Punctuation and Rests
  • jonimlane
    Posts: 1
    Hello fellow musicians!

    I have been a Catholic church musician and teacher for many years. Recently I moved to a semi-rural part of Missouri to care for my parents. Finding employment has been difficult, but I am music director at a small Methodist church.

    My question, dear colleagues, is regarding the use of projected lyrics. Do any of you utilize this and if so how exactly do you organize the lyrics? I've never had this in any church previously. This congregation will not pick up a hymnal unless there is a power outage, so the lyrics are on televisions around the church. When I arrived, NO punctuation was used in the lyrics and there was no organization of the lines that corresponded with rests or pauses in the music. Therefore, the people just kept singing. I was able to implement punctuation, but to the irritation of the pastor. Does anyone else have this issue or am I just being too picky?

    Recently, I was also asked me to disregard the: rests in the music, pauses indicated by fermatas, rhythms (unless they were perfunctory,) etc. As a musician, I have issues with this practice. Anyone else facing this problem? How are you handling it?

    I'm open to advice and suggestions of any sort. Thank you.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    It seems to me you have two choices.

    1. Find out where the circuit breakers for the screens are, and trip them, or
    2. Do what the pastor says.

    I really hate screens in church, but ultimately everything at Mass is up to the priest saying the Mass or pastor, unless it violates ecclesial law.
  • TCJ
    Posts: 968
    Projected Lyrics: Those words which the choir director expects the choir to sing. He is often disappointed.
    Thanked by 1madorganist
  • ryandryand
    Posts: 1,640
    @Kathy is correct. Punctuation might not be a hill worth dying on. But, with a pastor that picky (and silly) it might be a cause worth seeking a new pastor to work for.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,372
    For the Methodists I know, the hymns are the heart of the liturgy, and not to be messed with. I think I would find the performance style you describe very unsettling, but you have no 'ownership rights', so you don't need to feel guilt as well.
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    I suppose each of us have to face the question in our own way. (This situation is SO not about punctuation as it is about musical interpretation.)

    In a previous position, I had been at the parish for 5 years. The music program had dramatically improved. The pastor mostly liked what I was doing (although he had a personality that made it difficult for him to acknowledge), but there were certain interpretational nuances he didn't care for. One day he called a meeting out of the blue (one of 2-3 in my entire time there) and laid down the law... I was to make no interpretational phrasing of the chant in particular. It really blind-sided me - typically, he let me do my thing albeit with occasional sarcastic snark at times, and clearly he had appreciated my interpretation enough to seek me out to offer the position in the first place after hearing what I had done in a different parish.

    At home that night, I thought it over - and decided to offer my resignation. It wasn't a matter of pride - it was simply that my interpretation of the music is the essence of my role as director of the choir, as a musician. It's not a matter of right or wrong, simply the realization that both of us would be better if I left my position. I wouldn't be comfortable and would always be second-guessing myself if I stayed... and the music program would correspondingly suffer. I couldn't see that he would be happy either.

    I wrote out my resignation, offering to leave right away if that was his choice, or to stay through Holy Week (Lent was just starting) so that he didn't have to find a replacement at a difficult time of year. I offered to assist ramping up my assistant if that was helpful and agreed to not interpret the music for the duration of my time there.

    Fortunately, he did a complete volte-face... he asked me to stay (with my interpretational nuances) and made a minor request which I was happy to oblige. I won't say it was a match made in heaven (any more than it had been before that point), but we were able to return to a status quo in which, he admitted that he had been quite happy with before he "laid down the law".

    I had the luxury of being able to make that decision the way I wanted, and ultimately it worked well for me. I completely understand others may not be able to freely make that choice. I absolutely think everyone has to weigh and balance according to their own circumstances.

    I don't think you are too picky. You may not be able to resign right away, but I think (reading between the lines of your post) I would certainly be looking urgently for a new position where you can be musical instead of continuing long-term in a situation which will chafe more and more over time.
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,768
    I meant to offer advice, but instead I have to go try to soothe a pet a bit freaked out by my harsh laughter.
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