismatic, I also love Praise and Worship music.
What I don’t like is songs like “We are the Bread of Life” that puts the focus on the community and not on the Lord.
Since the Mass is a celebration, I also like some upbeat music.
Whatever the flavor of the songs, they should be good congregational music and easy to sing. I love to hear the entire congregation singing. Sounds like angels to me.
 
Gregorian Chant, Plainchant, Sacred Polyphony - in other words, things I am refused in my Parish.
 
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Catholicguy:
Gregorian Chant, Plainchant, Sacred Polyphony - in other words, things I am refused in my Parish.
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Those are definitely the best. If anyone has heard the Byrd or Palestrina Masses, he would agree. Gregorian Chant is also very nice. There is a reason that these forms of sacred music have lasted so long. I hope that they come into common use again.
 
I like all the music, as long as it is not too difficult to sing and the lyrics are appropriate. I like music that the congregation will sing so that all can worship, not just the choir or cantor.

Ellen
 
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spetreopn:
Those are definitely the best. If anyone has heard the Byrd or Palestrina Masses, he would agree. Gregorian Chant is also very nice. There is a reason that these forms of sacred music have lasted so long. I hope that they come into common use again.
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I definitely concur with that!
 
I’m not entirely sure what “Praise & Worship” style is, I suspect I might like some of it. I don’t like the Vox Dei songs (songs written in God’s words but sung by the congregation) or folk songs with LOOOOONNG-held notes that no one can reach. Generally not a fan of the folk songs as a whole, although they certainly seem here to stay.
 
It would be nice to have seen ‘Other’ as a listing.
When I was in the Roman Rite, I enjoyed the Traditional Hymns, even though some of the words have been changed on some of the songs from those I learned in the late 1960’s.

Now I’m back to Byzantine and we chant the WHOLE liturgy and that is the Ultimate expression in liturgical ‘singing’! with NO musical instruments!

Go with God!
Edwin
 
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Edwin1961:
It would be nice to have seen ‘Other’ as a listing.
When I was in the Roman Rite, I enjoyed the Traditional Hymns…I’m back to Byzantine and we chant the WHOLE liturgy and that is the Ultimate expression in liturgical ‘singing’! with NO musical instruments!
/QUOTE]

I, too, “breathe with both lungs”. Pity there wasn’t an “other” option or that the question didn’t specify Roman Rite. I love all forms of traditional music within their appropriate context, tho’ Byzantine is an acquired taste and is difficult for one whose ears are attuned to Western music to chant properly. It is WELL worth the effort to learn!!!

I have a very hard time with music that focuses on the gathered community and with music that tries too hard to be relevant (how’s that for a 60’s word?), even if it is more fun to sing.
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I prefer chant, regardless of the tradition. Chant tends to be better suited to the ethos of prayer-especially communal/congregational. Now as far as Latin Rite chants systems, most are not uniformly static or staid, or calm and even (as Gregorian Chant is popularly perceived to be, gratis the interpretational system developed by St Peter’s Monastery at Solesme), but reflect the sentiment of the text (often, the poet also wrote the melody). Check out Mozarabic chant chant for a real wild treat sometime (for Neil: I would classify Mozarabic as a separate Rite, as that DL is *very *different than the Mass-though i am not sure about the Office). Ambrosian Chant is full of skips, and is rather rhythmic (though the rhythms have regularized under influence of Gregorian chant).

Even Gregorian Chant is rhythmic, and best sung to a rhythmic mode (late mediaeval chant books prescribe the rhythmic mode-the point is that it is not supposed to be a constant flow of notes of the same value, but can have a rather strong pulse to it, depending on the hymn).

Chant systems are easy to learn, as they are based on short melodic phrases that repeat, have a narrow range, and the melodies are well written (they would not stay around for any length of time were that not the case) and easily memorable-just think that how many folks already know melodies like Veni Emmanuel, the Alleluia from the Paschal Vigil, Pange Lingua (not the hymn version), Adoro te devote, Dies irae, &c. I imagine there are precious few here that do not know these melodies, though you may not know where they come from.

Chant fulfills needs for variety, simplicity and complexity, participation, internallization, and beauty and solemnity. And it uses the texts approved at all point of the service, so there is no question as to whether a song or hymn is apporpriate at that point (this is not to say there is no place for these-there are, but i think it best not during Mass).

In Christ,
Adam
 
nothing beats the good old Gregorian Chant in mind, I have two CDs in my truck with it. Sometimes listening to it makes me want to become a monk.
 
I to like to listen to Mass music at home, especially Sunday morning. I use “Catholic Hymns” Vol 1, 2 and 3 and a couple of Marian tapes.
 
you didn’t have the choice of a combination of all. i think you should dislike about every third song. because for every song you enjoy and that helps you commune with God, there is some one who that song or style is a distraction to (either because they dislike the instrument or the words or the tune or the style…). we are a community of believers, but that does not mean we are to give up our individuality. God created us equally different with our tastes and styles and those should all be incorparated so that the body may truly be just that and not just a bunch of hands clapping or feet stomping (or torsos remaining very still). we need to have all types at each mass. if people don’t like every type of music…too bad. there are people who don’t like the type that they like either. let’s truly be a community and stop being divided over silly things. let’s embrace each other by being willing to embrace each other’s style of music.
 
it’s all sung to God hopefully anyway. (and please don’t try to argue that contemporary music isn’t sung to God or that it doesn’t please His ear because that is hogwash and unscriptural. Paul tells us to sing hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs.)
 
I prefer Gregorian chants, but the Vatican II indult was cancelled due to low attendance.

Yet … I hate to admit this, being a strict traditional and all … but I REALLY love singing that Baptist song (forget the title) that goes "O Lord My God. I’m filled with awesome wonder … blah blah “…I hear that rolling thunder … blah blah … how Great Thou art!” The “blah blah” parts indictate the words I don’t know.

And I hate to admit this one, but I like that catchy song “Over my head … I see angels in the air … over my head … blah blah … There must be a God somewhere over my head.”

I really love singing both of those songs during Mass. *** cant believe I’m admitting to it!!! ***

And by golly, if it I didn’t consider it a sin to clap during Mass, I’d be clapping and stomping my feet to the beat.

I’m so ashamed. LOL!!!
 
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