Every time I go to church, which isn’t often, and I’m not bragging, I always come away frustrated at the way the mass is handled these days — with lots of acoustic guitars and folk-style singing. Sometimes I actually end up developing a feeling of hostility toward the ensemble leader, which kind of negates the whole point of going to church right there. But even when I feel in sympathy with these people, who after all are devoting hours and hours and hours of practice to these Sunday performances, I usually get the sense that they’re enjoying themselves a lot more than the Congregation is.
Four years aago our parish went “the other way” – with a “new” (ok, it’s used, but we got a good deal) organ, a choir, not a “music group” that “leads the singing”, anthems, classic hymnody (borrowed from Anglican and Lutheran sources, remembering that the Catholic Church has little tradition of singing in English), and so on. We chanted the proper Introit, Offertory, and Communio, chanted the Prayers of the People, even chanted the Creed for awhile. Father chants the collects. And so on. And the choir is in the loft upsstairs at the back, without amplification.
At the Saturday night Vigil and at two Masses Sunday morning, I noticed how the people were singing. But everyone knows Catholics don’t sing, right? They never sang the [i]Mass of Creation[/i], that icon of trendy music. They do sing Michael Joncas [i]Mass for John Carroll[/i], which actually comes out of the same genre, but is better music, and really a bit harder. They sang the hymns – not great singing, but good singing. The Church is very full during the school year (it drops down tp comfortably full in the summer), so the musical style hasn’t driven anyone off. Or if it did, they were replaced by newcomers.
Take the advice: go the other way.
And I meant to take advantage of the comments being back on:
A most happy Easter to all – for 50 days of feasting! He is Risen!
Anybody participating in, or responsibile for allowing a ‘guitar mass’ to occur, should be strung up by their thumbs.
[i] We respectfully request that comments not be one liners. [/i]
…. and Marty Haugen should be excommunicated.
[i] We respectfully request that comments not be one liners. [/i]
I visited a “mega” church with a friend. IMHO the “performers” wouldn’t “perform” if you took away their mikes and their ability to emote for the congregation……put them in a loft and the loft would soon empty…..
I agree completely. Especially with the 1st and 3rd paragraphs.
Completely agree. It would be interesting to try some kind of a controlled experiment. I’d like to think “going the other way” would solidly win.
I don’t understand the persistence of the bongos and guitars mandate.
The Anglican church has as fine a collection of hymns and as rich a heritage of music as a church could have. If it ain’t broken, why fix it, to coin a phrase. I understand that 40 years ago, the b and g people come in because they were cool and the pastoral intent of the left wing was to epater le bourgeois, but this is surely long gone. Is it simply that musical tastes have undergone a fundamental sea change? Larry
Well, I completely disagree.
I happen to attend masses all the time where they are done “traditionally” and it is like going to a recorded history lesson. Only about one-third the congregation participates and I don’t feel a mystery – I just feel like something that was originally good has lost much of its meaning.
Contrast this with my Anglican church, where we have four music teams – each with its own way of playing music. Attend a month there, and you will hear everything from the 1982 Hymnal to vineyard choruses, to Southern Gospel. Regardless of the type of music being sung people sing. I talked to the trumpet player we had for Easter and he commented on how wonderful it was to be up there and just listen to the praise. As a matter of fact, that’s part of why I became Anglican – because we blend the old and the new.
Church should not be a mystery OR an emotive experience OR a visceral one. Church is supposed to be a bunch of Believers getting together to praise God, share His Word, and celebrate His Sacraments. It’s like the ‘respite’ from a week of working in the secular world to bring Christ to the dying around us. Trying to make it a ‘mystery’ is not consistent with Scripture. I think of Paul saying he’d rather say three things in plain speech about Christ than thousands in a tongue no one knows. I think that is wise advice for all of us.
Being a child of the 70s, I enjoy some good old fashion “Cursillo” music. Being a cradle Episcopalian, I enjoy well done music that has significant theological heft and transports me to another realm. There is a time and a place and a congregation for both or even for a combination of types.
