Fr. John Hollowell of the diocese of Indianapolis, Indiana, posts an interesting reflection on his experience with music, and draws attention to the reality that teaching chant and using a cappella singing in plainchant is a much simpler path than more conventional routes.
When I celebrate Mass at Holy Rosary, almost all of the music is without any instrumentation or the organ, and it is the most beautiful stuff I’ve ever heard. Sometimes the organ is used to intone a piece, but then goes silent, such as the Gloria. The Kyrie, the Creed, the Alleluia, the Sanctus (holy holy holy) etc. are all done there a capella some of the time, and it isn’t hard because at least half the choir there is little kids – chant can be taught easily. I taught the kids at Ritter a Latin Sanctus, and a) they love singing it, and b) picked it up after hearing it three times. The Sanctus needs no instruments, and parents visiting at one of our Masses, when they hear our kids chant it, usually cry. We’re going to be implementing the “Christ has died” in Latin next – brick by brick!
Contrary to the common opinion here, to put a Mass together with guitars, pianos, and the music that typically goes along with all of that in the typical parish today is actually a TON MORE work. People hear Gregorian Chant and think, “Oh wow, that is surely not possible in most parishes.” In actuality, a parish that does what the 2nd Vatican Council asks only has a couple of pieces to prepare for – a) MAYBE an opening song (although the documents also allow that to be done solely on the organ) and b) MAYBE a song to sing while the people come forward for Communion and c) MAYBE a closing song, although again that can be just organ.
If a parish is deciding to take the tambourine and guitar approach to music then they have the following “set list”
Opening song
Gloria
Psalm response
Alleluia
Preparation of the gifts
Holy, Holy, Holy
Christ Has Died…
Great Amen
Lamb of God
Communion song (or two)
Closing SongTrust me, I’ve seen it from both perspectives, and doing music as the Church asks is a LOT easier and more beautiful.
The other myth here is that “Peter Paul and Mary-ish” Church songs are easier to learn, and will get the people to sing more. However, the success of such changes is non-existent in the lived experience of the Church. Most of the pieces performed by parish “bands” are MORE difficult to sing and seem to turn people off more than the simple yet more prayerful chant.
His entire post is very wise, and reflects real-world experience.
Based on what Fr. Hollowell suggests, it does seem easier for a parish to pick up chant, or at least easier than they think. Unless of course, they do what is done at my parish–and likely many parishes with underpaid music directors–namely, to use the same ordinary Mass parts for an entire season, cycle through the same 3 or 4 communion hymns, and the same 5 or so opening and recessional hymns–if they're feeling "traditional" it's "Holy God We Praise Thy Name", and if it's a particularly jubilant liturgy, "City of God." The only thing that changes reguarly is the Responsorial Psalm, which in Lent becomes locked in as "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want" until Easter. It's a sad state of affairs that I'm afraid is much more common than I care to admit.
Besides learning and singing all that music…. making selections each week is a serious undertaking.
At my Episcopal parish I have to select:
-Processional Hymn
-Offertory Anthem
-Communion Hymn
-Post-Communion Hymn or Meditation Song
-Recessional Hymn
All (somehow) related to either the Lectionary or the feast day, and all representing a tasteful balance of contemporary and traditional music from a variety of styles.
This comment does not address whether that is a good, preferable, or licit approach to the music in the liturgy of either a Roman Catholic or Episcopalian service.
What I do want to point out, though, is that this process takes HOURS AND HOURS every week. If we were doing Propers, the time to select music might stretch into 45 minutes or so as I decide which of 2 or three settings I should do each week (although, being me, I would probably pick a set or combination of sets for a season).
Adam,
The situation you described sounds like a potential video for the CCW folks to make. It would be an interesting side-by-side comparison. Certainly, many music directors are so busy repeating the situation they know; they don't have time or energy to learn that it doesn't have to be that way.
Mark
While the music directors spending hours to select music, think about the average congregation who are not so musically trained and oriented, but required to sing all those hymns in addition to Ordinaries and other parts. Please have mercy on them who have to struggle in order to 'busily and actively participate' in singing. Eventually their singing cease to be prayers when they are asked too much.
aa-
Well, in my case I certainly know there are "other ways," but I have something of a mandate to do thing s this way. Those of you who have followed my writing and opinions know that I don't have any philosophical or liturgical issue with this approach (in a non-RC parish). I wish Propers were a viable option in the parish where I work soley for the fact that it would make my job easier. (And in fact- I'm starting a Children's Choir this year which will sing almost exclusively Roman Propers [I'm hoping to permanently replace 1 of the 5 things I have to "pick-out" every week, and occasionally replace a 2nd])
Which is exactly my point…. MOST RC music directors seem to have no problem with the contemporary and/or eclectic programming approach. While education and inspiration are super important, another "tactic" is simply to let these well-meaning and over-worked MDs understand how much easier their lives could be if they just replaced 1 or 2 of their weekly hymns with Propers.
