Is this in the Sanctuary, properly, or in the nave, where the PIPs sit? If there is no Communion rail to help determine where the Sanctuary is, there should be some sort of raised platform upon which the altar resides. That would be your guideline for where the nave ends and the Sanctuary begins, especially if you're in one of those modern, stadium-style churches and not a traditional cruciform one. I point this out because it's not customary for instruments of any kind to be located in the Sanctuary proper: the area separate from the congregation where the altar is.

Some Archdioceses explicitly state in their guiding music documents that a space other than the sanctuary must be used for music rehearsals.

What's the big deal? My choir rehearses from 10-10:40 on Sundays before the 11 AM Mass. They're older, they're amateurs, and they need plenty of run-throughs. The other option is a claustrophobic and carpeted conference room; ain't gonna do it. Besides, the choir has an important ministry and should have precedence for preparation before the liturgy over the mental peace of people offering private, non-liturgical prayers.

I hadn't even realized there were Archdioceses with guiding music documents! We do 10-10:50 in the church. I used to always save congregational music till last until a parishioner came up to tell me how he enjoyed coming early to listen to the choir; now I try to end with a review of our more polished repertoire instead. This also allows me to be more of a bear about any reponsorial psalm sloppiness ;-)

We always try to leave 15 minutes of silence before the beginning of Mass. Usually there's only a few people in the pews by that point. That's NOT our main practice of the week - that's on Thursday. But if we have to cancel practice for some reason, then our norm is to start on Sunday another 15 minutes early.

Charles,

"Loo" isn't a neutral vowel! It's a place.


I would like to suggest a nuanced position on the subject of using the church proper for rehearsals.

1) Sometimes it is necessary to rehearse with the instrument in the choir loft, since it doesn't easily relocate.

2) Sometimes (depending on the longevity of the choir) it is necessary to use the church proper to teach about proper sound -- vowels, avoided dipthongs, blend, lack of need for microphones... that sort of thing.

3) There might even be a benefit to rehearsing for some fixed time in the church proper, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, to teach people how to behave in God's house (even when Mass isn't taking place) and to make a point about "This is the quiet time we leave for silent preparation before Mass."

Some Archdioceses explicitly state in their guiding music documents that a space other than the sanctuary must be used for music rehearsals.

For those that believe in the Real Presence, putting aside a few hours during the week when a choir might rehearse is just as sensible as letting the custodians run a sweeper at times when the people are not entering to prepare themselves for services by praying.

Having a choir rehearse and cantors learning notes before Mass is disruptive. And encourages people to talk with their neighbors.

Dead silence is always preferable. But most parish priests don't feel it is necessary to provide an alternate room to make this possible. Especially in parishes where an usher goes to the microphone and reads out a license plate number, YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON.

rogue63 - "...besides, the choir has an important ministry and should have precedence for preparation before the liturgy over the mental peace of people offering private, non-liturgical prayers."

I couldn't disagree more. It isn't fair to think that we know the operation of other people's spirits when they pray prior to mass. We have no idea what drove anyone through the doors of our parish or what burden that person is carrying. Therefore, I accord those members 15 minutes of silence before mass to recollect themselves. Bear in mind that the celebrant is often saying his vesting prayers during this time as well. Since the choir has an important ministry, I have always held rehearsals on Saturday afternoons. That way, we can practice uninterrupted for up to three hours (we usually finish in two hours or less), and we don't have to rush if there are unanticipated problems.

20 minutes is plenty of time. And I stand by it: musicians deserve preferential treatment for pre-Mass preparation. People have 167 other hours to pray rosaries, stations of the cross, threaten to shoot us (which has happened to me and my choir on Facebook), and whatever else. My choir rehearses on Wednesdays and again on Sundays. If you can do it better than me, PM me and I'll give you my keys. The liturgy is not a private prayer. Period.

What principle? That people have a right to threaten and harass me and my choir if we're rehearsing before Mass? I don't quite get it.

