College Chapel Sacred Music: Nonexistent
  • brndurham
    Posts: 71
    You know those days when you move into a new university, you head straight for the Catholic student centre on campus? Meet all the nice people, talk with the nice priest, and then join them for Mass? You're ready to go to the altar of God, when all of a sudden, the ear-breaking tunes of "Gather us in" are played by an overzealous pianist who seems unaware this is not a jazz lounge. You'd think it would get better, but... then the Mass of Christ the Saviour by Schutte rears its ugly head in the Gloria and the jazz lounge never stops. Is there any nice way to suggest to the chaplain that at least some more... moderate hymns and settings might be in order?
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    First thing came to mind (hopefully the chapel has a good acoustic)
    Provided the chapel is generally open during daylight hours, find a time when you can visit it alone. Take a pew, pray, then starting chanting some office chants, some metric chant hymns, an ordinary you like, some Latin chants from a Vatican edition, maybe some English chants by Kelly, etc.
    Do it honestly and without any other motivation than to pray. Do this as often as you're afforded the opportunity.
    Thanked by 11brndurham amindthatsuits Liam noel jones, aago Ben canadash JulieColl Torculus CHGiffen Gavin M. Jackson Osborn
  • amindthatsuits
    Posts: 857
    Excellent suggestion, Melofluent, and the planted axiom in what you wrote answers the direct question: one person complaining will just be another person complaining.

    Positive suggestions: become a very helpful member of the worship planning committee--supportive, hardworking, uncritical. THEN start making suggestions.

    Get to know the music majors, find out who, Catholic or not. loves 16th Century Polyphony (there will be many), and encourage them to form a group that could do a Mass setting for one Mass.

    Form such a group yourself.

    And, as the Apostle advised, pray without ceasing.

    Kenneth
    Thanked by 4noel jones, aago canadash brndurham M. Jackson Osborn
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    Our Newman Center at ASU has a 9pm Mass (their highest attended Mass time) with sung propers, chant, organ, incense. Latin motets, and professional choir. I play and conduct the Mass occasionally and what they are doing is quite impressive.
    Thanked by 1brndurham
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,945
    35 years ago this week, I matriculated at Mr Jefferson's University. The first Mass I attended was said on a large lab table in the largest, steeply raked, auditorium classroom of the Chemistry Building (because the rebuilding of the local parish church after a fire was not completed until the following month). No music. No clue what awaited me.

    Then I learned. What a dear friend of mine called "wang wang". Two years later, a wonderful SSJ sister organized a schola to sing a more intrepid scope of repertoire (traditional hymns, Latin and English polyphonic and other anthems, and what I might call American vernacular spirituals (both black and white - shape note hymnody in the latter case) at the first Sunday morning Mass, which attracted congregants. I joined that schola. Life improved.
    Thanked by 2brndurham CHGiffen
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    I had the same experience and thought it was SO COOL, back in the day. Silly me. I would have joined in something better had someone come up with something though.

    The above advice is excellent.

    And I would add: remember, the Mass is the Mass. Pray for your priest.
    Thanked by 1brndurham
  • bonniebede
    Posts: 756
    Thank God for making your mission field so obvious!.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,151
    Two years later, a wonderful SSJ sister organized a schola to sing a more intrepid scope of repertoire (traditional hymns, Latin and English polyphonic and other anthems, and what I might call American vernacular spirituals (both black and white - shape note hymnody in the latter case) at the first Sunday morning Mass, which attracted congregants. I joined that schola. Life improved.

    Indeed it did. I also joined, near the end of the good sister's tenure there, and then I inherited the choir for a few years. We had a good ride, didn't we!
    Thanked by 1Liam
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,945
    Yes, we did.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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