The purpose of music is not entertainment. It is an aid to worship. When the musicians focus on themselves and their performance rather than on God, then the music has become an idol, not an icon. This transformation from icon to idol happens as much with traditional organ music as it does with guitar folk music with drums and keyboards.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Perhaps if the letter writer became more involved with his church, his input would be held in higher esteem, and his voice would be heard. I do no know the mass schedule at his church, but in most Catholic churches there are Sunday masses without music, with traditional music, a guitar or folk mass, and etc. Our Anglican parish is the same. Mornings have traditional music, and the Sunday evening is the Veritas or ‘contemporary’ (aka ‘folk’) service.
Perhaps because Mick doesn’t attend regularly, he doesn’t know enough to phone the church office (or check the bulletin) and ask which Mass features which style, if he did, then he could plan his attendance accordingly.
I suspect, though of course I cannot know, that he goes to the service that is offered at a time most convenient for him — that is, one that doesn’t take too much time out of his busy schedule of sleeping late or early tee-time, etc. In my experience, the ‘folk mass’ was usually the Saturday vigil or the Sunday evening Mass.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Jim Elliott <><
Please pardon me if I express my skepticism about articles such as these and many of the comments. Sure, so many of our masses are a mess, but so are many of our churches. And many of them are like that because church is in this day and age regarded as another entertainment medium meant to attract consumers of entertainment. The difficulty is that far too many of those who whine the most about it are those who “rarely” attend, or who go to enjoy a contemporary rock band or a “mass choir” and hear a sermon that encourages them to fulfill their desire for self-esteem. Devotees of Latin Masses do not for the most past know Latin well -enough to understand what is being said, but it sounds “mysterious” and “other worldly”. So does Parsi and Japanese to the Western ear. And lest we forget, Latin when it was a popular language, was used to transact all sorts of activities we today might be scandalized by (well, maybe not today). As for Elizabethan English, read Shakespeare and Marlowe and Ben Johnson for its earthiness.
Mr. LaSalle might have found an 8 AM low Mass to attend – maybe even late morning Sunday Mass with a paid choir singing Mozart mixed in with some Gregorian Chant, but I suspect he would have found something else objectionable. After a while, these rants tend to be predictable and tiresome. What is worship after all?
One of the most powerful and meaningful Masses I ever attended was in a field after a tomato harvest: the priest wore a stole over his work clothes, and one of the workers had a guitar, and (God forbid!) we actually sang a Marty Haugen song. God was praised, and we were fed with the Word of God, and heard a sermon that helped us understand that the God who worked with his hands in a carpenter shop in Nazareth and died on a cross in Jerusalem had ennobled us all and given us a dignity we had not deserved. I’m not sure Mr. LaSalle would understand that. (The guitar could have been tuned better.)
Thank you Dan Crawford, I believe by jove you’ve got it. I am of the opinion that the Oregon Catholic Press would be doing the world of Catholicism and the forests of the world a great favor should the music section of their publication become nests for the birds of the air. But that being said I do not let bad music distract me from why I am at Mass. And I do not let the most beautiful music in the world distract me either.
I would rather a musician played Haugen with a humble heart offering up his or her talents to the Lord and to glorify Him, than to hear Mozart as a performance piece meant to bring attention and praise to the musician and not to Christ. Which unfortunately is a trend that I have witnessed far too many times. Applause in Church during worship is just wrong.
If the music in Mass grabs your attention so much that you can not rightly participate either find another parish or discipline yourself to immerse yourself in the Mass so as to not get distracted.
Devotees of Latin Masses do not for the most past know Latin well -enough to understand what is being said, but it sounds “mysterious†and “other worldlyâ€.
I’m not a devotee of the Traditional Latin Mass, but I’m pretty sure those who are read well enough to follow along in their Missals.
You know, I’ve heard stories about goofy traditionalist Catholics, but the ones I have actually met were pretty much decent people who had a particular liturgical preference I don’t happen to share. For some, it’s undoubtedly a sentimental thing, or a way of feeling special and/or superior. For a lot of folks, though, it’s something that feeds their souls. And good for them, I say.
