Sponsa,

Catholic music director, here.

Since my tenure began in this parish a month ago, we haven't used any vernacular hymns (I'm at an Institute apostolate, so it's TLM); however, we might at some point in the future. We don't have hymnals in the proper sense of that term.


I grew up, outside the Catholic Church, at a Cathedral for which breaking out in four part harmony using the printed hymn books was so normal as to be hardly worthy of note. Counter tenors (usually retired boy choristers) were known to sing well-known descants on occasion, especially if the organist was improvising a last verse -- which was common enough, and there wasn't a shortage of well-known descants.

I think that if the congregation can sing consonantly with the hymn's accompaniment there isn't a serious problem with congregational part singing.

COULD IT BE vanity on your part? I suppose it could, but wanting to sing more than a dull melody when one has the capacity to sing more than that isn't, necessarily, vanity.

Yes, if you can sing in a consonant manner, go for it. It depends on the organist too. I freely stray from the given harmonizations verse to verse when expecting unison singing. If you can't tell when the organist is off book, then don't sing the harmony.

I've done it before (though I'm often not in a congregation on Sundays, since I'm an organist). It's really a matter of voice placement: I'm a tenor, hymnals these days seem to pitch hymns so that the melody is in the alto/bass range (OLD HUNDREDTH in E? I mean, really?), so singing the tenor or even alto part, if it's a really low transposition, allows me to sing in my range and not ruin my vocal cords. I just keep an ear out in case the organist is doing an alternate accompaniment, in which case I sing the melody, switching Octaves as needed if it goes too low. I don't do it to draw attention to myself:I just do it because it's what feels comfortable in the vocal tract, so there's no vanity. Don't overthink it.

I used to play for a reformed congregation of Calvinist descent, and they sang full-voiced SATB so loudly and well, it was like I was accompanying a choir of 80 every Sunday. I LOVED it. In fact, they actually made me tear up on multiple occasions while I was playing because the sound was so profoundly moving. They learned, that I would do an interlude and typically do something off-script for the final verse, at which point they would boisterously join in the melody while I framed the organ around them. I. Loved. It.

I have no problem with people singing parts wherever they may be, so long as they match what we are doing in the loft. I don't put SATB hymns in the worship aids all the time (there aren't many at my current post who would even think to bother) but I do know there are a few ex-mennonites who like to sing parts, so I provide them for those parishioners when I have the space. All the better, as far as I'm concerned.

People figure out pretty quickly if you are doing something that doesn't match the music, and they intuit that they need to sing melody at that point, so I don't worry about that either. I'm not sure how I would feel about a descant coming from downstairs, however. I'd not be keen if that was un-complementary to our choral sound or fighting the descant that I was playing on the organ, so there I think a little discretion is advised on the part of the congregant.

Indeed. Don't do that.

There are other hymns available if you're willing to look beyond the mainstream missalettes and Breaking Bread types.

I’m not in charge of the music, and I feel like our music director doesn’t really care about what’s being sung at Mass anymore. He’s so busy with all his other choirs throughout the city that at times it feels like he’s just here to get health benefits and have access to an organ. I feel bad saying that, but it seems like something’s wrong with him (personal level wise).

Also, don't sing like an operatic soloist

EVER!!!!!!!!!

(rant) Nothing is more repulsive at a liturgy than an egotistical performance.(end rant)

I have had more of my share of these types in choir. I believe it is what Paul describes when he talks about a thorn in the flesh which he prayed THREE TIMES that God would remove it.

I would think that anyone who is trained as an opera singer would have full control over their instrument to the point that they could sing straight tone, nominal diction and layman expression and volume. No? I certainly can play the piano like an amateur without too much effort.

Gamba

Do you mean to tell me he’s rising above mediocrity?! That will certainly cause problems.

>> Choirs should not be hoovering up all the sturdy congregational voices.

Would make an interesting separate thread of its own. :-)

Have a hymn sing every other month which will blossom many other congregational singers… it might also draw people to the choir… it might also expand your repertoire… and please don’t forget to include teaching them some Gregorian Chant

I've heard of a parish/church/community hymn sing held regularly on the 5th Sunday of a month. Pick your own day, but you might want to bypass a month with a 5th Sunday that conflicts with a religious or national holiday. Participants may pre-select or vote for a favorite. - may even bid for a choice if you want to make it a fund raiser.

Liam,

Surely, choirs are canon fodder in the liturgy wars?

I’ve quit underestimating my Catholic congregation. The choir are happier, the people are happier, I’m happier.

The only thing I’ve added (for a while) is the note that, if you can’t read your part on the SATB verse, it’s a-okay to keep singing the melody.

If you aren’t doing this... why not?

@NihilNominis
As soon as I saw the music for that hymn, I broke out singing "Ach, Herr, lass' Dein lieb' Engelein..." with J.S.Bach's setting in my head. One of my all time favorites!

It seems like congregational singing in parts is more an Anglican tradition (since the Catholic tradition is more chant-and-polyphony based, civilians singing is parts is more rare), but there is no problem with it - unless of course you sing the harmony in the book while the organist decides to play changes.
I and my choir members have had much success over the years recruiting parishioners for the choir when they sing in parts in the pews. But as mentioned, it comes with a danger.

The other question is, what do you do if your priest wants to sing in harmony. All the time. Into a mic. ... ....

Well, not stop altogether, but change to the melody, because his role in leading the congregation is so influential.

Depending on how you do it, I think it's fine and I do it a lot. But I try to think about it like a DM. Unless it's an extremely familiar hymn, I wouldn't harmonize on verse 1, so others around me can get going without distraction. Nor on the last verse, because that's often harmonized differently.

I think it's also important to not be soloistic about it, and use a standard chorister trick (listen carefully to another voice near me) to keep my volume in check.