(I mean really- from a "We Love Contemporary Music" parish standpoint… how often are there more than 2 lectionary-inspired songs that you just HAVE to do on any given Sunday?)
From what I've picked up from Adam's comments, some things will be easier in the Episcopalian parish where he works than they would be in a Catholic one. I understand that American Episcopalians are like their British cousins, in that they have a tradition of singing hymns and Ordinary settings. That said, Adam probably makes life more difficult for himself by going for a "balance of contemporary and traditional music from a variety of styles." Life would be easier if he just chose a good Anglican hymn-book, like the New English Hymnal, that provides hymns by time of year and occasion.
Amen… I have been trying to make this point for years. 3 different pew hymnals, 4 subscription liturgical planning guides, about 8 gigantic "accompaniment editions" for 5 different instrumentalists, not to mention the necessary sound system and "roadies" needed to set up for Mass… versus a Graduale Romanum and a repertoire of maybe 20 choral works.
Seems like a no-brainer to me.
American Episcopalians have "The Hymnal 1982." If my job consisted soley of picking hymns out of this book, I probably wouldn't want my job anymore.
The style/genre/period mix, while suitable to my own musical tastes and temperaments, is the mandate of my employers, not my own choosing. I'm not sure exactly what I would do if it were 100% up to me.
And Episcopalians sing. I've never taught, coaxed, or waved my hands at the congregation (like they teach at cantor workshops). The congregations sings. New pieces, old pieces, of every style. They sing.
They also listen. We do a choir-only piece for offertory every week. No complaints about not getting to sing along.
To comment on what JCP said: maintaining the full cycle of Roman propers means that each day is quite unique musically. I wonder if the repetition of the same music he describes is not one factor in the decline of attendance at Sunday Mass—if it is always the same, maybe we do not have to go every Sunday.
To comment on what Anonymous said: The traditional distinction between the congregation singing the ordinary and the choir singing the proper maintains that balance which does not exhaust the congregation's ability to sustain singing. AFter all, attentive listening is active participation .
St. Augustine: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you [O Lord]".
As Liturgy is the public work of worship, there are many functions to make this happen. If we are truly made for the transcendent, then using the same tired "new" music eventually won't lift our minds and our hearts. Mass attendance is just a 'nicer, more civil' version of the secular reality. Besides, I can listen to all those things at my choosing.
Restoring the parts proper to the congregation and the choir not only allows the congregation to catch its singing breath, if you will, but it also gives them the luxury of being and not always doing. Activity, especially constant activity, is the enemy of Union with God which is the main objective.
If we can look at the church through the lens of the ancient Fathers and see it as a hospital for wounded sinners in need of healing, then it makes all the more sense that those attending Mass should enter in to their own care by attending Mass and deepening their understanding and their union with the Great Physician. You don't go to the hospital to be your own nurse, doctor, aide, and lab tech.
Reestablishing the propers at Mass allows each his due part at various times during the Mass so that there are parts where we have to "work" and then there is also "rest". There is a Wisdom from the ancients built into the organic flow of the Mass.
If you want a decent hymn book, there's no need to resort to an Anglican one. The Catholic Hymn Book (Gracewing, hardback), compiled by the London Oratory, contains both Anglican and traditional Catholic hymns. It also includes Latin hymns and Mass settings in modern notation.
I have recently taken over the running of a small parish schola who have done a bit of chant before, but not much. We have an hour a week to rehearse. Last Sunday we did the following:-
Opening hymn: Holy God we praise thy name.
Kyrie, Mass XI
Gloria, Mass VIII
Resp. Psalm, Arlene Oost-Zinner
Alleluia (GR as per 2nd Sunday in OT with proper verse in psalm tone)- Latin
Credo III
Offertory from Simple propers project – English
Sanctus, Mass XVIII
Acclamation: Mortem tuam annuntiamus …
Agnus Dei, Mass XVIII
Communio from the GR with all the psalm verses (Latin)
Closing hymn: Ave Regina Caelorum.
In Lent we will be using Mass XVII and I shall be teaching the schola the Responsory Emendemus in Melius (with simplified first part), a simple plainchant setting of the Miserere, and Parce Domine. They already know the prose Attende Domine. Before the Gospel I am doing a simple Latin acclamation which won't change and psalm verses from the Tract proper to the day.
If we haven't time to practise the Communion Antiphon from the GR I am happy to simplify it. But I have been told that the Latin psalmody at this point in the Mass is greatly appreciated.
As a RC music director I have tried to include more propers–both in English and in Latin, including even the lovely collection By Flowing Waters, but while the change is welcome to some (perhaps even most) I'm always met with hostile protests from those who simply can't live or worship without their guitars and tambourines. Unfortunately, the pastor too falls into this latter category!