Despite my comment #1 above, I was also a child of the 70s, and came up with a lot of the “renewal music” from the Fisherfolk/Redeemer,Houston. The difference between that and Catholic folk music is two-fold. The Fisherfolk stuff is about Jesus. Go in to most of the older songs and see how many times the Name of Jesus is lifted up. Compare that to the old St. Louis Jesuit chestnut: “Wood Hath Hope”. Okaaaaaaaaaay. Second, the Redeemer music expressed authentically the spirituality of that parish, a spirituality that many of us shared in those days. Catholic folk music is artificially imposed on people with a very different spiritual heritage. Third, (yes, I said there there two, but…), the Catholic folk music is just lousy. As mentioned above, the words are wretched, sometimes heretical, and the music is insipid and vapid. Any insulting terms I’ve missed?
My mom’s copy of the Latin Missal had the Latin on one page, and the English translation on the facing page.
Sorry, but I disagree. I grew up in the Catholic Chruch using NALR resources (Glory and Praise), and frankly, quite a bit of it was not only acceptable, but good, and not only Biblically based, but explicitly Christological.
for example:
Michael Joncas: “On Eagle’s Wings” a very good rendition of Ps. 91
Carey Landry: “I will never forget you, my people” (From Isaiah)
St Louis Jesuits: “Earthen Vessels” (2 Corinthinans) and “Be not afraid” (Isaiah and Matthew)
and I could go on. Many of these meant a lot to me then, and are a comfort to me now. In every musical movement there will be dross, but there is also a lot of gold.
Peace and song!
Jim Elliott <><
Hey, just saw this as I was researching my previous post:
[blockquote]Morning Light (CD)
St Louis Jesuits
Twenty years after their last collection, the St. Louis Jesuits have reuinited to produce this collection of twelve new songs, three each by Dan Schutte, John Foley, Bob Dufford and Roc O’Connor. It shows they still have the ability to set Scripture-based texts to beautiful, accessible, melodies. The songs cover a variety of themes, including trust in the Lord, discipleship, light, hope, love and praise.
Highlights include Gather the People (Dan Schutte), a spirited, syncopated entrance hymn; O Beauty, Ever Ancient, by Roc O’Connor, based on a text by St. Augustine; Behind and Before Me (Bob Dufford), an exquisite setting of Ps 139, and Teach Us to Pray (John Foley), inspired by Romans 8, invoking the Holy Spirit’s help in prayer and all we do.
Contents: Behind Me and Before Me; Come Home; Gather the People; Give Us Faith, Lord; Now My Heart; O Beauty, Ever Ancient; Running Streams; Teach Us to Pray; The Saving Power of God; These Alone Are Enough; Well of Tears; You Are the Light [/blockquote]
The blogger Lucernarium has an enthusiastic review of the album on his [url=http://lucernarium.blogspot.com/2006/09/cd-review-st-louis-jesuits-morning.html]blogspot page[/url].
Peace
Jim Elliott <><
Mick seems to be presenting a false dichotomy. One can and should have both a mysterious and a familiar aspect to worship. At least in western Christianity that tries to equally present Christ’s humanity and divinity this is so. We should be struck with awe at God’s transcendence and majesty as wells drawn forward by the saviour who calls us friends. I believe a competent church service can do both.
The real key is quality. There is an awful lot of crappy guitar music out there. The level of shallowness of much of modern renewal music, with its emphasis on first person experience, has been remarked on before. But can anyone listen to John Michael Talbot’s The Lord’s Supper and not be impressed unless it is simply a prejudice against the use of te Guitar, which is far older in its heritage than the pipe organ. On the other hand, as much as I enjoy organ recitals and live by the adage, If it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it, I have heard a lot that passes for organ music that may be pleasing to artists but seems hardly likely to inspire devotion or awe in the listener. I would rather listen in church to “praise” music inspired by the Carpenters than to organ music inspired by Stravinsky or Schoenberg.