Kenstb, Rogue,

May I offer the following as help:

The purpose of a "rest" in music is to give context to the sound which comes on either side of it. Therefore, from a musician's point of view, leaving peaceful silence before Mass, pi minutes long, is to the proper benefit of the liturgy, the faithful and the choirmaster. It is even beneficial to the choristers, who, being silent before Mass, can be recollected enough to follow cues given by the choirmaster and can follow any last minute instructions in a timely manner.

Fair enough---yes, thrown off by bad mood. Sorry for the outburst.

I would hate to be the one to interrupt the pre-mass exchanges of gossip, bulletin reading, checking cell phones and tablet game playing for a quick run through of choir music. What was I thinking?

Stimson,

No, that wasn't the speech I meant. That's Paul Scofield's line. "That would be silence, pure and simple"..... "It would betoken....."

Happy Advent.

Chris

Or, the silence gives voice to the place, as finally a reverent attitude descends upon God's house. We, noisy, talkative, fussy, self-centered musicians then disrupt that.

From the movie, for those who don't remember it immediately:

Cromwell: Now, Sir Thomas, you stand on your silence.

Sir Thomas More: I do.

Cromwell: But, gentlemen of the jury, there are many kinds of silence. Consider first the silence of a man who is dead. Let us suppose we go into the room where he is laid out, and we listen: what do we hear? Silence. What does it betoken, this silence? Nothing; this is silence pure and simple. But let us take another case. Suppose I were to take a dagger from my sleeve and make to kill the prisoner with it; and my lordships there, instead of crying out for me to stop, maintained their silence. That would betoken! It would betoken a willingness that I should do it, and under the law, they will be guilty with me. So silence can, according to the circumstances, speak! Let us consider now the circumstances of the prisoner's silence. The oath was put to loyal subjects up and down the country, and they all declared His Grace's title to be just and good. But when it came to the prisoner, he refused! He calls this silence. Yet is there a man in this court - is there a man in this country! - who does not know Sir Thomas More's opinion of this title?

Crowd in court gallery: No!

Cromwell: Yet how can this be? Because this silence betokened, nay, this silence was, not silence at all, but most eloquent denial!

Sir Thomas More: Not so. Not so, Master Secretary. The maxim is "Qui tacet consentire": the maxim of the law is "Silence gives consent". If therefore you wish to construe what my silence betokened, you must construe that I consented, not that I denied.

Cromwell: Is that in fact what the world construes from it? Do you pretend that is what you wish the world to construe from it?

Sir Thomas More: The world must construe according to its wits; this court must construe according to the law.

I was at Mass on Saturday, and the musicians were practicing. They were so loud, I couldn't concentrate on my penance. Practicing in church, before Mass is very disruptive and is unfair to both the musicians and singers (who are trying to learn a piece) and to the congregants (who are trying to pray.) Other musicians and singers find time to practice well before they are to perform. Why not musicians and singers who are preparing for Mass?

The difference with a concert or opera is that the audience is (presumably) not praying but generally doing whatever they want to do until the lights are dimmed. This is not a good comparison with the situation in church before Mass.

If a parish staff manages to make a decision about what kind of pre-Mass atmosphere they would like to create

But it is not theirs to decide. The Church has decided. It is theirs to implement.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal # 45 (Mar 2003)
Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its purpose, however, depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus within the Act of Penitence and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; but at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise and pray to God in their hearts.

Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.

Would that choir rehearsal space were on church architects' radar. We once warmed in the parking lot so that the visiting bishop could rehearse a schoolchildren's procession in the Sanctuary; I try not to imagine that atmosphere.

This really is a sensitive subject for some directors, my apologies. Our parish church is all one floor like most modern churches in Florida, with class room and Church Hall. My goal was to see how other churches dealt with the matter in an attempt to keep with Catholic tradition of silence out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament. I have read where our enemy's goal is to fill the world with noise. Eliminating distractions in the sanctuary before Mass is the goal. Thank you all for your comments, and personal feelings. Best regards.