There are two kinds of drums that belong in church. One is the architectural variety that is found at the base of domes. The other are those tympani that often are called kettle drums. The former are indispensable structural elements guaranteeing a safe environment for the latter, which are indispensable elements of quite a lot of liturgical music, particularly on great feast days.
I once held the view expressed above by MJO. A couple of years ago, however, I directed my chant choir in a liturgy that included local Ugandan musicians. The subtlety and expressiveness of their use of native instruments left me speechless. Unlike the typical aggressive and abusive contemporary American manner with percussion, there was nothing unseemly about the Ugandan usage. In addition, they were wonderful singers.
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