For the Masses I have served, I have noticed that people sing the older hymns much better than the new music. However, they claim to love the newer music more. This disconnect is one of the biggest hurdles a director faces. You are right, however, the pastor is the key. If he is on board, you can do wondrous things. If not, you are always watching your back and expending energy selling the proper music.

moconnor

Hmmm, Gavin. I think, all things being equal, continuity of qualified and vital leadership makes or breaks a parish music program. Now, if that means that a DM/Organist/Choirmaster remains at his/her post because of the wisdom or convenience of the pastor, then that administrative authority is most important. Whether the pastor and/or his vicars liturgically choose poorly or wisely should not directly affect the competency of qualified and dedicated musicians and choristers. That they would take as much care and preparation with their duties as celebrants and homilists as many of us do would be glorious beyond words. But even good guys, good celebrants mostly pay lip-service to the goal of improving the "quality" of worship. But, such gentlemen generally do support their musicians' efforts vigorously.
I say "continuity" because it's obvious that organists/choirmasters generally need to move to greener (as in filthy lucre) pastures often and regularly. That is not healthy, particularly when much of our musical culture depends upon the cult of personality, which is already a detriment.
Who could best affect all of this? Bishops.

I agree with Charles. Look at a place like St. Agnes in St. Paul, MN, which has maintained a strong liturgical and musical tradition over the years. I'm not too familiar with its history, but it seems that there is an unbroken thread of orthodoxy from the leadership, and I can't imagine the Archbishop of St. Paul assigning to that parish a pastor who might be inclined to take out the statues, paint the walls off-white, install an elaborate sound system and dismantle the choir and organ to replace it with a "contemporary ensemble."

On the other hand, the parish where I currently serve as DM/principal organist has had a chequered history of DM's with varying degrees of skill and background. As we all know, it's down to the tastes and desires of the pastor. If the pastor doesn't care about good liturgical music, the program is likely to suffer. If there's no strong tradition from one pastor or music director to the next, the choirs and other musicians are left to twist in the wind. I'm lucky in that the pastor who has hired me did so specifically because of my training and ability. I could work very hard to build programs and institute practices more in keeping with the traditions of the Church, but in the back of my mind, I think to myself, "why knock myself out building existing programs or establishing new ones, if it could all come down like a house of cards with the change of pastor?"

Ultimately, it is the congregation at large that looses because with a pattern like that, music becomes an easy battleground for one person's tastes over another, rather than a question of tradition versus innovation.

Jeffrey Tucker

I would be interested in hearing what you put together for your Advent program for the congregation who has not experienced solemn liturgy. (Per your entry 2 days ago)

I think also you need a supportive congregation. I've heard stories of influtential congregants driving out DMs/organists.

ok, here is the youth Mass program

Gavin: I can remember reading a story on Aristottle's blog a while ago about an incident like that. I've also had friends tell me that members of the congregation would get pushy and disrepectful in their "comments."

moconnor, the other point is that if they hear it at college, they'll want to hear it at home. Of course, that's what the diocesan rep was thinking. Odd how youth involved in ministry is such a threat to TPTB...

moconnor

That is extremely perceptive.

The advantage of chant is that it grows naturally into other forms of music. Chant grows into Renaissance polyphony, which grows into Baroque, which eventually gets more and more harmonically adventurous, and so forth. As a singer "trained up" in these styles, you will experience many great, and growing, satisfactions that seem nicely adapted to your age, as you age.

And of course, some of the greatest music is a Mystery you can explore and explore and never seem to find the end of. Don't we owe it to our children to expose them to this, train them into it, and thereby prepare them to move upward and onward?

I think all of your comments are helpful. In my experience, the what gane is the pastor, his attitude toward music and whether he will back you up when folks in the congregation want to oppose what you are doing. Knowing what I know now, I would ask such pointed questions (kindly) in the interview with the pastor before I woud accept the position. The pastor influences the tone of whether the people should 'follow' you or not, even if what you do may be different. Comments welcome of course.

gregp,

Life's too short, and the list of available music to sing or play too long. Vote with your feet. Find somewhere else where your skills will be valued and will make a contribution (e.g. an Anglican/Episcopalian church), and just attend a music-less mass at home. If things change, come back.

David, I worked in an Anglo-Catholic church for my last job. It was quite amazing. But it wasn't just the architecture, the incense (and the thurifer stood right by the console during the ENTIRE Communion), the 4 manual 1926 Skinner, or the vestments. It was the people. They loved to sing the old Anglican hymns. They restored the organ for me. The entire church did not move until the last note of the postlude was ended, and they would ALWAYS applaud (if it was good... if I was just "phoning it in", and they always knew, I'd get a rather harsh silence). And after every service, even if I was late, screwed up the key signatures on the hymns, and played 2 verses of "Praise to the Lord" for postlude, they would line up and give the priest a perfunctory greeting. Then, after greeting the priest, they'd walk by the organ and all tell me how much they appreciated my playing, each and every Sunday. It wasn't that I enjoyed the praise, it's that I put so much into playing, even if it's just subbing to play "How Great Thou Art" at a funeral, and they were grateful for that. That is what makes playing for Catholic parishes so eminently unsatisfying. Even if one were to play for an EF Mass, the most from the congregation you'd ever get would be an old lady screaming at you calling you a heretic if you use the mixture or play Bach.

Gavin:

I certainly can give motion to your opening statement.

In my last full time music position (which was a good five years ago or so), I was hired by one of the Archdiocese parishes that was the wealthiest. (money and religion can be a terrible mix). I came in understanding that they were a full fledge post Vatican II music program. I thought I could carefully steer my way and have a positive effect. Ultimately, I think I did, even though it was short lived. Many of them certainly heard the truth out of me.

They had an organ (albeit, digital, ho-hum, money and they got that????) but they liked to keep it locked. I moved very judiciously and cautiously to remove the bad contemporary music that they were using. This was quite easy because 98% of it was photocopied and I immediately warned them about their violation of copyrights! (a great tactic in removing unwanted material from the premises of a church) I made subtle and not so subtle moves toward establishing an authentic liturgical music program. However, my stirrings and careful attempts to 'bring balance' (hmmmm) were met with stern and outspoken resistance. I was amazed. People would send me flaming emails that they had walked out in the middle of the Mass because "it was starting to sound like the Cathedral" and not the big AOG church down the way.

The pastor came to me after six months and asked me to resign. I said, 'You will have to fire me, because I have not done anything that is wrong. In fact, I am trying to follow the norms and dictates of the church". I appealed to him to back me up, and he told me he had no unilateral authority to do so. WOW! I was undone. This was a pastor's (in my case, my own) worst nightmare. The 'Parish Council' had trumping authority over the priest. In fact they had their own bylaws governing decision making and daily operations which was decided by those who drafted the bogus statutes.

It is a shame that our church has come to this. I am unemployed as a professional, and my music skills are set aside because of this kind of nonsense. I found the CMAA in 2005 and was sorry I didn't know you for so many years. Keep up the good work.