Jeez, frogman. . .

I did exactly the opposite tonight. Tired of the icy stares . . . tired of the fact that the contemporary ensemble is the only one among our music ministry enjoying explosive growth . . . tired of constantly trying to justify each and every hymn . . . I actually played our entire Saturday evening Mass on the piano, much to the delight of the chanteuse cum school music teacher and one of our resident flautists, both who like to think that if it's from the "blue book" it's the cat's pajamas.

The result? Rave reviews. I've decided therefore to play piano exclusively at the Saturday evening Masses, and anyone who hums and strums is welcome to join in . . . the more the merrier, after all!

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I always say . . . or at least I say from now on.

The other four were already saddled up.

Hello, David Andrew. I'm sorry for saying this, but it reminds me of 'peer pressure,' which I'm sure you, and most of us, went through a lot in our teen age period. I guess this peer pressure is always there whether you get old or not. As you know, many times when you try to do the right thing, and your standard is higher than average people, you become a lonely person. I hope it's a temporary thing.
Are you still planning to do "Document study'" in your parish? (I geuss this means Church's Official documents as well as Our Holy Fathers' writings that help us understand our Liturgy.) If you can post the list of what you plan to study, I think it will help many people.
Thanks,
Mia Coyne

Oh yes, as I've said, I currently go to a music-less Mass. It's the only way to survive here in the tropics until something changes. I sang for an ordination of a Haitian priest yesterday and made an observation. The Haitian folk choir sounded great but their music, although rhythmic with conga drums, was more like chant than pop music. Very repetitive and unselfconscious. Only the folks in the diocesan choir were self-conscious as they danced along and sang with them during the refrains. Those folks looked foolish but the Haitians were in their element. Anyway, the rest of the music reminded me why I seek refuge in my Sunday evening schola. Here I Am for opening hymn, The Summons for Communion. To be fair we did sing the Proulx version of the This is the Day for the psalm and we chanted the Veni creator (in alternatim with the Haitian group's folk version of the same text - interesting effect). We also sung the Arcadelt Ave Maria (badly) and chanted the Lord's Prayer. Maybe I'm just selfish... but I agree with someone's statement that a drop of sewage in a glass of fine wine creates sewage. I know I am being just like the person that who crosses his arms when chant is sung, but I just can't help it.

Michael,

What you describe is exactly what I'm trying to do. The "contemporary" crowd already has an ensemble that's growing faster than they have equipment to accommodate. I've been doing the traditional hymns at open and close with the sacro-pop stuff in the middle at all of the Masses. I'm hoping (against hope) that I can convince the powers that be (including the woman in charge of first sacraments who for the time being seems to be controlling the liturgy committee, including the pastor) that with an all-contemporary music ensemble Mass two or three times a month available, we now need to provide an all-traditional Mass to balance against the contemporary stuff. The argument seems to be that not enough people want or would understand the traditional music to make it worth disturbing the status quo, and that the "assisting ministers" (lectors, etc.) who "don't like the traditional stuff" would ask to be moved to other Masses because of the music. We have 5 Masses a weekend, with the average attendance at each Mass somewhere between 1000 and 1200.

This parish is a political minefield. I've already lost one foot, I'm now trying to limp back to neutral territory.

(BTW, the wine/sewage comment was mine. It reads: If we put a drop of wine in a vat of sewage, we get sewage. If we put a drop of sewage in a vat of wine, we get sewage.)

On the other hand, at these Sunday 5:30 Masses, we've had several occasions when I was the organist and the cantor didn't show up. What did I do? Announced and played the opening and closing hymns, chanted the psalm to a simple tone a cappella, same for the gospel acclamation, played an organ voluntary at offertory and communion, played the "Holy, holy" etc., with no cantor. You know what? The people sang, and sang well! In fact, some came up to me afterward and said how much they enjoyed the simplicity and reverence of the Mass!

Unfortunately, getting these anecdotes into the heads of the "powers that be" is nearly impossible. They say things like, "Of course they sang well. . . it was something different and unexpected, so they were more alert. If you did this regularly, they'd probably go back to their habits."

*sigh* Invincible ignorance?

I play for a 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning mass that no previous organist at that church ever covered. It's mostly an older crowd, but contains some of the most loyal and highest dollar contributors. They did not want music when I took the job - not surprising considering what is often played and sung in Catholic churches. I select a traditional entrance and recessional hymn. The Gloria and the psalm are not sung and there is no communion hymn. The Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen are sung. I softly play traditional organ literature at other times. It's working well and congregational response has been very positive.

miacoyne, that would be a hard sell. Many parishes have maybe a couple of people who would welcome this and no priests who would. Mandating creates even more resistance, so I agree with Benedict's slow, but sure process. Just wish he were a bit younger... He has, however, sown on fertile ground and the process cannot be stopped now. Even if the next pope turns out to be a raving "progressive" (which I doubt will happen with the current college of redbirds), he would find it difficult to alter the course without creating a huge schismatic community.

