Bad cantor technique (video)
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,085
    https://livestream.com/accounts/563599/events/850706/videos/176814540

    Cantor's pre-Mass greeting and announcements begin at 13m39s

    The link above is to a video of Sunday evening Mass at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California on June 24.

    There was some discussion in another thread about what to do/not do when the cantor makes announcements and encourages the assembly to join in the singing. I think this video exemplifies very bad approaches to all of that. One irritating habit of the cantress is to interject, "C'mon church!" when she wants people to begin to sing or to sing more.

    As well, people who aren't familiar with this particular church might be shocked to see the placement of the band directly behind the altar, with the band, microphones and other equipment competing with the altar for visual importance. (There's a perfectly good choir loft in this older-style church.)

    Jump around in the video to the usual places where the music is performed to get a sense of this church's approach to liturgical music and watch/hear the cantor do her highly animated thing. (The Gloria is especially eye-opening, and if you watch nothing else, watch that. Begins at 20m35s) It's not quite Rebuilt/Nativity, but it's trying to be something similar.

    A terrible implementation of novus ordo liturgy and liturgical music in so many ways, but this church is considered a model in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    I was surprised by the amount of clapping she managed to get folks to do during the Gloria... usually these attempts are greeted by like 5% of the congregation... she got at least 15% or more...
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    Totally demented, from the chubby diva at the microphone to the ADHD guitarists who mindlessly pluck/strum their instruments while not actually playing anything. These folks never seem to have any idea just how untalented they really are. A good case for staying home if it's not possible to go elsewhere.
  • cmb
    Posts: 86
    this church is considered a model in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

    Well, they're doing almost everything they were taught at the Religious Ed Conference. Only missing the incense dancers.

    I watched to the Gloria. The jazz piano background during the greeting and penitential act (which seemed to be missing it's invocations, if this was meant to be option C) was more bothersome to me than the drums and the overly enthusiastic cantor.
    Thanked by 1SarahJ
  • MNadalin
    Posts: 13
    Side note - does anyone know what the organ in the loft is?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    Side note - does anyone know what the organ in the loft is?


    Unused?
    Thanked by 2cmb Steve Q
  • PolskaPiano
    Posts: 255
    Our church uses this Gloria. It was in their repertoire when I came. This church definitely jazzed it up. A lot. The original with choral parts is quite lovely for a festival Gloria. To me it is how she was holding the mic, holding herself, and turning it into a show.

  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,325
    Holy smokes...this is a travesty.
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    Oh, what a beautiful building. What a shame.
    Thanked by 4irishtenor CharlesW tsoapm SarahJ
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    FWIW in the description of music at their six masses, organ is mentioned three times, (though always as well as piano), and keyboard once. So perhaps they do use it. Chant also occurs a couple of times, and Gregorian once. I might survive as a member of this parish, if I only went to the Saturday Mass, and found a quiet bar to drown my sorrows every Saturday evening
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    Holy smokes...this is a travesty.


    I don't know... I think it answers a lot of questions quite definitively. Like the question of whether to use books or e-books. Apparently, iPads are the answer. Really had to value the participation by all, regardless of the original statement about the cantor. Personally, I thought "C'mon, church" was very evocative. The little boy in the front row doing air guitar just warmed the (otherwise cold) cockles of my heart. And it also showed me what some have posted about before - that left to its own devices, the EF would be in exactly the same boat as the OF. Somehow, I could just picture it... the guitars strumming in the background as the procession moves in to the tune of Kumbaya, Dominus Meus, Kumbaya.

