“So that the holy people may sing with one voice, the music must be within its members’ capability. Some congregations are able to learn more quickly and will desire more variety. Others will be more comfortable with a stable number of songs so that they can be at ease when they sing. Familiarity with a stable repertoire of liturgical songs rich in theological content can deepen the faith of the community through repetition and memorization. A pastoral judgment must be made in all cases.” – Sing to the Lord, 27
I’m often asked about the repertoire we sing at Mass; why we sing this song or don’t sing this other piece. This always boils down to three considerations, set forth in the United States Confraternity of Catholic Bishops’ (or USCCB’s) document, Sing to the Lord: is it 1) liturgically sound, 2) pastorally appropriate, and 3) musically worthy? A song must complement the liturgical action taking place, such as a communion hymn being relevant to the Eucharistic meal being shared. So too should it fit the pastoral needs of the congregation – a bilingual parish community merits the inclusion of bilingual (or multilingual) repertoire, for example. Likewise, it needs to be of musical quality. This last criterion is notably the most subjective, but I try and keep my personal tastes in check whenever possible. Instead, I ask, “does this song musically foster full, conscious, and active participation?” People generally don’t want to sing music they dislike, but tastes differ and may vary from one community to the next. Musical ability also is a factor; if a selection is vocally challenging in range or both complex and unfamiliar, congregations will be less prone to sing… no matter how exquisite the work might sound to the listener. These three judgements – liturgical, pastoral, and musical – are at the heart of why we sing what we sing every week.
Please accept this invitation to participate more fully, more actively, in our parish’s music ministry. If you are interested in singing in the choir, leading the congregation as a cantor, Incarnation and Most Blessed Sacrament Parish Bulletins or enriching our liturgy as an instrumentalist, email Shawn Gelzleichter at sgelzleichter@gmail.com or call the rectory at 781-662-8844.