Distracting Descant During Communion
  • Today during Mass the MD decided to add a very high pitched, loudly mic’s descant to one of the communion “hymns” (it was a contemporary song). From the pews it felt like a metal spike going through my head while trying to pray despite wearing sound filtering, noise reduction earplugs that reduce noise by 25 decibels. It was so distracting, painful, annoying, and irritating that I couldn’t pray. Aside from being counter intuitive to the liturgical action (communion), it just didn’t make any liturgical sense and it was just a distraction. I’m debating whether or not to provide constructive feedback. In times past, the MD has been open to such feedback, but the past two years something seems to have changed and I don’t want to make waves. It feels like walking on eggshells at my parish.

    What are your thoughts?
  • Respectfully speak up - otherwise they'll keep doing this.

    Personally, I'm not fond of over-amplification anywhere, particularly at church.
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,514
    It might be most diplomatic to approach the problem from the point of view of amplification.

    It's actually difficult to get a good sense of how music sounds while you're making it.
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister