I've had some success with choosing more classic hymns, mixing in some of the best new music (Schiavone, for example).

Guitarists can either finger pick or double-time strum.

Adding solo instruments can elevate the tone as well.

If you anticipate resistance you might consider having your pastor attend one of your choir rehearsals and you and he could outline with the choir (without necessarily pointing any individuals out) the direction in which you and he wish the parish to move - and why. This makes your choir conscious participants in a 'mission'. Your people should, of course, respect the direction of your leadership; but, there is a certain magic when people know with certitude that this or that is what the pastor definitely wants. You are very fortunate to have him.

FNJ's solution is the evil version of what I'd like to see:
That is, I'd like to see what he encouraged actually happen.

Regardless of stylistic appropriateness at Mass, it's a bad idea to even attempt to stuff the full breadth of Christian musics into one service each Sunday morning. There's all sorts of good reasons why Catholics (and Protestants) should come together outside of Mass to sing songs of any style that moves them, in praise and adoration of God. It's a good thing in and of itself. And to the extent that it mollifies people's needs to play/sing/hear certain types of music, it's a good thing for music at Liturgy.

As to the original poster:
I would make a gradual change toward the ideal.
But not a "eventually we'll deal with it" sort of Gradual. Make a plan.
Introduce one piece of the puzzle (a chanted Agnus Dei, a polyphonic Offertory) at beginning of each big season (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter). It'll take a couple years, but I think that's the way to go.
OTOH:
You have a particular problem, which is that the folk band plays at a special mass once a month. This is problematic, because anything you are introducing as the new normal is still pre-empted by "this is the special mass." Perhaps the way to do that is (GULP!) invite them to play at Mass every week. Incorporate them into normal, so that you can change normal without dealing with an outlier.

However, there is a small group in the choir that forms an "ensemble" that performs once a month at mass. This is a group of four people...three guitars and one bass guitar. They play Haugen and other songs in the same style and only want a piano as an embellishment (sic) to their guitars.
What is the best approach to begin "converting" this group over to more traditional forms of music and get them to accept my wishes for the music program without offending them and having them leave the choir? The prior music coordinator was there for over 20 years and was very loose with her ensembles and allowed questionable practices. I don't want to be the big bad new director who is trying to create emenies.
Has anyone else experienced this problem, and what have you done to slowly move away from this kind of polarization?
Could you provide some additional information? Some questions will follow this response.

I would suggest that the notion of “conversion” is a misnomer. People do “convert” by persuasion or coercion, but mostly people “evolve” as they survive and/or thrive. I also would ask whether you mean to accept your influence and leadership by your credentials as the “coordinator,” or by your taking the time to integrate (take it or leave it, you are now part of the “body” that is your parish and its ministerial groups) your talents as musician, leader and liturgical resource? Two things indicate that your influence might be welcomed, your skills as a keyboardist, and that the pastor supports and shares your “vision.” Whatever you’ve heard inferred about the previous coordinator’s legacy remains a moot point; you are simply on track if you really want not to emerge onto the scene like Moses with some smokin’ new commandments. First of all, you’ll need to remember that these four people likely regard themselves as just as much family, or fellow travelers than just a long-lived ensemble. Whether their musical chops are decent, great, static or insufficient is irrelevant to what your job is: you’re called to help them evolve in their skills of choosing, preparing, leading and performing worship music that is in concert with the mind and laws of the Church, and to lives as prayerful and faithful Christians. So, are you prepared to greet and meet them at their level, and then offer your skills to augment their modalities successfully, and gain their trust, respect and interest in your influence?

Questions:
*Has either the former coordinator or the leader of the ensemble kept a decent catalog of their “Orders of Music” for whatever number of years? You must have a much more thorough knowledge of their repertoire choices for Ordinaries, Psalters and (presumably) songs/hymns that have comprised the majority and preferences of that repertoire. Typifying this aspect as “Haugen” isn’t beneficial. You might find that certain pieces performed regularly are musically, liturgically and textually a cut above, and be able to show them appreciation for those choices with some sort of “attaboy.”
*If there are no such records easily accessible, make the time to meet with the ensemble (leader) and do a thorough inventory of what they have “in stock” based upon the hymnal or worship aide that is used.
*What is that primary music source? GIA Ritualsong, Gather; OCP MI/BB?.....
*Informally assess if they’ve ever ventured, as Kathy suggested, beyond the genre of the sacropop song? Have they interpreted hymns, or even chants with their plucked/strummed guitars and bass?
*Are they first and foremost, competent and capable vocalists and leaders of the sung text? Do they work on basic skills of blend, balance, good tessitura choices for the congregations they lead, etc. Do they insure that the melody voice is pre-eminently necessary without being over bearing? Do they obscure the melody by an inclination towards incessant harmonization or vocal improvisation?
*Are their performance skills relatively similar? Do they all strum? Do they arpeggiate either with flat picks or finger picking? Do they obviously demonstrate that notated chord inversions are observed, if not understood? Does the bass player also understand that such note movement is important towards the artful rendition of such songs; a.k.a. not always playing the root of a given chord? Do the guitarists prepare each song with a variety of interpretive methods: transposition via capoing that adds to the sonorities that support the song melody in wider registers?
*Have they demonstrated interest in expanding their repertoire and modalities, even if only for their own benefit, if not the parish’s?
*Can they read new material off the page, or are they dependent upon recordings?
*Have they attended any skills improvement events sponsored by their diocese or NPM or such?

These sorts of “information gathering” tasks might provide this group and other musicians the notion that you don’t regard “them,” prima facie</>, as a “problem” but an opportunity. Polarization is a problem, but not a normal state of being. It is a human reaction to conflict between intractable parties. There is nothing inherently wrong with allotting sufficient time to the task called “getting to know you, getting to know ALL about you.” And that works two ways.

