It's good that you're concerned, but there's very little you can do, so it's best not to beat yourself up over it, or engage in endless self-doubt. Program accessible music, play well, have some enthusiasm, and respond to what you hear. Other than that, there's nothing you CAN do, and it's easy to get stuck in a trap of "what's wrong with me??"

My opinion:

-Congregations that sing well and like to sing should not have their singing replaced by schola-centric traditionalists who insist that the propers should be sung by professionals and the congregation should participate by "actively listening." It's theft, if you ask me.

-Congregations that don't sing and don't seem to want to should not be goaded into singing by FACP-loving "song leaders." Have the choir sing the Propers and a motet/anthem, use a Gregorian Ordinary and hope a few people sing it, and program a recessional hymn you are sure everyone knows.

It sounds like you are in camp 2, and are already doing good things in that regard. Keep it up, and don't be concerned. Robust congregational singing and schola-driven traditional liturgies are both equally valid and licit, and the wide variety of spiritual "preferences" within the Body of Christ suggests (to me) that both are needed.

take a totally different view and perhaps present this to your priests. Tell them you would like to experiment with the liturgy. the less traditional priests might like your idea.

get the priest to sing his parts and have the people respond... that is the most important aspect of congregational singing. then after that the ordinary is most important for the people to sing. they are already singing the psalm and gospel acclamation, right? i havent counted, but that is more than likely over 14 times that the people sing during the Mass. At what point do they listen to music? In this scenario, only three times; during the processions which they should watch and perhaps hear a choir or a schola. If need be, have them sing the entrance hymn instead of the proper, or include the proper after the hymn. just sing the antiphon and leave out the psalm verses.

this is a way to reframe the participation in singing that gives the clergy a totally different view of how music can be handled with variation at the liturgy.

Generally agreed, Adam. And I might add that for those of us in "Camp 2" as you have described it, never hearing propers or Gregorian ordinaries is also theft, if you ask me.

mark... grand theft as opposed to a misdemeanor

Communion time is a time when I'm glad not to hear anybody in the congregation singing. They should be focused on something else, not holding a hymnal in their hands as they approach for Communion.

I'd go with what CharlesW mentioned - using a smaller assortment of hymns so that the people will be more familiar with them. It works fairly well in the places I've done it. One church, the pastor insisted on me using a lot of hymns that were unknown as well as changing them constantly and the congregation would never sing aside from one or two hymns here and there.

I'm convinced that in the Catholic Church in America there exists, and always has, an idea that EVERYTHING, from the hymns to the responses, is just something that the organist or cantor do on their own. I recall recently playing for a benediction when I asked the priest which hymn should follow the divine praises. His response was telling: "sing whatever you like." Of course, since it only mattered that the music be pretty, not that anyone do anything about it.

Maybe this same attitude exists in Canada. (you are from Canada, right?) So it's possible this scenario is exactly what the priest and congregation want.

My proposal, which Adam hinted at, is that if no one wants to sing why not scale back to 2 or 3 hymns per Mass? That way, you can focus on appropriate hymns that are well-known. Maybe you can talk to your pastor and see what he thinks about no one participating.

I'm surprised at TCJ's statement above that he doesn't care if people don't sing during communion. Besides the liturgical question of singing during communion, I'm concerned about the musical effect. A lonely organ playing a 16-bar strophic melody. Hardly worthy music. Especially when there are so many glorious antiphons, chants, and motets that could be sung if the congregation will not join in the hymn.

Unless you are repeatedly on the receiving end of nasty comments or snide remarks about the music you select or sing, I wouldn't worry about it at all. Sometimes they just don't like to sing, and there really isn't anything you can do about it. Now me, in my small parish, if the folks don't sing I can get on them a bit and then they will cooperate some again :)

One problem is that in our entertainment-saturated world, people who don't normally sing tend to like to listen to the cantor instead of joining along.

One of the key things to getting a congregation to sing is to have the responses of the ordinary sung (the lord be with you, and with... lift up your hearts, we lift them... let us give thanks... it is right and just...) As well as singing the our Father. Pick one chant melody and stick with it for the Our Father. It is something that will never change and everyone can at least attempt to sing together.

Even if you have Hymn Boards which give the hymn numbers, it is best to annouce the start of each hymn, especially if it is from the hymnal and not in a liturgy leaflet.

I know it sounds like a railway station announcement, but the congregation does find it helpful that I give an announcement like this:

"Please open your hymn-books to hymn number seven-zero-two, hymn seven-zero-two, Hail Queen of Heaven the Ocean Star."

"Please turn to the front of the mass leaflet for the processional hymn, By All Your Saints Still Striving."

"The Offertory Hymn is number seven-nine-two, hymn seven-nine-two, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty."

(after singing the communion chant or antiphon)
"Our Communion hymn is number eight-zero-four, hymn eight-zero-four, Shepherd of Souls, in Love Come Feed Us."