“Contemporary” services are generally ghastly. They usually feature abysmal music and are devoid of any sense of piety, awe, majesty, or the sense of decorum and propriety appropriate to being transported from the humdrum of the everyday into the presence of God the Father and the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood.
#18
You’re absolutely right about some of the awful stuff written for choirs in the 20th century. Much organ and choral music from that time foreward is hideous. As you say, it might appeal to the academic musician (though I can’t imagine why, other than from a sort of bemused curiousity), but it is unpleasant to the ear. I say this as one who attends an Anglican church weekly and sings in the choir. Stravinsky and his ilk make me wince.
One last snarky comment:
I’ll gladly take the music of NALR with all it’s flaws over the sacchrine repetitive choruses of “Hosanna! Integrity”, Graham Kendrick, and most of what passes for ‘praise music’ in much of today’s Christian services. 🙂
We sang Michael W. Smith’s [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwvwnfasD5s]Agnus Dei[/url] yesterday before communion. Now THAT’S a great praise hymn.
Have any of you tried to hire an organist recently? If you have, I hope that you have a top-notch instrument and deep pockets because you will be in competition other churches. There are 16 churches in my own city who are trying to hire a permanent organist. Even fill-in musicians have waiting lists. My parish has been interviewing for over a year, but the pool is very small. So, we make do with substitutes and gifted musicians from our own congregation who sing and play various instruments. The musical blend doesn’t please everyone, but we’ll probably never go back to our rich Anglican heritage. That makes me very sad.
Lewis again anyone? ” A man who is eating or lying with his wife or preparing to go to sleep in humility, thankfulness and temperance, is, by Christian standards, in an infinitely higher state than one who is listening to Bach or reading Plato in a state of pride.”
If the music/singing isn’t coming from the heart, but from the mind, the enjoyment being the tune and pridefully making sure each note is just so, then it doesn’t matter the form, does it? Pity the newcomer trying to make sense of plain chant. Anglican music is, simply put, not user friendly. I love it! But I cut my eye teeth on it. I also love to praise and worship Him from my heart, and oh, so very many “modern” songs allow me to do just that. And as far as simple repetition goes, whatever shall we do with psalms and canticles?
T
I was just going to thank Kendall for reopening comments this week, as I really missed them last week.
Then I read the comments on this thread, and find myself wishing they were closed again. I don’t think I’ve ever read such arrogant and shallow-minded and completely judgmental comments about BROTHERS AND SISTERS as I’ve read here today. To believe that you own the corner of the market on the worship of Almighty God is a profound mistake. You need to get out of your bubble at St. Swithens in the Swamp and realize that there are other ways to sing, other ways to pray, other ways to acknowledge, with true reverence and awe, spirit and truth, the Holiness and Majesty of our God and King. Go to Africa – watch them dance with joy. Go to the inner city of Chicago – see those who live on the streets bring everything they have and worship IN THE VERNACULAR … go to an InterVarsity conference and watch young people in surrendered, heartfelt worship with all manner of drum and guitar… you will realize that your world is too small, your opinion extremely unimportant, and you’ll finally understand why this denomination of ours continues to die – because our narrow likes and broad dislikes are running the next generations to the mega churches down the street.
and yet, I am Pressing On.
Episcopalian.
For the Glory of God.
PS –
‘As we gaze on Your Kingly brightness
So our faces display Your likeness,
Ever-changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story,
Shine on me’
Kendrick.
Or
‘I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom,
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer –
But this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom’
Getty.
Not repetitive.
Totally anchored in scripture.
Singable.
Theologically sound.
A gift to the church.
ps again –
‘contemporary’ and ‘folk’ are only synonymous if you’re
referring to 1978.
I just got a reply from Mick LaSalle on the possibility of a different service:
[blockquote]To clear things up for Jim: It’s all folk, all the time.
micklasalle
[/blockquote]
so, I sent back an apology. He did investigate.
Jim Elliott <><
Yet, pressingon, there IS a different goal in presenting music in a liturgical setting then in a Jesus March through London or Miami.