It just makes sense to transplant it to a place where it belongs rather than to kill it off and alienate the musicians. These people are prime candidates to become advocates of chant since they are already committed to being musicians.

I'll argue that point - the people who will go out of their way to be violently against it are also people who can swing over and become RABID proponents. It's the pushy cantor and the guy in the three piece suit in the choir who frowns a lot that you have to overcome, not these people!

I'm no fan of the folk group, myself, but by the OP's own admission, they sing once a month at Mass. Most parishes dream of having problems like this.

I'm failing to see why anything needs to be done. Here's what I would do: the one Mass a month, I'd go get a bagel, read the newspaper, and think "gee, I'm sure glad I have one fewer Mass this weekend!"

Of course, one place to start in such a situation is to have the presider chant the presidential chants and the people respond with plainsong dialogs; also, any parts of the ordinary that have not typically been sung. Those areas have typically been left free from contempo-izing; start there.

Years ago, my parish had two groups: one led by an organist and they sang old-time hymns. Another was led by a guitarist and they sang goofy 60s stuff. A new music person came in a forced both into a mixed-mainstream program, imposing some organ and some guitar on every Mass and otherwise mandating OCP middle-of-the-roadism. Guess what? Every single person left the music program. No one was left. After one year, the new director cantored every Mass with a pianist friend of hers.

I saw the leader of the goofy group one night at a local restaurant. We talked and visited at length. It turned out, much to our astonishment, that we had tons in common. She wanted to serve the parish. So did I. She wanted real music that people could related to, not canned industrial publisher material. Same here. She wanted music that reflected the sensibilities of people, not something imposed from the outside. Same here. Also, she wanted humble, quiet, unassuming music that people could sing from their hearts. Same. We both found lots of common ground. But we were both out.

I've thought about this so much in the intervening years. I wonder what might have happened if the new director had brought us together instead of driving us both away.

By the way, the new director was gone in 3 years, leaving disaster in her wake.

Dear WMWilson, welcome to the MSForum....
I think the most important tactic you've already successfully employed is reaching a consensus and "plan" with your pastor. At 25, take it from a geezer pushing into his sixth decade in this vale of tears, that as Mick Jagger (you've heard of the Rolling Stones? The anti-Beatles?) once wailed, "Ti yi yi yime (time) is on my side, yes it is." Collaboration with your pastor/employer is paramount. All that well and fine....
In your last paragraph, you give strong indication that the four folks of the ensemble haven't given much consideration to the concept that the act of singing well trumps all of the other stuff such as accompaniment, repertoire, styles and so forth. If you can gently persuade them that whatever alterations they could make towards improvement, none is more important than presenting to the PIPs at the ensemble Mass a solid, choral/vocal product before all else. And heck, that's what all the church legislation has specified for eras, to boot! If they can vocally unify by helping them sing a well done unaccompanied "Shepherd Me, O God," which shouldn't take them out of their comfort zone, then you have gotten them over a fairly major hurdle. And with practice and time, integrating those better unison choral skills should pay dividends in many areas, increased consciousness, competence and confidence with vocal and instrumental technique not the least among them. And it's a short hop from being able to sing in tune/blend/balance Bob Hurd's UBI CARITAS to the plainsong original.
Rather than spend more time in this thread, I'll refer you to a series of articles over at our sister forum: The Chant Cafe. "Brick by brick" is a catch phrase for the strategy of evolving towards the chant paradigm via progressive solemnity. Let us know what you think, and how you're doing as you progress in the next months.
Pax et bonum,
C

http://www.chantcafe.com/2010/07/how-i-go-about-choosing-bricks-part-one.html

http://www.chantcafe.com/2010/07/choosing-bricks-part-second.html

http://www.chantcafe.com/2010/07/choosing-bricks-part-last.html

Thanks, Mark.

Perhaps sing with them for a time? That could get you better ingratiated, so that at some point you can say "hey, let's try this and see how we like the sound."

The other essential aspect is to build up a good relationship with the members and leadership. And not "smile to your face so I can stab you in the back", but an actual emotional investment in the people. Talk about music, buy them a round of beers, find common interests, pray together, etc. You have no right to tell them what to do until you have some actual consideration of their feelings beyond "I don't want to make people mad." Once you feel that you have a strong bond, you probably can make ONE change. So make it a good one. If they're singing an illicit setting of the ordinary, suggest another setting appropriate to their style and leave that fixed. If they sing unscriptural songs during the psalm, suggest they try a Guilmont psalm. Or, if they're not really doing anything "wrong", suggest they branch out their repertory with other music appropriate to their style but more in the direction of the rest of the Masses (have suggestions ready). The point is only ONE of those, and PROPOSE without enforcing. Just say "something to think about for next month.. talk it over, give it a try, I think you'll like it!" Then do nothing more for a year.

Something else that I've seen help immensely is invite the better members on occasion to sing with your choir. Say, "hey, I could use another male part on this song for such and such Mass, how'd you like to give some chant a try?" Make it clear they're helping you.

And, this occurs to me as most important: your pastor is behind you, and that's good. But make sure he understands you won't "fix" the folk Mass. Unless you're making some seriously good money, you probably won't be there long enough to where the folk Mass turns into an EF Solemn High Mass. You can make some progress, and hopefully get the folk group better integrated into the rest of the parish over 3 years or so. That's a reasonable goal. And I too am 25; there's a very fine line between letting them treat you like a grandchild and being a young whippersnapper. I find the generation in their 80s actually do respond well to shows of authority, but the 60s crowd needs massive ego stroking to pay attention.