Behavior in Choir....
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    A choir rehearses in the church...no other choice.

    A choir members calls and this is not one that is wordly and vulgar as I seem to be, but a prayerful member. And complains about the presence of children singing (very well) with the choir because "we have to be careful what we say and cannot make suggestive comments."

    I must admit that I added the children to the choir to get rid of the rowdy behavior and language. Aside from the fact that these kids read chant, sing well and in tune consistently.

    It seems to be working, no?
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Brilliant!
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Ah, you have to have experience with Church choirs to understand the meaning of this!
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    lol

    Wisdom!
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    Just say "yes, you're right"
  • Cathy Dawson
    Posts: 5
    It's great when the adult choir members tolerate having children in the choir. The choir at the FSSP apostolate that I used to belong to did this (I never knew why - it didn't occur to me that they might be having problems with the adults, heh!). We had been going to the TLM for 2 years starting when my daughter was 8 yrs old and she hated it. At age 10 she saw that a friend her age was in the choir and she decided to join her. She told me later that it was in the choir that she finally "got it". She fell in love with the music and with the Mass. She's 18 now and majoring in pipe organ performance and leads a chant schola in our new home town of Fort Collins where there is a fledgling Latin Mass community. She really has a passion for sacred music that never would have developed if she hadn't been allowed to participate in the choir.
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,204
    . . . complains about the presence of children singing (very well) with the choir because "we have to be careful what we say and cannot make suggestive comments."


    My response to this choir member? Try, "thank you for noticing how important it is we behave in church, and especially in front of children."

    That's the only proper response. If the choir has enjoyed ribald, off-color banter, then it's time to get them back on track.

    I'm always amazed when people (especially adults) are amazed that kids love to work hard, be held to the same standards as adults, love to learn (they're little sponges!) and when exposed to solid, sophisticated humor that relies on quick-wittedness and the ability to engage people without double-entendre, innuendo and vulgarity, respond with equal humor and quick-wittedness. Often they're funnier than the foul-mouthed adults around them!

    Remember, we always say things like, "out of the mouths of babes," and scripture teaches, "and a little child shall lead them."

    I'd keep on keepin' on!
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Kids stay. Adults are invited to leave if not satisfied with the trip!
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    I had never encountered the "bawdy talk" choir until I took over a group a couple of years ago. Half the members had quit because of the endless double entendres coming from the director and his wife. Actually his wife, who couldn't read music but was able at interpreting OCP recommendation lists, was the director and he was the organist. The only conversation I had with him was a "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" experience.

    Well, whatever my faults, at least that's not one of them. Everyone came back - and he went off to play the piano at another church down the road.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Great comments. Thanks to all.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    If we are saying things that children shouldn't hear, we should think twice if we should be saying them at all.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Francis,

    As they say in the basements of Catholic churches, BINGO!
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