Steve, I'm sorry for what you're going through. Many of us have been in very similar situations. The optimist in me prays that you will be able to 'educate' the new director, but if that proves difficult or impossible, think about your alternatives. Soon.

Expressing utter astonishment and dismay at the preposterous and irrational cannot really be called a rant. Your predicament is lamentable. Only in the Catholic Church, I think, would a person 'with no musical training' be appointed to oversight of music. I have seen advertisements in The American Organist for Catholic music directors which said things like 'ability to read music helpful'... but not really necessary.

Steve,

I extend my deepest sympathies to you. It is impossible for a non musician to direct and train a choir, much less to give direction to the professional sitting at the organ. Does this person have any training in liturgy? How did she manage to be hired for such a position?

I have seen this problem in some parishes here in my diocese. In my experience, this cannot last. We let bakers make our bread. We ask doctors to treat us when we are ill. Liturgical musicians are no less experts than doctors, lawyers or engineers. I wonder if your parish would hire an inexperienced person as its cook or plumber. Again, my sympathies go out to you and I will keep you in my prayers.

Where are you located?

Have you considered a warmer climate?

The trouble is that there are no musicians running parish music. I've got one serious diva of a cantor who only sings two masses per month, who cannot sing the D on the 4th line of the treble stave, and struggles to sing the C. She got used to picking whatever songs she liked on Saturday afternoon and really didn't like being told that she had to have them planed a couple of weeks in advance so that I could practice the organ accompaniment (she also asked if the organ has a piano sound.) She didn't like traditional hymns. So I played the contemporary hymns that she wanted and then the complaint was that I play them too high for her to sing.

I told her that the new organ will have an automatic transposer, and she responds that her pianist (who hasn't been seen in 4 months) transposes to suit her voice automatically. Now she has asked someone to come and play the guitar (without getting permission from either the Parish Priest or Music Co-ordinator.) She also waited just until the parish priest had gone overseas for a month to spring this one on everybody.

I've got one serious diva of a cantor who only sings two masses per month, who cannot sing the D on the 4th line of the treble stave, and struggles to sing the C.

Sounds like someone I've got as well. Unfortunately, you cannot change this person's mind in terms of what they want to do. They feel they are the expert, and know EXACTLY how to do their job (which they probably do, but they're only ever going to be able to do what they can do right now, which is probably all they care about). It's frustrating to deal with cantors like that, and I feel for you. Although you may change this person's behavior, you will never change their attitude. That's been my experience YMMV.

I suppose that people in the congregation who want better church music have to learn to sound off to the pastor and be the squeaky wheel as much as the clueless people whom the pastor is already hearing.

NO.

Let me be clear.

A new "coordinator," "director," whatever who says, at the beginning of her tenure "If you don't like the way I'm doing things, you can quit," should be run out on a rail immediately.

I don't care if said director is an Eastman trained organist and polyphony expert or a guitar strumming self taught "musician."

To manifest an attitude like that from the get-go ... Is inappropriate. And she needs to go. And the Pastor needs to be convinced that this is the case.

I've been at my place four years, and I enjoy the backing of a strong Pastor with the same vision. And I would never in a million years actually say the words "If you don't like it, quit" to anyone.

"If you don't like it, quit"
=
Unprofessional and BULLYING

Was the pastor there to hear her say that? I'd be in his office ASAP. I'd want to know why she was hired. I might be asking about how diocesan HR would respond to this...

Really sorry to hear you are on the receiving end of this, but I think you might have a few charitable and professional angles of resistance while you are looking for another job.

Totally agreed with Chonak's 6am comment. You can encourage people to do something positive, and speak their mind.

"The new pastor arrived at St. Mary's with a message: If you don't like what I do here, leave."

You have never heard that done. I have, actually. A number of times. And sometimes it was the best thing that happened to the parish.

Be careful what you wish for......

There is nothing un-Christian about it either.

Fine, you really want it above board? Call a meeting, get everyone together, Pastor, music director, and say "The way that you have conducted yourself since you got here is arrogant and divisive. What do you have to say for yourself and what does Father think about this? We've chosen to do this rather than talk behind your back."

Being Christian doesn't mean just saying "oh, ok" and going home.

Not necessarily. In some cases the priest was sent there to clean up a mess. Dictatorships have their merit sometimes. There are three in an un-named diocese that I know. They are doing very well.

It all depends on the personality. Don't paint with such a broad brush.

Yes you are correct. I could imagine the scenarios where this would be called for. Such scenarios are also few and far between and even then should be handled with the utmost care and sensitivity, probably to the point of clueing in the bishop and making sure he agrees with the plans for how things will be handled.

Steve, look for something better as you smile and try to be charitable. Then shake the dust off your sandals as you leave and commit the place and its staff to God. I seriously doubt you can reform the staff. My guess is the new person is doing what the pastor wants.

Nothing un-Christian or wrong with that.