The Liturgy, by it’s very nature, sets certain boundaries in theology, themes, and settings that should be guiding the choosing of music.
If you’ve read my posts on music here, you will know that I am by no means stuck in the 18th Century. In fact, I’ve led the folk mass for several years in a Catholic Church during the 1980’s (So what’s the difference between a contemporary music service that uses guitar, drum, and keyboard and a folk service that uses guitar, drum and keyboard? They look/sound alike to me!).
Frankly, I believe that God can use any music He wants us to use, but as I said, the liturgy is a different setting than a youth meeting or church retreat. Or a Baptist Church setting. Here there are certain specific guidelines.
For example, at Easter, would you use a Christmas song? No, of course not. Yet only three of the seven songs we had at Sunday’s Veritas service had anything to do with the Resurrection (“Jesus Christ is risen today” processional in and “Ye watchers and Ye Holy Ones” out — played by guest organist and horn section, and the pre-communion “Agnus Dei” mentioned above), and were in fact songs played at almost every service every other week. They are good songs, but shouldn’t the musicians or director pay more attention to the THEME of the day (such as the baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration, All Saints, Epiphany, and the other feast days celebrated on Sunday’s through the year).
Or the Gloria — would you not rather have a song extolling the praises of the attributes of God, since that is what that space is for, rather than a song asking God to “open the eyes of our heart” (which is a good communion or sequence song, but not a song of praise)?
I think what gets me more than the style is laziness or sloppiness on the part of the musical directors. Or the thinking that since this is the way songs are chosen in non-liturgical settings, it’s good enough here. Don’t get me wrong, I ENJOY this music, and my hands were raised in praise more than once during Sunday’s service.
My comments above related to (and I should have been more specific) “In a liturgical setting such as the Mass or Eucharistic service”. My bad. And I apologize for that. Am I making sense here, or just rambling?
Peace to you!
Jim Elliott <><
pressingon #24 – you make some good points, as far as they go. Where I would disagree with you is in what I read as your attempt to paint the comments on this thread as emblematic of the commenting problems Kendall feels exist. I see very little here that would fit in that category, unless you wish for differing opinions to be extinguished completely.
28 – Phil – You’re probably right, and I was likely being inflammatory. I apologize for that, with the caveat that I’m an organist/worship leader who works REALLY hard NOT to do the very things that this thread is castigating worship leader/organists for doing. So forgive me!
27 – Jim – I really appreciate your thorough response. Thank you! Yes, I totally agree that context is key — and I’m the first one to sing S280 at the top of my lungs at the Vigil. But I think that there’s such a tendency for liturgical/historical types [and I’m one of ’em] to completely lump all music written after 1900 into one category.. and to label as hippies anyone who sings any worship song with the word ‘I’ in it. I do apologize if my tone was defensive. I’m super passionate about this, and that’s no excuse for being snippy. sorry!
Just as there are some real laid eggs in contemporary worship music, there are some real laid eggs in the 82 hymnal, too. Someone once told me ‘Style is temporary, Truth is eternal’ and I have hung my hat on that ever since in all worship leading and planning that I’ve endeavored to do with all integrity.
Thanks for processing with me!
Still Pressing On
oh – one more thing — Phil – I do think that comments about excommunication fit into Kendall’s category…. over the line.
[i]Just as there are some real laid eggs in contemporary worship music, there are some real laid eggs in the 82 hymnal, too. Someone once told me ‘Style is temporary, Truth is eternal’ [/i]
You get no argument from me on either of these two statements!
Not to mention: Keys are often played too high for the average person in the pew to sing along comfortably!
Marty Haugen isn’t so bad, if you back him up with a big Lutheran pipe Organ and a huge choir. And libraryjim, my problem with “On Eagles Wings” isn’t the words. It’s the music, which is derived directly from 1970s commercial jingle writing. The whole genre is contaminated with this banal triviality. I’ve always wondered what the guitar services do for Lent.
I agree, pressingon, there might be one or two of those.
