I posted this on another forum, but it shows the survey results of what non-musicians want for their music at mass. They also show the results of what musicians think is important for the music during the liturgy.
npm.org/Articles/singlitresults.htm
At the Cathedral where I am on the music staff as a cantor, we do traditional hymns for the low masses. Many times, the director will use familiar, traditional melodies and incorporate texts appropriate to the season. Our Cathedral has a very small parish, but a huge visitor congregation, so we try to keep standard hymn melodies so that the visitors will also be able to sing. The choir at the high masses does chant, polyphony, motets and other more classical, high-art works of music. We also do two Latin NO masses a moth.
What I think is most important is that the the melodies and rhythms for the congregants are simple. I also believe that a Cathedral has the responsibility of putting the best music and musicianship as possible to set an example for the rest of the diocese.
Someone asked why “organists” play pieces of music like it is a funeral dirge. If they are good organists and musicians, that doesn’t happen. I’m fortunate to work with one of the best in the city, so I’m a bit spoiled. BUT I have worked with some really awful musicians who take up the organ, but aren’t real organists.
That’s the other thing - good musicians. Start training our next generation on the organ, in chant, polyphony today while they are young. Don’t wait until it’s too late and we no longer have the musicianship to take on the wonderful musical heritage of our Church. I got so much of “They won’t be able to learn that” from people at the Catholic school where I taught for a couple of years. Yes, they can learn that and quickly. (Don’t underestimate kids.) I taught them many of the Latin chants - they sang them with their hearts out at my wedding.
The Church used to have schools for this. They might actually still have them, but they aren’t as prevalent today at least in America.