No, there isn't, but...do you think this battle worth fighting? What will the stress and strain do to your health and wellbeing. Will you be spiritually undamaged if you stay and fight? Do you need the income from a better job in less stressful surroundings? All good questions to ask.

It is important to remember that we are attempting to win souls for Christ using the gift of music. I have found that threats and bullying (which are more present than we might like to think) only cause division. In the end, all of us learned what we know about liturgy and music from someone who took the time to teach us. We for our part, took the time and effort to learn this craft and to use our gifts for Christ. While it is impossible to teach anyone who thinks that they know everything, perhaps this is an opportunity to politely introduce the choir director to the rubrics and to use patience rather than to react with the same ignorance that she has shown.

Each of us is ultimately accountable only for our own individual behaviors, responses and decisions. As francis often reminds us, we each and all are known by name to the Trinity and already knows what has been in our heart from moment one. So, I see a simple case of which most of us have seen many times of an overwrought pastor making an ill-conceived and likely expedient decision with this unskilled (in many more ways than music) person taking a leadership position.
We can wax prolific as in the past we have, and offer all sorts of advice and solutions, but in the end, all those affected will make their own choices on how to respond to this negative stimulus. When they do, they should be mindful of last Sunday's gospel.

the coordinator & the Deacon

The pastor wasn't there? The deacon was?

This person was hired to clean house by a priest who doesn't have the !@#$ to do it himself. It's that simple.

This indicates that there are people who the pastor wants out of the choir loft.

Steve, you HAVE played in traffic.

This is such a typical CATHOLIC situation unfortunately.

This isn't a bad thing for you. You're going to come out on top.

Um, no he's not. And if he follows your advice he will never work in that diocese again.

PGA, are you working in a parish at the present time and what is your position? It's be interesting to know to better understand where you are coming from.

Many thanks to all of you for your sympathies and advice! Our Monsignor Pastor is very hands off and has given many of his duties to this new Deacon. This guy went to Seminary for 3 years and quit...for reasons he won't say. He claims that he knows a lot about liturgy...but he didn't have a clue what a Proper is, nor did the new DoM.

Anyway, this was my parish, (we've since moved) and I play only for the Saturday Vigil mass and I'm paid (I play at a Lutheran church on Sundays). Actually, I'm paid more than any of the other musicians (2X more). However, they pay me as a sub-contractor, not as an employee, which could be a big problem for them in the near future.

Somehow, the other organist, found out how much I'm paid. He was mightily P.O'd. and he started some B.S. campaign against me right before Christmas. He portrayed me as some traditionalist who was out to overthrow the whole music program. I think Noel is right...they want me out of the loft. This isn't a battle, just a P.I.T.A. If these people want junk well, they can have it. I've already started to look for another church job.

Thanks again to everyone, and please pardon my abbreviated expletive's.

Too humid. Come to Phoenix.

Steve, I'm sorry the parish is handling the sacred liturgy in this way.
And I'm sorry you're in the recieving end of an unworkable solution.
Sounds like one of those "Father X heard 4 loud complaints and now wants someone else to handle it" scenarios. Argh. Been there.

Whatever you decide, I'm glad to know there's an organist on this forum with liturgical savvy in southern CA.

I'm in San Diego, at St. Anne Church. Come to think of it, it has been rather humid in the city the last few years. But it's the traffic that irks me- just a little bit. :)

Actually, come to think of it, we have a "manager of musicians" at our parish who is not a trained musician. But he just organizes musicians and prevents us (musicians) from annoying one another too much. We have five Masses and various cantors or groups at each of them. He doesn't get involved with choosing music and was put in place because the poor pastor was elderly and didn't want to deal with the bickering.

Interesting that 'she is a very nice lady...', agenda included! I've found that quite a few otherwise objectionable persons are 'very nice' people: once you fully understand that if you don't like their agenda you can leave. Still, I hope that your new-found hopefulness isn't, after all, ill-founded.

I'm not sure if a pastor who is too hands off is worse than one who is too hands on. I would venture to say the former, although my pastor is very hands on and makes life difficult at times, but at least we're on the same page. He doesn't pretend to be a musician, but has a definite agenda as to where the music should be.

We're not here to wish that people have short runs, but, rather, to bring sacred music back into the church. I can say that in my parish, which has had definite opinions about NOT liking what I've brought in terms of sacred music, people are now beginning to sing the dreaded hymnody, and even learning some chants. At the beginning, I tried quoting all the papal encyclicals on sacred music, only to be shut down. So, I tried just playing the music and letting the chips fall where they may. While some people were VERY loud about their dislikes, others took a look at themselves and at the music and began to trun around.

The bottom line is that we are called to be servant leaders, and if that means eating a piece of humble pie to some musical ignoramus who has been put in charge of music, then so be it. In the long run, things will turn around.

God bless to all. Nobody ever said this profession would be easy.