I understand where you’re coming from. I occasionally attend church with my RC wife and simply don’t like what’s happened to the liturgy and music. On the other hand, it’s clear the choir and cantor work hard and take their jobs seriously. The problem isn’t with them (if there’s a problem, which depends on one’s POV).
C.W.
and yet, I’ve seen people reduced to tears over that song (“On Eagle’s Wings”), so touched have they been by it.
and, Jim, it’s nearly unsingable. Have you ever tried to hit that first note out-of-nowhere??
Actually, I find it easier to play the chorus as an intro first. That prepares one for the first measure of verse 1.
So lj, whose reaction counts?
I come late to this but will put in my 2 cents anyway– one of the reasons I like traditional music is the incorporation of some very sound theology into the songs. Have you ever just sat and read the lyrics to ‘A Mighty Fortress’ ? Or, number 140 in the ’82 hymnal, with the words by John Donne about sin and forgiveness. I could go on and on– Melchior Vulpius seemed to have a knack for taking verses directly from the Bible and making beautiful music that teaches a lesson. For me, music inspires awe and wonder and makes the liturgy mean something. Without it, I lose interest.
That said, many people like the contemporary songs. That dosen’t mean there’s any excuse for some of the insipid ‘I feel good’ stuff that passes for praise music these days. I drive past 3 or 4 Episcopal churches to get to a place where I am fed, and can contribute a little of my own small talent. I can really sympathise with Mr. LaSalle.
CW,
I’m sure there are those who feel the same about some hymns. I really don’t like some of them.
And then there are those written in unsingable keys (Based on drinking songs???), which is not just a hazard for contemporary songs like “Eagle’s wings” (Of course, being a guitarist, I also thank God for capos!).
I had to reach for some of those notes on Jesus Christ is Risen today, and was happy that there was bass line in the hymnal (I had to frantically flip for it as only the melody line was included in the service leaflet).
But some tunes don’t feature a bass line, and I sit silent because I can’t hit the notes, and have not enough musical knowledge to make one up. For example, the Gloria used by the traditional service choir (S280, mentioned above as a favorite of pressingon, in teh 1982 hymnal). Probably on about 1/4 to 1/3 of the song I keep quiet rather then try to screech my way through it and annoy the people around me. (Gosh, I hope they don’t think I don’t agree with the words!)
So, yes, who’s reaction do you take note of, and who’s do you acknowledge but go ahead with because it’s a blessing? (Of course the same can be true of incense — do you not use it because some are sensitive to it? my wife would say “YES! Don’t use it” I would say “No, use it!”)
Peace
Jim Elliott <><
Jim – for the record, regarding the incense, I’d say ‘use it!’ with my inhaler in hand. 🙂
One thing I thought of on my way home:
So, yes, who’s reaction do you take note of, and who’s do you acknowledge but go ahead with because it’s a blessing [i]– as long as it is an appropriate piece to use in the service for the day[/i]?
(pressingon: Thanks! my wife is quite ‘low church’ and doesn’t quite go in for the ‘smells and bells’, but I really think she just says that because she doesn’t [i]like[/i] incense. 🙂 )
Two thoughts:
1. Just because some music sounds beautiful doesn’t mean that it is beneficial to the soul.
2. Just because someone sounds pompous and arrogant doesn’t mean he isn’t right or that he doesn’t know more.
1) And, Chris, who decides what sounds beautiful? When I’m at the stop-light next to a ‘pimped out’ car, that noise that causes my car to bounce from one lane to another doesn’t sound ‘beautiful’ to me, but the couple IN that car are sure looking like they enjoy it. (I wonder if they have similar music at their church?)
Another example from above: I really like “On Eagle’s Wings” and think the melody just right for the words (even if pitched a bit too high); CW hates it; and Pressingon thinks it unsingable. Who is right?
2) Anyone who watches ‘House’ knows what you mean here, but that doesn’t mean that we should accept someone who acts pompous and arrogant just on that basis. Too many Christian leaders need to re-learn the truth about Christian humility (not humiliation). However, that doesn’t mean someone acting meek and humbly is necesssarily in the right, either.
