That's nuts - I repeat NUTS!!!!

Tell me about the skill levels of these "musicians" and what kind of formal training they have.

I agree. We should definitely simply hand out octavo editions and french horns to random members of the congregation. And then just shout "Go!"

Um, this is usually the guitar players.
I see now.

Problem is, we have only one accomplished musician (or as accomplished as one can get in a small town...) and he too no longer wants rehearsals. He wants to show up on Sunday, have me plunk the sheet music in front of him (nothing new or challenging) and play.
Oh well, what can you do? God's giving me lemons....

(Squeeeeeze... squeeeeze... squeeeeeeeeze...)

Give him new and challenging and let him fall on his...it is especially effective if you leave the CAPO 2+ off his copy of the music.

God's giving me lemons....

(Squeeeeeze... squeeeeze... squeeeeeeeeze...)

I'll get you some gin for those lemons.

The Holy Mass is not Open Mic Night.

Isn't it vanity to think that one can do well without any practice?

This suggests another side to the story. Still, if a pro is balking at putting in unpaid overtime, it would be a bit squirrelly to play the vanity card instead...

Based on what we know, I'm finding it unlikely that he is a pro who wants to be compensated fairly or anything like that. Something like "rehearsing is a sign of vanity, and should not be allowed as we are not supposed to be 'putting on a show' " sounds more like someone who just doesn't care, or perhaps is frustrated with the selection of music. No rehearsals gives him/her an easy out to say: "I don't want to do that, it's too hard without rehearsal."

Obviously I can't know for sure, but it's one plausible theory for why this "musician" is acting like this.

Call me a cynic.

Those people be crazy.

And lazy.

I completely understand people that are so talented that they don't need to rehearse. They can sit down look at a sheet of music and play it perfectly note for note.

The problem with these people is that they don't understand that rehearsal is for everyone. Its a place where the people who aren't so talented get to hear the parts as they will be performed on Sunday. With them not being at rehearsal and then showing up on Sunday could actually have the adverse effect of throwing off other musicians who don't expect to hear what they are playing.

There is also the point that a good director will alter speed, dynamics and parts. If your not at rehearsal you will miss what is being directed and screw up the sound.

Maybe the guitarist is feeling the burden of being on duty every week, and would like to get out of that. If that's the motivation, maybe it would be worthwhile to change the schedule so that the guitarist plays alternate weeks, but still participates in rehearsals; and someone else takes up that accompaniment role in the other weeks.

Do they also think the sermons are improvised?

No need for preparing homilies, that's vain.

Also, don't prepare the parish brunch before the people come in. Wouldn't want to be vain. The volunteers are dedicated, they can figure it out when the people come.

Also, we wouldn't want to decorate the church for Christmas. That would be vain. We can figure it out on Christmas eve.

There is a prevalent wrong sense of what the role of the church musician is.

I have sung in church choirs, or groups, where there was a quite clear and explicit desire to avoid sounding too "artistic", too "beautiful". Because it would seem to separate the "role" of the choir from "leading the people's song", and tend to introduce a hierarchy into the liturgy. Can't have that!

I'm wondering if this equalizing attitude, rather than vanity, is at the root. (Unless this attitude be vanity as well, as Montaigne's excruciatingly fine irony above suggests.)

I have sung in church choirs, or groups, where there was a quite clear and explicit desire to avoid sounding too "artistic", too "beautiful". Because it would seem to separate the "role" of the choir from "leading the people's song", and tend to introduce a hierarchy into the liturgy. Can't have that!

Really a good point, do the monks at Barroux in their daily podcasts sin through being too artistic and sounding too beautiful?

A priest I know of once called visiting the sick of his parish "whoring".

The truth is, ministry is work. That's why its called the opus Dei, the work of God. Yeesh.

Jackson, that was said with magnificence.

Hopefully, all of you have read the words of Archbishop Sample in his pastoral letter on sacred music. I think he addresses the issue of rehearsal quite elegantly:

As Pope Benedict XVI has stated, “Nothing can be too beautiful for God”. Musicians should take these words to heart, because it is they who bear much of the responsibility for bringing beauty to our liturgical celebrations. Pastors should encourage musicians to aspire to the highest levels of beauty in sacred music and to embrace with joy the work which this entails. We should always aim high to offer God the best and the most beautiful music of which we are capable. Whether paid or volunteer, those responsible for sacred music in the Mass every week should be committed to prior practice and rehearsal. Every hour of worship should represent at least two hours of structured preparation at a time and place apart from the congregation.

http://www.ccwatershed.org/media/pdfs/14/06/15/16-28-51_0.pdf

We are indeed putting on a show... for God.

It's only for God. (My best, that is!)

How many remember the tale of Arachne?: the Greek goddess of myth who was offended when mortals did or made something perfectly without flaw. The Greeks routinely made a deliberate flaw in their embroidery or other creations so as not to offend this godess, who alone could create with perfection. Then, there was the young maiden who made a beautiful, flaw free piece of embroidery. The peeved goddess turned her into a spider, hence, 'arachnids'.

Well, our God is not like that. He is not offended with perfection (which always remains the unattainable-but-strived-for goal). He gives us talent and expects (yes expects) us to perfect it. A careful review of the parable of the talents will make this crystal clear. Does one think that he is pleased if we prepare with great diligence for events in our lives other than mass, to impress people whose impressment we covet, and yet amble into his sacred precincts and presume to offer to him and his assembled flock less than the best of our talents? What insouciant presumption! God expects of us spiritual perfection, an integral element of which is the use of our talents. This is unatainable in this life, but we are expected, with the aid of the Holy Ghost and the example of the saints, to strive for it for all we are worth - morally, intellectually, lovingly, and with our talents. The parable of the talents makes it clear that God expects a 'return' on his investment and his confidence in our stewardship. The next time some person carries on about doing something 'just for God' tell her or him that you are doing it just for God. But, be careful: we all must guard against pride, so strive for perfection and perform splendidly... but with humility and a heart thankful for what has been entrusted to you.

Is it weird that before I opened this thread, I assumed it was about me?

The great thing about having a single cantor sing all the music is that they don't have to have rehearsal in the church. If they rehearse you'd never know it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIODLdz6vEc

If they rehearse you'd never know it.

If a person rehearses in the forest and nobody hears it, did that person actually rehearse?

Ah, now this discussion becomes a horse of a different color, purple, perhaps?
There can be a profound fatigue which besets accomplished "Gregory's" when they've willingly endured supporting an array of singers (who aren't musicians in a y'all come sing situation) and less-talented/experienced/capable instrumentalists in ensembles over a significant period. So, I'm not sure it's about vanity, but about sanity. OTOH, if Gregory literally did call what he experiences as frustration/exasperation, "a vanity," he might've just misspoke in an effort to deflect himself from his real issues.
In the sacropop world I know it is common for these groups of great disparities to literally rehearse the same songs, same ordinaries, same psalms, all congregational and known, week after week. I would want to flay the nearest warm body who says "Can we go over 'Blest be the Lord' just one more time please?"
PSq, more information , please.