Liturgical Music Musings

Why has the music in the Catholic Church gotten so out of hand? The musicians play and sing as if they were putting on a show at the local theater, with music that is written as if it belongs on Broadway, rather than leading the congregation in song in the solemn celebration that it is supposed to be. The music is so rhythmically complex and the melodies disjunctive and discordant that the people cannot and will not sing. As Liturgical Music Directors and Musicians we need to curb this trend and return to the guidelines set forth by Church Doctrine.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the purpose of liturgical music to be prayerful, to include the participation of the congregation and to be mindful of the solemnity of the celebration.

The musician should be mindful of this as well. His or her role at the organ, or the cantor stand, should be to lead and guide the congregation in song. This is not a performance; facial expressions and body language are key in setting the proper tone for the solemnity of the Mass. The organist should keep in mind that HOW the organ is played should be taken into account.

In her blog post, Why I rant, Anita Moore, Esq., OPL says, “At Mass, we are literally at the foot of the Cross...So then, when it comes to deciding what is appropriate at Mass and what is not appropriate, all we really have to do is ask ourselves one question: would this be appropriate at the foot of the Cross?”

Below are my tips and suggestions for both the Liturgical Musician and Musical Director. These were put together after watching and listening to colleagues execute their duties as church musicians.

Tips for the Liturgical Musician:

• Mistakes are human; be sure to give yourself enough time to review and discuss the music with the organist/cantor before Mass.
• Knowing your music is very important. Review it, making notes and highlighting your trouble spots, thereby making practice more efficient.
• Regular attendance at rehearsals and practice on your own is crucial.
• You have to be comfortable in front of the people.
• Have a clear and consistent communication with the people.
• Articulation in your speaking and singing is vital.
• Be sure to have a straight posture that is both conducive to singing and shows command.
• The object is to lead the people, not to make it a performance.
• Facial expressions should be kept to a minimum and should be reverential.
• Gestures for inviting the people to sing should be clear and appropriate to the Mass.
• Play and sing the music like a prayer.
• Dynamics, when used correctly, help to make the music more like a prayer.
• The organist/pianist should support the cantors and the people; this is Mass, not a concert performance.

Tips for the Liturgical Musical Director:

• Know your Choral and Solo Voices:

• Children and teens tend to have very high-pitched voices that are frequently off key. While a children’s or teen choir is very nice, the cantor should be an adult with experience.

  Intonation and pitch problems will result when the voice has too much vibrato and starts to warble. Conversely, the voice without vibrato is not controlled.

  Encourage singers to use their head-voice, rather than belting with the chest-voice. Belting will result in intonation and pitch problems.

  Encourage your singers in the choir to listen to each other for blending and tuning.

• Know your instrumentalists

• No matter what the occasion, the instrumentalists should be aware that this is a Mass, not a performance.

  Make sure that the instrumentalists are playing in tune.

  The instruments (including the Organ) should not be too loud or overpower the singer(s).

• Select music that is friendly, not only to the musicians and singers, but to the people; they will close their books and mouths if the music is difficult.
• Make rules and ensure that your musicians and singers adhere to them.
• Encourage your musicians to attend rehearsals regularly. Do not play favorites; use your discretion when rewarding your musicians, based on talent and conformity to your rules