What kind of music do you prefer at Mass?

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TheGrowingGrape:
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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O Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee
How great thou art! How great thou art!

Visit ingeb.org/spiritua/howgreat.html
for more verses, including the original Swedish text. . .
 
Does anyone remember the Earthen Vessels book that came out in the 70’s. I remember my mom and dad singing songs at home from that one. Happy memories.:dancing:
 
I like all kinds of music. My most memorable music was in San Antonio. I had never experienced a Mass like that before. Spanish and English music. It was very lively and wonderful.
 
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Monica2:
I like all kinds of music. My most memorable music was in San Antonio. I had never experienced a Mass like that before. Spanish and English music. It was very lively and wonderful.
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What was the name of the parish in San Antonio?
 
I cant remember how this saying exactly went,but I believe it is that when you sing, it is like you are praying twice.

Any and all types of music are so uplifting. I encourage everyone to sing and participate in the mass! Also, dont leave mass until the sone is over (it is so disrespectful to the music group!)😃
 
Nearly the entire Graduale Romanum has been put online by these guys. Their voices aren’t stellar and the recordings aren’t great at times, but hey, this is just an average choir… probably comparable to what most of us have in the states. It can be done… check it out. Oh, and the organ accompaniments were put out by Solesmes. christusrex.org/www2/cantgreg/index_eng.html
 
Even when I was an anti-Catholic evangelical I knew that the Catholic Church had a monopoly on all the great Sacred Music. Now that I am Catholic it is so much more exciting! Gregorian Chant all the way!
 
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bengal_fan:
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.
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The problem with that approach is that throwing everything into a big jumble can detract from the aesthetic of liturgical music. While I suppose a very carefully crafted program could incorporate broadly differening styles of music, most of the time the end effect of such an attempt is just trash. That’s why directing music ministry for a modern parish population is so pastorally challenging. With the array of tastes, most of the people will not be getting their favorite most of the time. Lot’s of places solve the problem by offering different Masses - the traditional Mass, the folk Mass, etc. That does give people musical options, but I’d rather see some sort of compromise that doesn’t lead to segregation like that.

As a side note, while I love Chant I’m not a fan of Renaissance polyphony because, while it is wonderful music, I find it distracting. Whereas plainchant is short, simple, and to the point, Palestrina et al. can often be long and convoluted. About the 10th time I’ve heard the same 10 syllables repeated I’m losing track of the message of the prayer and am focusing more on the flow of the music than on the text. This actually leads me to avoid the “High Mass” at school, because even though it’s more traditional than other Sunday Mass options in the basilica, I just don’t like having such elaborate music at Mass.
 
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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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Ah. So we all dream. Have you ever tried to sing it? While not unspeakably difficult, it takes more than one choir rehearsal a week, and non-professional choirs rarely reach the standard required to make this stuff presentable. Nevertheless, the attempt is worthy of praise and extremely satisfying to the singers.
 
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newsjag:
I cant remember how this saying exactly went,but I believe it is that when you sing, it is like you are praying twice.

Any and all types of music are so uplifting. I encourage everyone to sing and participate in the mass! Also, dont leave mass until the sone is over (it is so disrespectful to the music group!)😃
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Disrespectful of the music group? Ahem. Care to re-phrase that?

Quote from John Wesley: “Sing all. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.” But that was the 18th Century. They hadn’t yet the “blessings” of 20th Century crooning.
 
Music with beautiful singing, violins, harps, and an organ but not when it is played like a drum, it has to FLOW…yup, it has to be traditional.

I LOVE guitars and loud drums, but I don’t like them at Mass…they have no place there. If I wanted that, I’d attend one of thos hippie fest
I’ve been to Masses where they had Tambourines…that was repulsive…Tamborine…hah!..that is not even a real instrument…what is next, a kazoo???
 
I’m getting to the point where I would prefer no music at all! At my parish all they sing is the modern (1990’s) music. …Amazing Grace, We Gather together, How Great thou art , On Eagle’s Wings…There are many reverent hymns that are in the pew missal but they are never sung. After 20 years of hearing "Let there be Peace on Earth, its gets quite tiring. If the Catholic Church is known for its hymns and music, I don’t hear them. Just the same old thing. When I can’t take it anymore I go to a Tridentine Mass or another NO that is said with reverence and the music reflexs that.

Also when someone says how we should accomodate all music tastes, that’s not what we’re at Mass for. At a concert you play for different musical tastes. The music at Mass should reflect the reverence we have for God and the sacrifice offered to Him. If we really believe Jesus is present on our altar and in the Tabernacle then how does half the music we sing reflect that?
 
Super Mom:
Also when someone says how we should accomodate all music tastes, that’s not what we’re at Mass for. At a concert you play for different musical tastes. The music at Mass should reflect the reverence we have for God and the sacrifice offered to Him. If we really believe Jesus is present on our altar and in the Tabernacle then how does half the music we sing reflect that?
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In a sense, I agree with you. The music must first and foremost be reverent and give praise to God and enhance, not detract from, the sacrifice occurring on the altar. I think, however, that many different legitimate opinions exist on what types of music are reverent and which are not. Certaintly secular music is irreverent, as is music which worships the community instead of God :banghead: but some more modern praise and worship music can be reverent and add to the Sacred Liturgy. At my parish, we offer several different “musical moods” at the different Masses in order to cater to individual preferences. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this provided that none of the music is blatantly irreverent.
 
I voted no music but not for the quiet/low mass idea.

In the Byzantine Tradition there are no musical instruments in the Church. Now some Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic parishes have organs but this is a Latinization.

The Divine Liturgy is Sung (or Chanted) with no musical instruments.

Except for some Ukrainian Greek Catholic parishes where the Divine Liturgy in English is recited.
 
I voted for Traditional Hymns but I also strongly support Gregorian Chant, not only is it the most beautiful sound on earth - it is also the music of “The Church” - just like Latin, Gregorian Chant is universal - how universal is “Let there be peace on Earth”.

Oh how I long to be Universal again!
 
All of you have to rent the video “A Mighty Wind”. Is a mocumentary (for those of you in Yorba LInda, Ca, thats a parady, uh, for those of you down South, thats a joke.)

They sing one song “A Kiss at the end of a Rainbow”. Tell me or not if it doesn’t remind you of some Communion hymn.
 
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robertaf:
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.
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I know a hymn called I Am the Bread of Life, which basically reiterates Jesus’s words in John. I love it when this is sung as it reminds me of all the Lord has done to be really present and carries the promise of eternal life for those who eat this bread and drink this cup. I have never heard of this hymn being sung as.“We are…”
 
I was recently at what I would call a folk Mass. I dont know if anyone here has seen *A Mighty Wind *with Eugene Levy. Well at the Mass I attended ond of the singers looked like him, and he looked like he could be playing someone in the movie. I tried not to think about it during Mass but I just couldnt resist because he resembled Eugene Levy. I wish I could here one traditional hymm at every Mass that would be awesome and a great improvement over this other stuff in my opinion.
 
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