As a choir director, I do things a little different. Unless we are singing an incredibly difficult song (which is almost never) I stand facing the congregation. I normally play the guitar (mostly classical) or bass or sometimes the violin. If I had a full complement of instrumentalist, I guess I wouldn’t have much of an excuse to not stand in front of the choir and direct. My point—I am able to look out at the assembly when we sing. This is good and bad. I feel more of a connection with the assembly because I’m actually looking at them. The bad—I’m seeing less and less singing from the members of the assembly.
Why doesn’t our assembly sing anymore–or at least much less than in years past? That is an interesting question because most Catholic choir directors would just ask the question, “Why doesn’t my assembly sing?” As a member of my congregation for the past 23 years, I can tell you empathically, Catholics can and do sing the mass, because I’ve witnessed it over and over! Whether it is a old hymn out of GIA’s worship hymnal or a Negro spiritual, our assembly can and will sing under the right circumstances.
So, why do I get that “zombie” look when we’re singing a hymn or responsorial psalm or a chant? What has changed? Very little I would say! The musicians and singers have changed over the years, but the spirit of the music that we sing has not. We haven’t gone to “praise music” or in the opposite direction to Gregorian chant.
I just read an interesting article written by the Most Reverend Ronald P. Herzog who is the bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana. He is also a member of the USCCB’s Committee on Divine Worship. He brings up some interesting points. In the larger scheme of church history, “assembly participation” is only in it’s infancy. Until Vatican II, a Catholic “attended” mass—sounds a lot like attending the theater or attending a lecture doesn’t it? But—his Excellency also points out that we have only had roughly 50 years in developing a “singing congregation” and we are actually doing quite well in that regard.
Back to my earlier point, specifically about my own parish members backsliding in their singing of the mass…Obviously, there should be a good foundation of music ministry that presents the music in a fashion that is inviting to the active participation of the assembly—no blasting organ or guitars or warbling cantor, etc. I think it very well may have to do with the health of the community. And much of the health of the community can be gauged by the leadership. Is the pastor actively participating in the singing or does he look disinterested during the singing? Does he give the cantor the evil eye when he’s processed in at beginning of mass and “wants to get things moving” before all the verses of the processional are completed? At the end the end of the mass, does he walk out at the downbeat of the recessional hymn or continue to sing with the community? But more importantly, is the celebrant leading the community in it’s liturgical prayer or just following the rubrics? I think that is the key.
Show me a celebrant who is present to the prayer and liturgy and song, and I’ll show you a community who is praying and singing the mass.
Dear Tony
Thanks for your observations on congregatonal singing. I too lead a postingcongregation for Sunday morning mass and have had similar experiences. We have recently changed our hymn book to the popular Laudate here in UK, and this seems to have caused our parishioners some concern since they are now quieter than ever ! I am hoping they will soon find their voices of praise and worship ! However, I must confess that they do sing two masses very well, one is the well loved ‘Gathering mass’ – by Paul Inwood in Laudate, and the other is ‘A simple Mass’ by val Goldsack which I found on a useful resource site – link is:
http://www.silk.net/RelEd/ezine09_2007.htm#review
I hope your congregation soon finds its voice !
thanks for your interesting post/read
blessings on you and all your family, Sr. Maura
Your point about the celebrant and his attitude is well taken. One reason for this, I believe, is the lack of serious musical education in seminaries. There is little and it shows. Most of the reverend clergy know nothing other than what they were exposed to in their parishes when they were growing up. Given the state of music in most parishes, this is a very poor base on which to build.
Another problem is the lack of a really fine Catholic hymnal. There are some that are passable, but nothing to compare to the Lutheran Hymnal or the 1982 Hymnal of the Episcopal Church.
A third problem is the over reliance on material from OCP and GIA. These two sources are easy but they have little depth. GIA does move a bit further away from the “happy clappy” than does OCP but still, its pretty thin gruel for musicians and congregations. Marty Haugen and Bob Hurd may have written some good stuff, but they are no competition for Vaughn Williams.
Finally, most big Maniline Protestant churches have good music. Why is that? It’s because they devote a very substantial part of their budgets to music, a larger percentage than most Catholic parishes.
I guess it could be reduced to this: Catholics in most places, aren’t very serious about music. It is seen more as an add on than as an intergral part of the Liturgy.
Thank you Jim, I would actually love to get my hands on the Lutheran hymnal or the Hymnal of the Episcopal Church. As for the hymnals I have in my possession, I find myself being drawn more and more to GIA’s Worship.
It is very true what you say about the budgets for music in a Catholic Parish. In some ways I guess I should be thankful that I am getting paid. I recently strongly suggested to my priest that I needed a raise (after 6 years with my starting salary) or I would need to go elsewhere in order to pay my bills (this is my second job). I was given a nice 20% raise but it is still not even half of what I make in my regular “day job”. And—it is not all about money, as a very well-to-do Jesuit parish in the area is looking to hire me as their director of music and offering much more for my time.