Music for Sunday

The Blog of Catholic Musician Adam Wood

My Personal Church Music Preferences

Please note!
The following has nothing to do with correct liturgical practices, or what would be pastorally appropriate in particular parish. It does not represent what I would actually do if put in charge. It does not represent my understanding of Sacrosanctum Concilium or the USCCB’s guidelines on anything.

The following is what I, personally would like to experience as a consumer of music at Mass.

Generally speaking:
1/3 Plainchant, mostly in English, sometimes in Latin
1/3 “Contemporary Catholic” music from the last 30-40 years: St. Louis Jesuits, a lot of David Haas, Dona Pena, Bob Hurd, Talbot, the Iona Community, Taize
1/3 A mixture of everything else- mostly Protestant Hymnody (especially early American), Sacred Polyphony (mostly Palestrina) and Choral music (mostly British), with a smattering of Contemporary Praise and Worship, Black Gospel, and other ethnic styles from time to time.

The choir and instrumentation:
Big choir.
Mostly piano based, with a rhythm section. It’s great if you can have a separate set drummer and hand drummer. A mandolin or other small lute instrument is a nice addition.
I usually can’t stand organ, so it would be no loss to me if there wasn’t one. (Again- this is just about what I personally like).
Most importantly, though- everyone doesn’t play on everything.
In fact- there should be a strong preference for acappella singing whenever possible, even with contemporary styles. Up to half of the music heard should be unaccompanied.

Which brings me to some specifics:

I want the Ordinary of the Mass (all the dialogues and all the acclamations) chanted, unaccompanied. In English (except perhaps the ones everyone knows well like the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei). There are some composed Mass settings I really enjoy as music, but all that stuff really clutters up what I think should be incredibly simple.

I enjoy the common “four song slots” practice- Gathering (Processional), Preparation (Offertory), Communion, and Sending (Recessional). Those would generally be the Contemporary music styles, with some taken from the last 1/3rd when textually appropriate.

In addition to hymns and songs, the Propers would be sung or chanted. For example- after the contemporary congregational singing during the procession, a Cantor or Schola would solo or lead the Introit. A similar practice would be taken with the other Propers. This would probably lengthen the Mass considerably- which would be fine with me (my preference, here, remember). Some compositional attempt would be made to connect the music of the Propers with the hymns and songs they are being paired with. That is a project I would gladly work on each week.

When the congregational communion song runs out of verses, the choir has the opportunity to sing some (textually appropriate) Palestrina or Tallis or Rutter or Faure or something beautiful along those lines. Sometimes the children’s choir sings. Sometimes we have instrumental music. This music is allowed to go on after everyone has received communion- there is no rush to get the Mass over with.

The congregation, of course, sings contemporary pop hymns and ancient chant equally well, full of joy and earthy heavenliness.

The Ordinary Form is used, and the Priest faces the people. (Prayers are addressed up and out, to God). Gestures are large- slow, and deliberate.

There is incense. There are bells at the Elevation. There are Gothic style vestments and deacons in dalmatics. Altar servers wear the traditional black and white. Processions take a long time. Everything takes a long time. There is plenty of silent space around each action, each reading, each prayer. There is no ad libbing (AT ALL), but the spoken prayers are read so sincerely that we all think they are the Celebrant’s own words. When we do clap, we clap on 2 and 4.

This wide variety of songs and styles will be very well planned out, so that it will feel like a unified whole and not a random collection of things. Great care will be taken with each element individually.

I’m probably missing some details. And I know that this hypothetical Mass would be two hours or more, and that lots of people would dislike at least 1/3 of the music. Some will call it too solemn, others not solemn enough.

I understand all of that. And again- I am not writing this to teach others about proper Liturgical programming. I just thought some of you may be interested in knowing what perfect Mass I have in my head when I dream about Liturgy.

So- rather than fill up my comments telling me that I’m wrong (since I can’t be wrong, because this was really just about what I want), I would like to encourage everyone to write about your perfect Mass.

Not what you think is right. Not what you think is Pastorally appropriate. Just, for the fun of it (maybe more), describe your ideal Mass- the Mass that would most completely cater to your needs, tastes, and desires.

6 Comments to My Personal Church Music Preferences

  1. Pes's Gravatar Pes
    March 19, 2010 at 11:43 am | Permalink

    1. A holy priest.
    2. At a high altar.
    3. The congregation facing the crucifix together, in the same direction.
    4. Organ or other appropriate instruments for prelude and postlude.
    5. The Mass is sung.
    6. The congregation chants the ordinary. The Gloria is sung straight through. The Credo could be recited, but on special occasions, sung.
    5. A small, superb volunteer choir of the congregation sings the antiphons proper to the day, with psalm verses, either with or without the organ.
    6. The responsorial psalm’s antiphon is sung once by the congregation at the beginning and end. The psalmist sings the verses to a psalm tone.
    7. If the congregation is large, the communion antiphon verses are sung in fauxbourdon by the choir, followed by a motet. The harmony could of course be modern.
    8. After the dismissal, i.e., after the Mass, the congregation would sing a Marian chant or hymn.

    Obviously, this means a lot of chant, either in Latin or a vernacular, but it would be obviously derived or related to the Gregorian chant. No instruments or music with secular associations would be allowed. The choir would sing from the loft. The psalmist and cantor would be modest, face the sides (not the congregation), and sing without a microphone. The Mass would follow its objective course. The overall impression would be holiness, serenity, and awe.

  2. cloudsurfer's Gravatar cloudsurfer
    April 24, 2010 at 1:41 pm | Permalink

    Adam

    I have nothing kind to say about the Pope’s attempt to resurrect the dead Latin Mass. Tridentine is a tradition best left to gather dust in a museum. Liturgy, literally means: The work of the people…So Ratziger has no say in the matter, rather parishioners get to choose the manner in which they worship God. To me what your blog misses is the critical link between Worship, Music and Multimedia. After Pope Benedict dies, the Catholic Church will need to figure out how to incorporate computer art, internet, film, and electronic music into sacred worship. It cannot be put off. When the message of the gospel, modern music, dance, electronic media, and good sermons are brought together the result is a powerful religious experience.
    Use of electronic media means one can fulfill the Great Commission as internet allows infinite expansion of a church without bricks and mortar. Recreating Baroque altar pieces with Puti, Frescos, and pompous displays of Gold, Linen, and incense ain’t gonna cut it in a space age society. The Tridentine Mass literally is the theater of the absurd…stagecraft without message. Relationship with God reduced to ritual, magic and superstition. Christ would be ashamed. Modern man’s religious expression needs to be contemporary.

  3. Patricia Cecilia's Gravatar Patricia Cecilia
    June 20, 2010 at 5:33 pm | Permalink

    I’m with Pes. Extraordinary Form (Missa Cantata or Missa Solemnis) or Ordinary Form with the Ordinary in Latin, chanted, and on some occasions, done in wonderful polyphony of any century as long as it is reverent. Or even Ordinary Form in the new translations, always the Roman Canon. Say the black, do the red. Accompanied by organ or harpsichord, or combinations of strings and winds, or classical guitar, and very rarely, piano; often unaccompanied, and mix it up between accompaniments in the same Mass/in the same piece. Never: drumbeats (an occasional tympani and melodic percussion are totally acceptable); dancing; ad-libbing.

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