I’m at a loss of what to do here and I’m not entirely sure with whom the blame lies. It’s also not the first time this has happened.*

Today our MD/organist/pianist (our pipe organ is down for major repairs and refurbishment, so we’re stuck with the piano for now) was away. In his place was someone whom I think was a choir member. She was practicing before Mass, but it was evident she was struggling. I’m not sure if she just decided to play piano in our MD’s absence, or if he actually asked her to. Her skill level was not where I am accustomed to our MD allowing for Mass, but this also could have been a case of him using poor judgment. Maybe she’s a decent pianist outside of liturgical music and accompanying, but her accompaniment skills aren’t there.

More specifically:

She couldn’t keep a steady tempo, nor could she play at the usual tempos, which was particularly frustrating from the congregational side of things. I got so frustrated during the Gloria, that I went into my full resonant voice I use when singing in my chorus or when the organ is played sufficiently loud and full enough that I can blend in, and sang over the piano and the choir (neither of whom were using the same tempo) at the correct consistent tempo to lead the rest of the congregation struggling to sing it with the choir and the accompanist.

Our recessional was set to Hyfrydol, which our music director always plays at a good tempo with a strong lilting feel to it. That’s how the congregation knows it and sings it. She started her intro confidently, although a bit on the slow side, but as soon as the eighth notes came along, she had to slow them right down and played them choppily and at the same tempo she played the quarter notes, but she still played the wrong notes. Furthermore, she kept stopping mid phrase at the bar lines, which made it extremely difficult and frustrating to try to sing.

Throughout every hymn and ordinary she kept playing wrong notes. She would try to play like our MD does by adding runs and embellishments, expanding on what’s actually written, except she would blow her runs, get caught up on her embellishments and get further out of time with the choir and the cellist (I felt bad for him trying to play and keep time with her). There were times when they’d all be on different bars. Furthermore, I’m fairly confident the accompanist and the choir were each playing and singing in parallel keys at times. At one point it sounded more like the accompanist was playing something jazzy, if any of you are familiar with Hymn to Freedom, it had that jazzy sound to it, except that it wasn’t a jazzy piece of music.

The Agnus Dei, I wasn’t even sure we were going to have one. They were well into the the Sign of Peace before the first attempt to start it. It took the accompanist three attempts to start it, but she kept playing the completely wrong notes. I didn’t even recognize it. Even once they did manage to get it started, it was still off by almost an entire bar.

All in all it felt like there was a complete lack of preparation, lack of good judgment, lack of leadership, and lack of everything that’s expected of sacred music and the role of the choir in the Church’s liturgies based on Sacrosanctum Concilium , Musicam Sacram , and the CCCB’s Guidelines for Liturgical Music.

To make matters worse, everyone still gave them a round of applause at the end, so they’re getting positive reinforcement that this sort of thing is acceptable at Mass. It’s not. Maybe they felt guilty that if they didn’t clap, they’d make the choir feel bad. I don’t know, but that’s the problem with giving people a round of applause at Mass.

I genuinely feel like it would have been better and more fitting to have a low Mass without any music, which I was surprised there wasn’t. Usually there is in the summer when our MD goes on vacation in the summer. He was even the one to say it it better to have a low Mass than to have a poorly sung Mass. That’s why I’m so lost as it whether to say something to our pastor. I’m not sure if this is part of our parish’s “liturgical renewal”, to have music at every Sunday Mass even if it’s of such poor quality that it fails to fulfill its function at Mass.

It is my utmost hope that once our organ is back up and functioning, my parish can have a genuine renewal of liturgical music according to the mind of the Church and not according to the mind of secular musical performances, starting with properly blessing and re-dedicating our pipe organ back to sacred music and use it as a time (re)educate the those in charge and the choirs and schola on liturgical music, the role of music in the liturgy, that it’s not a performance, clapping is inappropriate.

Should I say anything? I’m worried about being considered uncharitable because this is the OF, so constructive criticism isn’t welcome. Any other thoughts?

*It previously happened this past Passion Sunday when an insufficiently skilled choir member took over organ duties when our MD/organist was absent and turned it into an absolute musical disaster. He couldn’t keep a steady tempo, played several wrong notes to the point where entire hymns would derail. At one point during communion, it derailed so badly that they all had to stop and get back on track. I didn’t say anything back then since I assumed the pastor would have brought it up with our MD upon his return.