    OK, I've put my "snark" to rest now. :)
    Thanked by 4MarkB CharlesW CHGiffen irishtenor
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    Kumbaya is pretty much just the Mode V psalm tone anyway, isn't it?
    Thanked by 3CharlesW irishtenor Casavant Organist
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    unbelievable, words fail me.
    Except to say that my understanding of 'momentarily' (see start of video Mass begins momentarily)) is that it means 'for a very short time' which, in the case of this ghastly performance would have been a blessing.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • Steve QSteve Q
    Posts: 121
    I think I'm going to be ill....then maybe I'll have a good cry.
  • Ken of Sarum
    Posts: 406
    What does one expect from clergy and others who have taught the warm and fuzzy version of "Buddy Jesus." Their total lack and ignorance of true scholarship, doctrine, theology, sacred liturgy, music, arts and the bible, produce these fruits. By their fruits ye shall know them! These are the people that will be disillusioned and turned bitter and away from GOD when pain, suffering and sorrow enters their life, not understanding why any buddy GOD would allow such things to happen in this world and especially to them. These people, all over the church universal, have not been led into safe green pastures where Christ is our Shepherd, but rather into pins awaiting the day of slaughter which they will never see coming nor prepared for.
  • MichaelDickson
    Posts: 419
    The cantor is far from the worst thing happening here. How sad.
    Thanked by 5CharlesW ebullock a_f_hawkins SarahJ MarkB
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Peter Kwasniewski must be rolling in his...….oh, wait...…...nevermind.
  • SarahJ
    Posts: 54
    Interesting that this Mass (Sunday 5:30 pm, I assume) is called the "young adult" Mass. I didn't see many young adults in the pews.
    Thanked by 2MarkB canadash
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    While the cantor invited and received a fair amount of congregational response, it seemed to me that the celebrant neither invited nor received much response to the Creed (46:30). Some certainly were joining in but I got no impression of a collective declaration of faith.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    . . . catafalque.
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,085
    @ a_f_hawkins, you're right: only a tiny percentage of the assembly professed the Creed. How strange to see. At every parish I've been to, the assembly either knows the Creed or reads projected words; I don't think I've ever been at a Mass where so few people recited the Creed that the celebrant sounded like the only one speaking. Maybe the celebrant should have shouted, "C'mon, church!" for the assembly to realize they were supposed to participate in the profession of faith.
    Thanked by 1Incardination
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,100
    since my earlier post seems to have been deleted, I will repeat it here.

    " . "
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    I'm very sorry. Jackson has the dot under copyright. Also the yellow square. ;-)
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    only a tiny percentage of the assembly professed the Creed.


    Maybe they are being honest.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    The celebrant chose to lead them in the Apostles Creed. Don't know how normal that is there for Sunday Mass (it's certainly permitted, and encouraged during Paschaltide, but what I mean is I don't know how ritually deep the practice is there). Depending on the fineness of the resolution of your monitor, you can see more lips moving if you pay close attention than might be apparent at first blush.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Was at the coast last weekend, visited local parish for Mass. Priest enunciates the Nicene and congregation is on it for about two seconds when there's an obvious disconnect-seems the cantrix decided (into her microphone) that the Apostles' was "correct." Never experienced that sort of hubris before.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    wow to that one. Love changing the ritual gauge without real cause in mid-transit....
  • toddevoss
    Posts: 162
    Also interesting that the actual mass was still 1:10 , so not timed to get out in under an hour...and yet no time for any Eucharistic Prayer other than the inexplicably ubiquitous EPII. A minor note, but I can't help noting. Looking for the positive, kudos to the woman in black in front row singing her heart out and the guy in red behind who seemed quite devoted and in a bit of trance at times(and perhaps has some difficulties). The little kid in the front row with the air guitar - well he is only imitating what his leaders are doing.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    [Since this thread is about critiquing the work of a few particular individuals, I think it's best to let it sink down the list: it's not the sort of thing I'd want to keep going.--admin]
    Thanked by 3WGS toddevoss CHGiffen
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 284
    I actually commented on their LiveStream of Mass for the first Sunday in November. I asked why they omitted the Gloria when it was a Sunday in Ordinary Time. One of the parishioners, I’m assuming, replied: “November is a month of remembrance of the dead; that’s why we don’t use the Gloria.” Oy vey.
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