Peace to you, and I hope you had a blessed Easter!
Jim Elliott <><
I’m of two minds on this…
On the one hand, I believe any musical style could be appropriate to a worship service, so long as that style fits within the common musical vocabulary of the congregation present. A real “rocker” would not be appropriate in a church composed mainly of 80 year olds (unless they are some incredibly fun 80 year olds), the music should be tasteful and not done for shock value. I’ve been in churches where no instrument was appropriate to back the praise, and was blessed to worship there; and I’ve been in churches with a full jazz orchestra and was just as blessed.
On the other hand, I really, really don’t like 70s folk music, even of the Christian variety.
(I’ll make exception for 2nd Chapter of Acts because of that album about Narnia, I loved that as a kid. And Don Francisco.)
Didymus:
It was [i]the Roar of Love[/i] and it was what got me started on the Narnian Chronicles. It’s now [url=http://www.2ndchapterofacts.com/recordings/roar-of-love.htm]available on CD[/url], from their website.
[url=http://www.rockymountainministries.org/index.html]Don Francisco[/url] has a good number of his songs and albums for free downloads (mp3) on his website.
Peace
Jim Elliott <><
Hey Jim –
Just got back from playing for a funeral at a Catholic church — where Dan Schutte was the worship director back in the day. All my life’s a circle…. and the closing communion hymn was…
you guessed it…
On Eagle’s Wings.
🙂
LOL,
Thanks for sharing that!
🙂
At my home parish, the “folk mass choir” would rush down and cut in front of communicants in line to receive communion, often cutting in between families just so they could get there first. Whenever there was a baptism, they’d also rush ahead of the baptismal party until the time I was ushering and politely held them back physically explaining in a whisper that the baptismal party was to receive communion first. Oddly enough, half of these people were in the Chamber Choir and behaved perfectly respectable any other time.
The “folk mass” director wrote his own ‘mass’ and even made these fancy booklets. Our current rector put a quick stop to that and the director eventually resigned and then moved to a more liberal parish. Now no more “folk mass” YAY! Although a couple of the baby boomers in the parish whine about it, I think most everyone else (especially the ones too nice to say anything about it) is glad to not have to put up with it anymore. I always did notice that whenever we did have folk mass, not that many people would sing along. However, I am ALWAYS hearing compliments about the traditional music the Chamber Choir has been performing.
At every church I’ve ever attended, Episcopal, Anglican, or Catholic, the choir, whether traditional or folk, received communion first so they could return to the choir to provide the music. I thought that was the norm for the ‘liturgical team’ — at the altar or in the choir — at all churches?
#48 – Grace, you ended your comment with, “However, I am ALWAYS hearing compliments about the traditional music the Chamber Choir has been performing.” The operative word here is ‘performing.’ That is, I believe, the difference between the two attitudes toward “traditional” and “folk mass” or contemporary music. I have been in choir the majority of my life, have been choir director and worship leader, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to stop in the middle of a hymn and point out to the congregation that the choir is not there to perform, but to lead them in worship! I think we all need to step back and ask ourselves just how God wants to be worshiped, not what our pleasure is. Let’s go read the directions and come back to the subject later.
T
And #49, Library Jim, you’re absolutely correct regarding the music team/choir receiving first. That’s been the tradition in any church I’ve been at, member or visitor.
T
In our parish, Communion is brought to the choir loft, generally last. You might not be aware of that, since we are out of sight.
Actually, the last Christmas Eve I was Episcopalian, the choir (in front between lecterns and altar) was set up to receive last, and we got forgotten. I remember one guy in little side room announcing: I’m not leaving here until I have my Christmas Communion. Father went back in, pulled out some hosts and wine, did a quick consecration, and took care of us.
So maybe the choir first isn’t all that bad an idea. Half the time our present choir doesn’t get the chalice. Either they ran out downstairs or they didn’t have two ministers free to come up to us. As Catholics, that’s not a big deal to us, but enough are former Episcopalians that you hear some grumbling.