So the priest says to me, "Is there any chance the introit could be sung in a way that we could all join it? They do it beautifully all the time in the [local religious order's house] and I love it."
Inside my head: But the introit is best sung by the choir, and at the [local religious order's house] they sing together all the time, and we'll be limited to using simple forms of the propers, and does this mean we won't ever sing Gregorian propers, and the people can still actively participate by listening to the choir sing the introit beautifully...
Inside my head one nanosecond later: A priest wants to sing the propers! Cool! Roll with it, baby!
My answer: "Father, it's worth a try. Let's see what happens."
It's a very exciting time to be alive doing sacred music.
I've heard that the old bartender's motto is, "Better a good drink served in the wrong glass than a bad drink in the right one." That is, I'd rather hear a congregation attempt to croak out a good introit than hear the Three Tenors in the loft singing "Here in this place." :)
To participate in the discussions on Catholic church music, sign in or register as a forum member, The forum is a project of the Church Music Association of America.