Singing at Mass
I posted this on Gateworld before I realized that it fit better here:
I went to church for the first time today in ages and was shocked to discover that the choir is no longer permitted to "perform" during the Mass anymore because the priest has forbidden it. He won't allow anything to be sung without the congregation. Now perhaps this seems like a good idea but not compared to what we used to have.
I sang in the choir for years. We were good. As in good enough to sing for the Pope and sing High Mass at St. Peter's in Rome. We worked hard, and it showed. We did everything from Bach and Palestrina to Negro spirituals, preVatican II hymns to contemporary music. I have sung pieces in not only English and Latin but also in French, German and Russian. The music was the heart of the Mass. Today, the music was anemic. There was harmony in one song only. The rest was just blah- for me, that is. There is so little participation from the congregation that it's just sad.
The way I can really tell how far it's sunk is that I'm going to start rehearsing for Christmas on Thursday. I wasn't going to join again because I didn't think I had enough time to learn the music. The director told me I'd be fine. The choir usually starts rehearsing for Christmas in September. I'm wondering how long it will take the priest to decide that there won't be Christmas carols before Mass on Christmas Eve because it's too much like a "performance."
Ironically, the priest has been on sabbatical for the last five months while this has been going on.
There are so many reasons to be disappointed in the Catholic Church as a whole that I guess I should be glad it's only a local policy., but it's given more people a reason to leave.
I went to church for the first time today in ages and was shocked to discover that the choir is no longer permitted to "perform" during the Mass anymore because the priest has forbidden it. He won't allow anything to be sung without the congregation. Now perhaps this seems like a good idea but not compared to what we used to have.
I sang in the choir for years. We were good. As in good enough to sing for the Pope and sing High Mass at St. Peter's in Rome. We worked hard, and it showed. We did everything from Bach and Palestrina to Negro spirituals, preVatican II hymns to contemporary music. I have sung pieces in not only English and Latin but also in French, German and Russian. The music was the heart of the Mass. Today, the music was anemic. There was harmony in one song only. The rest was just blah- for me, that is. There is so little participation from the congregation that it's just sad.
The way I can really tell how far it's sunk is that I'm going to start rehearsing for Christmas on Thursday. I wasn't going to join again because I didn't think I had enough time to learn the music. The director told me I'd be fine. The choir usually starts rehearsing for Christmas in September. I'm wondering how long it will take the priest to decide that there won't be Christmas carols before Mass on Christmas Eve because it's too much like a "performance."
Ironically, the priest has been on sabbatical for the last five months while this has been going on.
There are so many reasons to be disappointed in the Catholic Church as a whole that I guess I should be glad it's only a local policy., but it's given more people a reason to leave.