Music for a Graduation Mass
  • Claire H
    Posts: 368
    My children's choir will be singing for a Homeschool Graduation Mass (which will be celebrated by our new auxiliary bishop!) on June 8th.

    Here are the readings for that day... http://www.usccb.org/nab/060810.shtml

    I'm working on finalizing the music selections. The graduates and parents decided that if "Pomp and Circumstance" is done at all, it will be before Mass as a prelude (which I agree with). I'm just wondering if anyone has suggestions for hymns that would be sacred and meaningful for a graduation Mass? Finding hymns with the themes of "salt and light" (from the Gospel) would be nice, or maybe themes of service, wisdom, or the Holy Spirit.

    I need to have the selections determined asap. Thanks in advance for any ideas! :)
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,956
    For our middle school graduation May 29th, we are singing "All Creatures of Our God and King" for entrance, and "Go to the World" for recessional. We use the "Pomp and Cirucmstance" as a processional while the graduates enter. The entrance hymn for the priest's procession starts after the graduates are seated. I am not suggesting any of this is an ideal, it's just the way we do it.
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,040
    May I ask if it's possible for the bishop to celebrate a votive mass on that day? Since it's a weekday of ordinary time with no feast, it would be allowed, particularly since it's for a special ocassion. At schools where I have worked we almost always did a votive mass of the Holy Spririt, in which case there are any number of appropriate songs and hymns to choose from.

    Sam Schmitt
  • Jeffrey CogginsJeffrey Coggins
    Posts: 360
    It is in the tradition of my parish that the seniors choose the music for the Baccalaureate Mass, which is completely out of my control. Here is what they chose this year:

    Processional: This Is The Day (Haugen)
    Offertory: Prayer for Peace (Haas)
    Communion: How Can I Keep From Singing?, Seed Scattered and Sown
    Recessional: Sing A New Song (SLJ)
  • henry
    Posts: 242
    As our 8th Grade Graduation is on June 4th, a weekday, we are using the Votive Mass of Thanksgiving, with hymns expressing thanks to God for the education just received.
  • Maureen
    Posts: 678
    Re: seniors choosing music

    As with many people choosing lame wedding music, the seniors' choice seems to be a case of them not being aware of any other repertoire. You may not have _control_ over what they choose, but you could probably _influence_ it by giving them examples of nicer stuff. Audiovisual aids would probably help.
  • Jeffrey CogginsJeffrey Coggins
    Posts: 360
    Maureen, how can I probably _influence_ it when:

    1) they didn't tell me when they met with the liturgy director for choosing music
    2) only one of them actually sings in the music ministry and
    3) I'm only there one day a week

    ?

    I already choose better music for Sunday Masses, so they DO know of better repertoire. They only chose that music because they miss doing it, and the liturgy director allowed it.
  • DougS
    Posts: 793
    Jeffrey, just think of this way: it could have been even worse!
  • Jeffrey CogginsJeffrey Coggins
    Posts: 360
    haha ... yes, it could have ... but I didn't mention that they also changed the Mass Ordinaries back to one of said composers, which is alarming. Their music selections are not representative of the work I've done there, so I'm surprised that this is what they came up with. It left me wondering if their visiting family and friends would think this is the sort of music we always do ... but I don't think some of them would mind.

    Perhaps, what I can do, in the future, is to request to be part of this private/exclusive/VIP discussion of theirs, and provide feedback for their music selections. I was only recently promoted to my current position, so I really don't want to make waves, as they say. What I do want, though, is for them to make good decisions.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Seniors choose music for Mass? and the pastor allows it? Very sad. This is an example why individuals, especially those who don't have any knowledge in sacred music, are not choosing the music for Holy Mass. They can choose music for the graduation party.
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    "Master of Eager Youth"?
    I admit haven't sung it in a long while, so I don't positively remember that the text is appropriate, but i think it may be.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    This happened to me a few years ago. The Girl's Schola was asked to sing for 8th gr grad, and I was assured by the school that I could choose the music. Then a few days later, I was handed a huge pile of scraps of paper with the choices of the graduating 8th graders on them. Nothing on there was appropriate except for 'All creatures'- which was the choice of one of the girls in the schola (which we sang). I ignored it all and with the schola chose the music. That was three years ago, and we have not been asked to sing again . Boo,hiss.
    Donna
  • magistra6
    Posts: 15
    We have a tradition of singing Byrd's Non Nobis Domine (Not to us, Lord, but to Your name give glory - Psalm 115:1) at graduation. It's a canon that's not too difficult and very appropriate to the occasion.
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