du·ress
d(y)o͝oˈres/noun

threats, violence, constraints, or other action brought to bear on someone to do something against their will or better judgment."confessions extracted under duress"

synonyms:coercion, 


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Is this what you are asking about, melofluent?

Oh! I thought it was "working under a dress"--another one of those threads about wearing a cassock and surplice.

No?

"When Sheep Attack" by Richard Shepherd

Where does one find this? I have "When Sheep Attack" by Dennis R. Maynard which has been immensely eye-opening as well, but not this pamphlet.

This thread should also include how you have or have not survived under duress. Having done both, it would be useful to to all who read and discuss here.

I haven't had those problems. The pastor is clear on what he wants and communicates that clearly. That is essential. No one has ever pressured me directly, or even tried to do so. Being physically able to hurt them has never worked to my disadvantage, but I haven't had to resort to that.

In my experience, there has been virtually no pressure put on me by parish councils or pastors to do anything that would upset me or the peace within the ministry of music. I don't think that the parish council in my community has very much clout.  

Unfortunately, I have seen priests make some truly awful decisions by seeking to be friends with people rather than to be firm. As a result, with the exception of the English speaking community's music, which is prepared by me, professionals need not apply. As a result, the quality of the music offered to the other communities (which speak Spanish and Portuguese) is poor.  

If I didn't insist upon teaching hymns and masses in Latin to my Schola, the parish would hear no Latin or Greek, and the masses would descend into extended prayer meetings. The true pressure in my community is to be heard among so many voices who (perhaps through lack of training) don't understand the beauty, reverence and majesty of our Catholic musical heritage. 

I have survived this, and have the mental scars to prove it.

The main problem I am experiencing is having the music changed overnight by a non-compromising pastor which has resulted in many singers leaving. The "sheep" that is attacking in my case is actually the shepherd.

I thought it was strange that "google" provided me an article on sheep from the Sydney Gazette. Yes ,the name shepherd was appropriate, and it was about sheep.

I've never been subjected to having anything changed overnight. My deepest sympathies to Musicteacher56. When are your rehearsals held in relation to mass? Is it possible to email the selections to your priest in advance of choir rehearsal? Perhaps your pastor might sit in on a practice to gain some insight into the preparation you put into the music. It might be worthwhile to invite him.

I would definitely say that.

At a previous job as an organist, while I was still in college, the pastor would frequently demand a change to the music ten minutes before Mass. Usually he wanted a song that matched the theme of his homily. I learned to adapt quickly, but it was still frustrating because I had prepared a prelude and other organ music that went with the original hymns. That same priest would also become enraged if the entrance hymn or offertory music went a bit too long and he had to wait. He would sometimes shout over the music. Even though my current pastor isn't like that, I still have a tendency to end the offertory hymn far too early rather than risk making the priest wait even a few seconds. I don't know if that experience counts as "duress", but I think it's affected me permanently.

Allen, I would say that priest probably didn't want music at Mass at all, since it was clearly in his way. The way you tell the story, it sounds like he just tolerated the music until the point that it was in his way. Thankfully, I have had very tolerant and understanding priests to work with, who will wait if the music goes a little longer than expected. If there is an issue, they are usually very professional with me and address it after Mass. Shouting over the music seems like it would ruin the experience for the congregation.

Allan's story reminds me of a priest that helped out for a very short time at one of the places that I used to play. He would do things like that - talking over the music, FREAKING OUT if I wasn't announcing the entrance hymn by the very minute mass was supposed to start, etc. By "freaking out" I mean literally standing in back waving his arms WILDLY and beginning to RUN down the side of the church to get my attention (this was a modern, "in the round" church.)

He was not actually assigned there, but to the cancer home across the street. His predecessor had generously helped the parish with Sunday masses and it was assumed by all that he would just continue that practice.

He lasted 2 weeks. He was rightly seen by all as the nut job that he was. I'm not sure what the conversation looked like, but I was told something about him and the pastor mutually agreeing that helping out in the parish wasn't in anyone's best interest.

I have had to point out to visiting priests, that we have a pastor who has set policies and procedures and that I work for the pastor. As long as he is pastor, his wishes will be followed.

HAHAHAHAHA.

No. If one bothered to watch the Christmas mass from the Vatican, they would see that the mass was 99% in latin.

The only thing that's not in keeping with Francis' personal style is really ornate lace vestments and the like.

As with most things with this pope - the change might look impressive to someone at first glance, but it's a change of mostly tone and not substance.

So true! Francis has been supportive of the changes Benedict made to the liturgy. It is a difference of personal style instead of substance.

I believe that the following qualifies as working under duress:

The pastor at my childhood hometown parish had legendary status, because of his "personal style." Over the years, many parishioners abruptly disappeared. They were presumed to be too thin-skinned or hyper-sensitive.

Six years ago, when my sister was married there, I had a front-seat vantage point, to better understand what must have been the experience of others. (You know the old drill: Until it actually directly impacts you or your loved ones, someone else's misfortune has no force.)

The professional soprano soloist, who had been referred by me, was practicing with the young female organist, after the evening's wedding rehearsal. They were both non-Catholic, each of them very motivated to give the wedding music their best effort (a delightful quality, right?), and the young female organist who had never played at this church before, needed a little extra assurance time at the keyboard. The pastor became enraged, and began to beat on the pew with a cane, thundering in that booming voice of his, "Get the HELL out of here! Get the HELL OUT!!" Everyone in attendance was shaken by this, but it was just one of a number of abusive things which had occurred that evening.

The following day, at the wedding itself: The processional, "Trumpet Voluntary," was being played as my sister, the bride, walked down the aisle. The priest, over the microphone, said in his best impatient, crotchety voice, "Come on, come on, let's go!" Later in the Mass, when the Best Man and Maid of Honor went up to the altar to give their signatures, we heard the priest address the Maid of Honor over the microphone, "You got better-looking from when you were young." The look that my sister-in-law shot me at that moment was priceless.

A couple days after the wedding, I called the soprano soloist to profusely apologize for the priests' behavior. I don't know that the shaken organist ever played in a Catholic church after that, but I did request that the same soloist sing for my son's wedding at the same church, last year, after assuring her that there would be a different priest.

Incidentally, the regular organist who had served for decades at the aforementioned parish, and no doubt, had to have experienced his own duress, died a musician's dream death. He played the Sunday Mass, went next door to the Adoration Chapel for his regularly-scheduled hour, and then slumping against his car in the parking lot, died.

For clergy behavior that bad and dysfunctional, I would have went "downtown" (or wherever your chancery is physically located) and I would have DEFINATELY made noise and made something out of it, to the bishop, chancellor, whomever.

I had a previous pastor/boss that would intentionally (and VERY loudly) sing wrong and inappropriate words to hymns to try and make the folks in the front pews laugh. He usually did all of the laughing. The pips didn't find it quite so amusing.

It continues to amaze me that some of these priests are still shepherding flocks when they do nothing but cause concern. When the PIP's begin to question their faith because of questionable behavior by the priest, something is very, very wrong. And some priests do need "a good thrashing". Unfortunately, in my neck of the woods I was told that, a long as the priest isn't doing anything liturgical incorrect, there is little that can be done and concerns to the Dean won't yield any change.

To Expeditus--while I definitely work for a very difficult, uncomprising pastor that has led to a mass exodus in terms of people, I have never experienced anything as rude and condescending as that which you describe, and especially at a wedding where so many guests are not Catholic. The Catholic Church deals with enough abuse without having guests being subjected to such abuse. My apologies to the bride and guest organist.

You should go to the next level. Appeal to Rome!