PaxMelodious

Congregation Members Singing Cantor Part in Chepponis Jubilation Mass Gloria
LOL ! If that were only the case ! No, unfortunately, the only time I hear them participating any more than usual is when I'm cantoring the Jubilation Gloria. I've been trying to find a nice way of saying this, and failing :-( But ahhh…

Comment by PaxMelodious November 10 permalink
Congregation Members Singing Cantor Part in Chepponis Jubilation Mass Gloria
So you are saying that at times when you don't have a cantor, the congregation step up and fill in? Not seeing the problem. They are letting you focus on doing your job.

Comment by PaxMelodious November 1 permalink
Choir Website(s)?
But not all of my members have Google accounts… and I’m not really inclined to a website where I link the public drive folders. This is the nub of your problem: If you have members who will not sign up for a Google account (using either their ex…

Comment by PaxMelodious October 14 permalink
Adoration Music for Teens
Bread of Life (our consolation) by Michael John Poirier Bread of Angels by Curtis Stephan Tantum Ergo - Adoration by Matt Maher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Sz0uFridc)

Comment by PaxMelodious October 9 permalink
Choir/Cantor Question
Thank you Liam "the repertoire here would not sustain my commitment" is a GREAT phrase. And it applies across genres too: At this point in my life, the repertoire that many posters here cherish would not sustain my commitment to learnin…

Comment by PaxMelodious October 3 permalink
Choir Website(s)?
Do you expect members to read PDFs / ordos on their phones? Because that is what the vast majority of choir members will be using to access any system you have now.

Comment by PaxMelodious October 3 permalink
Choir/Cantor Question
Blending and leading are two different skills. Someone with the ability to cantor is not necessarily a good choral singer. Similarly, many choir members are not suitable to cantor.

Comment by PaxMelodious September 30 permalink
Photocopying Purchased Music the Copyright expired
Depending on the laws in your country (I cannot speak for Canada) you may need consider separately the copyright status of: 1) the tune (and the arrangement) 2) the words 3) the specific engraving.

Comment by PaxMelodious September 30 permalink
printer or musician?
In defense of Sally the secretary - she's probably paid a lot less, and gets even more crazy s*** to deal with than the music staff do.

Comment by PaxMelodious September 17 permalink
Communications
Re email: most people don't have a PC or laptop at home any more. Email only really worked when they did. Messages now need to be super-short, no fluff, in WhatsApp - with strongly enforced group norms about keeping the chat for a chat-gr…

Comment by PaxMelodious September 17 permalink
Jean de Brebeuf Hymnal availability in Europe?
Can you just order from Amazon.com? It's telling me that it will deliver to Ireland.

Comment by PaxMelodious September 16 permalink
Electric vs Acoustic Piano
Do you use electric lighting to let the priest and people see the words printed in the electronically-printed lectionary and missal? If you only use candles, then sure, stick to acoustic instruments. Otherwise consider the real ministry need, …

Comment by PaxMelodious August 24 permalink
Hymns "Every Catholic Child Should Know"
Given that this is a list for American children, it's mildly amusing to see Faith of our Fathers listed. I know you may have projected it onto your own history, but the original meaning is in no way relevant. Equally, since it's for …

Comment by PaxMelodious July 28 permalink
Catholic music awards, what's this?
There's some background about it here. It's a bit small in terms of what Catholic means.

Comment by PaxMelodious July 26 permalink
Substitute organist, or not
For anyone working a full time hourly job: factory, fast food, child care, cleaning staff, etc… you would be very lucky to get more than a week or two notice of your hours being cut back (or changed into mandatory overtime). And before anyone start…

Comment by PaxMelodious July 12 permalink
Substitute organist, or not
This may not be the secular gig world, but it substitute organist 100% is the gig world.

Comment by PaxMelodious July 11 permalink
Substitute organist, or not
Most gigging musicians would give their right arm (ok, so not literally :-) ) to get 6 weeks notice of a cancellation: I know people who got 60 minutes. If you've turned down other work to do this, and there is little chance of picking up …

Comment by PaxMelodious July 10 permalink
Modifications (and re-prohibitions) on the Alleluia and Great Amen -- where did it start?
Heck, in the U.S., we even had a non-sanctioned Memorial Acclamation: “Christ has died…” That was used in a lot more English-speaking places than the USA - and still pops up in some of them sometimes. Ireland also had "My Lord and my God"…

Comment by PaxMelodious June 9 permalink
Rift in Music Ministry
In a church context, if someone says "my way or the highway", then the answer is always to bless then and wish them a safe journey. And that applies equally to rad-trads, dippy-hippies, charismatic-crackpots, CCM-young-bucks, chant-fanati…

Comment by PaxMelodious May 27 permalink
Rift in Music Ministry
Oh - and the remarks about "folk music" are odd, when I see that Don9of11's list includes Silent Night and Immaculate Mary: Both are absolutely classic "folk music".

Comment by PaxMelodious May 16 permalink
Rift in Music Ministry
Thankyou Don9of11, I don't think I've ever seen this sentiment so well stated: It's not always about the organist and how you feel, it's about singing hymns that are both reverent, prayerful, and instructive in the Catholic fait…

Comment by PaxMelodious May 16 permalink
Rift in Music Ministry
You can play an instrument. They (I assume) can't. That pretty much gives you the upper hand. My guess is that the other person is simply suggesting music that they know. I would not even know the Salve Regina - and would struggle to see a …

Comment by PaxMelodious May 15 permalink
Child baptism during Mass
Yes, it's common in some parts of the world. IMHO it's better than having the family troop into the church after Mass is over - being very clear that they aren't attending Mass today!!! If it's inside the Mass, then family mem…

Comment by PaxMelodious May 10 permalink
Behaviorism and its influence on active participation
My understanding from conversations with older parishioners is that no, most people did not have missals. They did not speak the responses: that was the altar server's job. Latin was taught to the top class each year - but most pupils were…

Comment by PaxMelodious May 6 permalink
Do we need a DOM in a large, musically-diverse parish?
The pastor is in charge. Whether or not he thinks he needs a staff music or liturgical specialist depends on his priorities. I'm not a fan of one primary musician across all masses: it leaves you very dependent on one person, with a very b…

Comment by PaxMelodious April 30 permalink
Homily Length?
Do we, as directors of music and therefore people who are paid to make liturgy go well, have the right to talk to our bosses (cordially of course) about preaching which is perhaps overly lengthy or rambly? If you are paid staff - then, NO, not unle…

Comment by PaxMelodious April 26 permalink
We Songs
So "Holy God we praise Thy name" is bad, now?

Comment by PaxMelodious April 3 permalink
Worship Aid Design (multiple Masses in one)
Seems to me that just having one could be a good way to provide passive education about what options there are for people as they grow in spiritual and musical maturity. Of course it's a layout challenge. But having two different ones is a c…

Comment by PaxMelodious January 7 permalink
Curious about this: discontinuing the introit/entrance antiphon
I've always found that music from two broadly different styles in the one Mass is ok: it reflects that we are a BOTH-AND community. But add a third and it gets jarring. No idea why the different - that's just what I've observed i…

Comment by PaxMelodious December 2024 permalink
Where or how to listen to liturgical hymns
That's an interesting couple of hymns you have listed there! Catholic Classics / Devotional Hymns may well have Jesus my Lord... - but I'm pretty sure they won't have I am the Bread of Life. However there ARE good recordings on You…

Comment by PaxMelodious December 2024 permalink

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Username: PaxMelodious
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