Carols before Midnight Mass?
  • veromaryveromary
    Posts: 160
    I was asked if we could have a half hour of carol singing before Midnight Mass and kinda declined. I think one organist used to play carols before Mass, but she didn't have a choir to prepare, wasn't doing a sung Mass, just hymns at Mass.

    We have had carols after Mass - usually when we're just relaxing after getting through all the critical bits then realising we haven't prepared for the Adoration of the Infant Jesus that the European congregants love. It's a good thing we have Stille Nacht in the hymnbooks.

    Usually the time before Mass is the only practice with everyone who's singing. If we had more time to prepare we could do it. But is it a widespread thing?
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 800
    A carol service happens before Midnight Mass everywhere I've been. When is the last mass before midnight? Sometimes you will be able to rehearse between the masses, or use a separate room for rehearsing.
    Thanked by 3veromary Spriggo CCooze
  • JonLaird
    Posts: 242
    We have a combination of carols, choral, and orchestral pieces half an hour before midnight Mass. But it is beyond unreasonable to ask a director on Dec 22 to have the choir prepare half an hour of anything (even if "just" carols) on Dec 24. That was something that ought to have come up a while ago. I would say you are right to protect your choir from the extra stress and family schedule-juggling this would bring.
    Thanked by 2veromary hilluminar
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I have a 30 minute choir concert before Midnight Mass. It actually turns out to be 20 or so minutes of music and some remaining "fumble" time. I like to finish a few minutes before the mass begins so we can shift gears a bit.

    The choir doesn't sing any anthems during the mass, but I put in as many carols as I can for the congregation to sing. The folks end up singing around 6 carols during mass, which I think is enough.
    Thanked by 3veromary CCooze Salieri
  • veromaryveromary
    Posts: 160
    Sounds like something to think about for next year. The last Mass before Midnight is a few days earlier I think - it's a very seldom used church. I'm not a night owl though, so I'll be sleeping as much as I can before Mass. Also there's the day Mass - at least I'm not up for the Dawn Mass.

    I'll take it as a good sign though - people interested in music is always a bonus! Maybe recruiting time :)
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Next year I'm going to make a proposal to my director and our pastor: Have the sung Office immediately prior to Midnight Mass (although this year it's at 9 p.m., I think, because we're sharing a building). Carols go so far, but too often (in my recent experience) kitch and cliché replace actually beautiful carols.
    Thanked by 1ClergetKubisz
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,075
    previous Pastor had requested 30 minutes of carols before the midnight Mass; now that we have an organ (alleluia), present Pastor has requested an hour. Actually it turns out to be part organ, part harp, part choral. We all think of it as our gift to the newborn King; I don't think I could imagine discontinuing it.
  • ClergetKubiszClergetKubisz
    Posts: 1,912
    We did that when I was a DM. It was a practice that I inherited. I think that if the DM has complete artistic control over it, and it is performed well, carols before Mass can be very edifying and can help prepare the congregation for the Nativity Mass. I take issue when people try to get you to do specific things like have a children's choir for Christmas Eve, in addition to carols before Mass. By the way, does anybody know why children's choirs seem to be so popular? In my experience, it's usually a cadre of older parishioners that just can't live without a children's choir on Christmas Eve. They just go nuts for seeing the kids sing.
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  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    If you have a real children's choir, why wouldn't you have them sing on Christmas?
    Thanked by 4MarkS Casavant Organist PaxMelodious Spriggo
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Well, there's children's choirs and then there's something like the boys at King's or the Vienna Boys Choir. If you have a real good group of kids who can sing, by all means, give them a whole liturgy to do by themselves (and maybe do a movement or two of Britten's Ceremony of Carols) -- I would call these kids Choristers, whether boys or girls; unfortunately, when I hear about "Children's Choirs" in the US, it usually brings to mind the kind of 'cute' thing that deaf old ladies love: 12 or so nearly 'tone-deaf' kids screeching a version of something that sounds vaguely like Silent Night, but with the opposite effect.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn eft94530 CCooze CHGiffen
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    When the Mass is crowded, the carols give folks something to do while they're waiting and saving seats with their coats.

    Except in Phoenix. I don't know how people save seats in Phoenix
    Thanked by 1CCooze
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    People wear coats this time of year - it is very cold when the sun isn't out.
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    unfortunately, when I hear about "Children's Choirs" in the US, it usually brings to mind the kind of 'cute' thing that deaf old ladies love: 12 or so nearly 'tone-deaf' kids screeching a version of something that sounds vaguely like Silent Night, but with the opposite effect.


    Yes, the children's choirs in Germany, for example, are universally outstanding. Bell-like tones, glistening harmonies, perfect pitch.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Io9hfI9RI

    And only the finest in music, using Urtext editions. And particularly effective choir vocal training tools that put the humble American Ward method to shame.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOn29hp0gSk
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn canadash CHGiffen
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    Our Midnight Mass is a bit long, since we sing a polyphonic Mass. At times it was quite crowded, so people came a half hour ahead to get a good seat. So we provided a program of music for them. Then they came an hour ahead to get a good seat for the program of music. With this long wait, late at night, they were tired by the time the Mass started. Because I wanted them to focus upon the Mass and not the program ahead, I went to a simple program of organ music and congregational singing of carols, which has worked well.
    Thanked by 3veromary CHGiffen CCooze
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,943
    In the low desert, there's no ocean-induced lag of temperature, so it's coldest around the solstice rather than 4-6 weeks later. And, while new or non-elderly snowbirds might not find it too cold, people who've acclimated do. I've scraped ice off my windshield in Oro Valley (north of Tucson) on Thanksgiving morning visits to my sister and nephew.
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    very cold


    *snicker*

    Here, 5 days ago, it was -12 degrees F at 0600. (I don't count "wind chill" which is as fake as a Hammond organ--so that was the absolute REAL temperature.)
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    People think that since Tennessee is in the "south," we don't have cold weather. We do in East TN because we are in the mountains. It tends to run in extremes. It can be 70 degrees one day and rapidly drop 40-50 degrees or more. I remember having the organ tuned one year the week before Christmas. By Christmas Eve, the temperature was nearly 60 degrees colder and it sounded like the organ had never been tuned. Three days later, all was back to normal, including tuning.
  • veromaryveromary
    Posts: 160
    88 degrees in Sydney today. We're heading down there for a family picnic with lots of water pistols. (That's 31 degrees for us celsius people)

    People reserve pews with Missals and prayer books. Hence the term Booking your Seats.
    Thanked by 2CharlesW nun_34
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Well, it's not cold here in Houston!
    (It was a week ago, but not now.)
    It's humid and ever, ever so slightly cool and very still.
    Those of you are blessed
    with snow, do as all my true friends do and throw a snowball for me.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 1,951
    I like it. You can do wonderful choral carols that are less familiar as well as the good ones that everyone knows. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” can bookend Mass. I also like Matins beforehand but why not both?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I also like Matins beforehand but why not both?


    Less is more, but more is better!
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,943
    Always remember that nothing exceeds like excess.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,150
    And nothing succeeds like a seed sucker.
    Thanked by 2CharlesW nun_34
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