I find it important to repeat the number of the hymn as people usually start fumbling for the hymnals when I start speaking, and miss the hymn number.

I then start to play the introduction, which is usually the hymn tune once through (or an abbreviated form of it) which gives the congregation time to find the hymn in the book, and it triggers their memory. I don't play a huge variety of hymns. I have a collection of general hymns and then a few others to suit the liturgical seasons.

From there on people have been able to figure out how to read the board.

You only announce the first hymn then?

The only thing I hate more than announcements is not knowing what the hell is going on.

It's a balancing-act, I'd say. Printed programs provide some much-needed ballast.

@canadash: usually a much shorter announcement of the last hymn too, but never comm. or offert., when the cantor is seated with the congregation and invisible. I think visitors catch on fast having seen how the first hymn goes.

Handouts are too burdensome at our parish. It is a huge church. Every Mass has different musicians who program different Music and ordinaries. To have all that paper all over the parish, even on "big Masses" makes little sense to me. I just get the sense that no one really cares. They are there to go through the motions and that's it. I suppose I'm elevating my role in the church a great deal, if I think I can "make" anyone care!

...is there anyone out there who doesn't understand what the numbers on a board in front of a church mean?

It feels very awkward for me to announce the music especially when its posted on the music board. I hate announcing for the communion chant, and the recessional hymn. Its simply a weird dynamic. With that said if I don't announce they don't sing. If I do announce they do. So I do.
I would think that people can read the numbers on the board. We spend good money for new boards but the above still applies. I don't get it either.

Gavin-
If you walk into an unfamiliar church, a glimpse at the number board and a quick cross-reference to the hymnal will generally tell you exactly what the score is in that parish.

In Germany almost everywhere there is a projector the organist is to handle with which the hymn numbers are announced the moment they are needed. I only announce hymns in a retirement home, because there are people who can see good but hear bad (-> hymn board) and people who hear good but see bad (-> announcement via microphone).

A youtube video that comes close to what I am accustomed to is this one. The Liedanzeiger is in the upper left and right corner of the sanctuary. It is a Marian hymn as recessional.

Simple and clear, do not draw a whole bunch of attention to yourself.

I haven't had to do that in a while, but when I did, I would just say, "Number 123, O Sacred Head, 1-2-3". In this, I was inspired by a voice mail greeting I heard many years ago, which simply said, "Out. Speak."

Not a music director/organist here, but my parish does not seem to have a problem with singing hymns with only a good introductory line from the hymn by the organist.

I also agree with CharlesW, although it makes for very boring liturgy if you're the lone organist playing 4 masses every weekend. My problem is that we went from OCP right into traditional hymnody AND a new hymnal without any warning. The people are not taking to this well and actually REFUSE to sing any more. All I can do as Director of Music is to continue playing and hope the people's hearts with soften and be more accepting of our current situation. It's very difficult when working with a parish with a tunnel-visioned pastor that is not open to compromise.

I also agree with CharlesW, although it makes for very boring liturgy if you're the lone organist playing 4 masses every weekend.

This is truly the basis of the low state of music in the Catholic church. You've hit the nail on the head. Thank you, MusicTeacher!

Singing the propers and improvising or playing music written on them for the organ can be exciting...we have heard this from France for more than 200 years....

Substituting hymns and having to play them over and over again in plain style so as not to confuse the people is very boring.

Some protestant organists perfect their playing styles, working away to make hymn playing exciting. But that's rare and protestants also have fallen into the contemporary music trap as a result. They are getting rid of boring hymns played by boring organists.

Until the 70's music in the Catholic church was in the background. Even the High Mass was in the background, take it or leave it.

Giving the people a singing role and now we have, all too often, inferior music, inferior musicianship due to lack of training and boredom and challenge, and as a result, contemporary music, poorly done as well.

At your church, MusicTeacher, they are not refusing to sing....they can't sing. They are not familiar with the new music and it is going to take a long time to bring them up to speed. It took a few weeks for them to learn to say "with your spirit." and that's just three words. A new hymn? Years.

Protestants never sing a hymn without the choir singing. They often introduce it by having the first verse sung by choir. There is no way that an organist and a lone singer with a microphone can provide the support that an SATB choir that is well-versed in hymn singing can provide. In the baptist church they often add a pianist who plays very rhythmic chord changes and amplify that to the mix...

I've railed against the foolishness of ignoring the work the Anglican's did in moving to the Vernacular and now, suddenly, realize that Martin Luther's choir made hymn singing possible. By attempting to force hymns on a church without a choir to lead them...we've done it again. Ignored the past to create our own future.

Hymn singing is doomed (sorry, Kathy) in the Catholic Church due to not looking at the past.

People will sing along when they are facing a group of people singing. Protestant churches are built to make this possible. Don't believe me? Otherwise, why was Mitch Miller a major TV personality?