Our pastor requested that the one Missa Lecta (7am) remaining in our schedule be musically enhanced. What CharlesW describes was our solution, and we have gaged similar successful response.
Back to Noel's proposition...
Despite the very real and painful exasperation (echoed by Mike and David) from which it comes, two things are seriously troublesome with this "solution." One, it reflects a resignation and capitulation to realities that have nothing to do with the nature of the Mass itself, which is a sung entity, period. I can hear Professor Mahrt's voice saying "At the very least....the celebrant MUST intone.....the congregation can respond......" and so forth. I thank Arlene for the reminder that we must remain "little engines that could," and move steadfastly forward. Which brings up the second point.
Managing the stark scenarios of a lack of qualified volunteers to assist music at worship is likely more difficult in this era than it was prior to V2 for a spectrum of reasons. I ask us to consider that factor as we also recognize that we musicians are people who are generally impassioned folk. When we face roadblock after roadblock, it is natural to retreat to the refuge of dwelling in dispassion. We are naturally people inclined towards the enthusiasm and enchantment that music has provided for our souls, and we NEED to share that. When those efforts are criticized, subverted, taken for granted, ignored, it is emotionally natural to shift to disenchantment. I'm sure one gets the sequence of dynamics at play here.
If I'm not mistaken, the classical "quiet Mass" as described by Day and others, was born out of a very real and deadly dangerous environment in Ireland and the isles under decades/centuries of suppression by the authorities of the Protestant Church of England. We do not so suffer. If we, the stewards of our musical traditions, advocate and make actual decisions that are contrary to our Catholic culture's callings and canons, even due to understandable reaction to the miserable musical conditions we describe here hourly, doth we still protest too much?

As the Buddhist's say, "as the wheel of the cart follows the foot of the ox that pulls it." [The Simpson's is on and I am quoting...]

Anything that drives people away from the Sacrifice of the Mass is a cause of suffering.

The Mass is not a sung entity when the music is not sacred that is sung and played. It's the Mass in a clown's suit. It's a Mass at which dancing is not permitted, being celebrated to Polka Rhythms. Or Rock Riffs.

It's persecution from within the ranks....

Our 7:30 am Sunday Mass is called "the quiet Mass." This has gone through several permutations.

1. For decades (centuries?) nothing--no music.
2. Under my predecessor, 4 hymns, resp. Psalm and Alleluia.
3. After some experimentation followed by a tedious but ultimately finite, bearable, fruitful email/ phone dialogue, at my invitation (bulletin announcements): Introit, Mass of St. Agnes (except Latin chant Gloria), Responsorial Psalm and Alleluia, Psalm at Communion. That's it. Nothing at Offertory, no filler music at Communion. It's like a spoken Mass except you sing some things. I think he might play a postlude, but that's the only organ.

An unexpected fruit of the dialogue episode is that one of our priests began teaching a well-attended Latin class. Folks complained that they couldn't sing in Latin because they didn't know what the words meant. So I floated an idea in the bulletin about the possibility of a class. The priest said that if a handful expressed interest he would do it. 5 people expressed interest; 24 showed up for the first session.

I just recall in my under/post grad. studies that there never was a time in the evolution of the Church's liturgical life that the orations of this specific and highest of ritual activities, the Mass, were anything but sung. Granted, the Reformation and its Catholic responses had many debilitating forces that mitigated the unity of practice, the most damaging results having taken root early in the 19th century. But isn't that why Pius X rolled up his sleeves (from his childhood, apparently) and sharpened his pencil, to call the universal Church back to its pure, pristine musical practices?
Or am I missing your point? Seriously.

At least that situation in Capella Sixtina has already seen the first substantial change towards artistic credibility. Thanks for the perspective, Noel. Maybe the trickle down economy, God willing, will work from Rome, if not from DC or Wall St. I know we won't be holding our breath. More likely we'll have long since taken our last breaths. But it is a very, very interesting time to be a Roman Catholic, n'est ce pas?

Well, perhaps you could speak to your pastor about having a Mass w/o music early on Sunday morning, like a daily Mass, then have a solemn high Mass with quality music later in the day, using the Adoremus Hymnal or similar ones and the priest chanting the parts proper to him.