Pastor in support of prayerful liturgy
  • AndrewSincerelyAndrewSincerely
    Posts: 33
    Hello everyone,

    I have come into a great situation. My pastor at our NO parish recently told me (I'm the music director) that based off much discussion and research with a parish improvement committee, that he is willing to provide $10,000 annually to bring in professional musicians to "enhance the prayerfulness of the mass" (his words). The stipulations being $1000 per month from August through May and the hired musicians would play at all four weekend masses (1 Vigil mass and 3 Sunday morning masses). He has also stated he would like different instrumentation at different liturgical times of the year (i.e. No brass during advent or lent). And specifically, during our conversation, he brought up as examples: small brass ensemble with timpani, flute or oboe, and a string trio/quartet.

    Now, $1000 a month for professional musicians for four hours of work means I could probably get 3-4 musicians a month. Father says the money is a fixed sum so whatever is left over from one month is rolled over to the next month. So I could have one or two musicians one month to save up to afford more musicians on a feast day. Father also said that I could use the money to hire professional vocal soloists if I saw fit.

    Since I have a very nice amateur choir and organist, my questions for all of you are: 1) Given the context, how would YOU use this money? What type of instrumental ensembles or soloists would you hire? 2) What instrumental pieces would you recommend that are appropriate for the Holy Mass either as a prelude or instrumental meditation during mass? 3) How would you utilize them during the liturgy with the organ and choir or cantor? Or put another way, where would I be able to find good and appropriate arrangements for the guest musicians? I'm trying to stay away from the ubiquitous Haas/Haugen/Joncas arrangements.

    I do have a general idea of the direction I'd like to go, but I would love to hear some of the ideas from this great forum.

    Thanks so much and God Bless,

    Andrew
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    What is your choir like? If it's not something spectacular and you don't have section leaders, this is where I'd spend this.
    Thanked by 1Andrew_Malton
  • AndrewSincerelyAndrewSincerely
    Posts: 33
    That was where my mind went as well. They are a decent amateur choir. But good section leaders would be great. We are in need of a good tenor and alto section leader especially (I have strong sight readers in my bass and soprano sections).
  • AndrewSincerelyAndrewSincerely
    Posts: 33
    I also thought of contacting my AGO chapter to see if I could bring in a guest organist on a Sunday when my organist is out of town.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Although I agree with the priority of section leaders, you might want be sure that under the heading "musicians" your pastor means "singers." It kinda sounds like he means instrumentalists.

  • AndrewSincerelyAndrewSincerely
    Posts: 33
    Kathy, you are correct. The section leader idea was something I would look into after I had the instrumental musicians established throughout the year and I had left over funds.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    I agree that section leaders in the choir should be a priority - not just a 'priority', but an absolute must. With these your choir can grow musically - in quality of singing as well as in more challenging repertory. And, of course, this benefits not only the choir but, by extension, better choral leadership at liturgy - which means better congregational singing.

    As for instrumentalists, I would first plan what music I wanted for major feasts and solemnities and alot my budget accordingly. What was left could be used for one or more musicians now and then.

    The question is of what calibre of musicians do you wish to engage. Do you want professionals (expensive!)?, high school students?, university students? The answer to this will determine who and when you can engage - and how far your budget will go.

    You will find that your $10,000 will be nibbled away rather quickly if you follow your pastor's wishes.

    You should sing a Te Deum in thanksgiving for such a pastor as yours.

    For certain solemnities you may want a brass consort of trumpets and trombones with optional tympani. These are required or optional for many festive anthems. Too, you can do Gabrieli canzonas and such things with them for voluntaries.

    For certain other occasions you may want a string quartet or such for certain baroque and classical choral repertory.

    What to do with just one or two instruments is always a problem for me, a problem without which I should rather be. They make little sense competing with an entire congregation and are better used for voluntaries playing suitable literature written for them - with organ accompaniment as appropriate.
    Thanked by 4CCooze CHGiffen MarkS PaxTecum
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Trumpets can handle themselves against an organ and congregation. Sometimes I leave the intros and descants to a violin, plus a solo (with organ) piece as a prelude.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 1,957
    If you follow MJO’s advice, you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck. A nice mix of pros and students will especially go far in improving the music and the liturgy as well as cementing the choral program at this parish.
    Thanked by 1MarkS
  • PaxMelodious
    Posts: 426
    You need to find out what exactly would make your pastor - and whoever in the parish is funding this - think that the liturgy is "more prayerful" and deliver to that.

    Personally I do not believe that paid section leaders would contribute to this - and in fact it could easily take away from it, especially if some of the section leaders are volunteer.

    And I suspect that "more singers" would not look like a whole lot of difference to your average pastor, not matter how much more complicated the repertoire they let you do.
  • PaxTecum
    Posts: 302
    I find that using paid section leaders definitely helps with creating a "more prayerful" environment. Their expertise rubs off on the volunteers and the choral sound is much more polished - just from that one extra voice in each section. A more polished choral sound in the right acoustic creates just the right space for prayer and meditation.

    I have found that using instrumentalists is also nice, in moderation. I have also "over done" it at times and found that it is not always worth the hassle. You get much more "bang for your buck" with trained singers.
    Thanked by 3MarkS M. Jackson Osborn noel jones, aago
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,295
    Adding my voice to the chorus here: you will get more bang for your buck with singers.
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn PaxTecum noel jones, aago
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Strenuous caution: while you want skilled singers, you want those who are willing and able to sing as part of an ensemble. Soloists make bad liturgical musicians.
    Thanked by 3PaxTecum Andrew_Malton CHGiffen
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    you will get more bang for your buck with [trained] singers.


    Do you have choir members who are already capable of being section leaders?
    Would it make sense to go ahead and pay whichever of them have the skills, capabilities and wherewithal, and who maybe "deserve" some sort of payment if the option is suddenly available?

    Sometimes, a bit of formal recognition can go a long way. You can, of course, always change section's leaders, as the case may require.
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