Music woes update

[awkward customer]

The only possible explanation that someone could disagree with YOU is that they like noise?

Or don't mind it....

"You must love it" is an expression which I adapted here.  It's ironic. 

[Miriam_M]

This reminds me, I noticed that the noisy babies and toddlers at Sunday mass all went silent when I was singing. That was the nicest compliment of all. 

It won't last.  As soon as they get used to your singing, the noise will start up again.

Trads must love noise.  It's the only possible explanation.

Sorry, awkward:  In N.O. Masses the noise is caused by the adults. At trad Masses it's caused by the children because the latter is populated by trad families representing the natural order of creation; the former, not so much.

Just saying....


Not trying to derail the thread, but I've noticed that at TLM's, singles and the elderly (etc.) congregate in the first 10 pews, possibly because the families with young children hang out at the back of the church for easy intermittent escape.

High Masses are also more populated than low Masses, for a couple of reasons, so I agree that if you want to ensure less noise for yourself, low Masses and/or monastic-type settings (serving mostly that order) would be more compatible with your preferences.

[Severinus]

I prefer music, of course, and also have a fairly high threshold for noisy babies on Sunday since I love what they represent. There are limits.

But I can appreciate a general reminder that some people want recollective silence at mass. That's easy for someone like me to forget.

It's true the youngsters were probably just curious about the new sound and not actually under my spell.

[awkward customer]

But I can appreciate a general reminder that some people want recollective silence at mass. That's easy for someone like me to forget.

Well, thank you Severinus.  I am truly grateful that you've acknowledged this.  Not many people are willing to do that.

[awkward customer]

.

[Miriam_M]

But I can appreciate a general reminder that some people want recollective silence at mass. That's easy for someone like me to forget.

Well, thank you Severinus.  I am truly grateful that you've acknowledged this.  Not many people are willing to do that.

I think a LOT of people understand that -- on and off this forum.  But the thread was about a Music Woes update, not the singular advantages of a low Mass -- of which there are clearly some.  That's why that particular topic was not the center of this thread.

[awkward customer]

But I can appreciate a general reminder that some people want recollective silence at mass. That's easy for someone like me to forget.

Well, thank you Severinus.  I am truly grateful that you've acknowledged this.  Not many people are willing to do that.

I think a LOT of people understand that -- on and off this forum.  But the thread was about a Music Woes update, not the singular advantages of a low Mass -- of which there are clearly some.  That's why that particular topic was not the center of this thread.

How about offering to help your local TLM priest learn to chant the Mass?  I suggested to Severinus that he approach the Trad seminaries and lobby them to teach chant to the seminarians.  But it could be done at a parish level, by trained lay people like yourself.

It would be beautiful to hear a Trad priest, and servers, chant the Mass.

[Severinus]

Our new priest is very big on getting men involved in the parish. The women took over because of the men shirking their duty, basically. I have to say I agree with him.

I agree with this assessment in general, though it obviously isn't the case with me at this parish. I was active and the priest preferred a woman anyway.

I'm adjusting my assessment a little with the supplementary idea that active men are in places being turned down. After all this is part of my experience, and I wouldn't suppose my experience is unique.

In the main I'm convinced that men today are abnormally passive, including practicing Catholics, and that it's a central problem both in our parishes and in the wider world.

So, adding to that, in my personal experience I'm seeing priests who prefer deputizing women in lay leadership roles, for one reason or another. It might be worthy of speculation as to why.

[Severinus]

But I can appreciate a general reminder that some people want recollective silence at mass. That's easy for someone like me to forget.

Well, thank you Severinus.  I am truly grateful that you've acknowledged this.  Not many people are willing to do that.

I think a LOT of people understand that -- on and off this forum.  But the thread was about a Music Woes update, not the singular advantages of a low Mass -- of which there are clearly some.  That's why that particular topic was not the center of this thread.

How about offering to help your local TLM priest learn to chant the Mass? 

Interestingly I did offer the priest at a previous parish free chant lessons. He was interested and we set a time that worked for him. I drove out there and he didn't show up (it was at his own parish), and texted me belatedly to apologize and that he was caught up in something. I didn't especially enjoy that and didn't offer to reschedule. I should probably have asked for money so he'd take it seriously.

[Miriam_M]

But I can appreciate a general reminder that some people want recollective silence at mass. That's easy for someone like me to forget.

Well, thank you Severinus.  I am truly grateful that you've acknowledged this.  Not many people are willing to do that.

I think a LOT of people understand that -- on and off this forum.  But the thread was about a Music Woes update, not the singular advantages of a low Mass -- of which there are clearly some.  That's why that particular topic was not the center of this thread.

How about offering to help your local TLM priest learn to chant the Mass?  I suggested to Severinus that he approach the Trad seminaries and lobby them to teach chant to the seminarians.  But it could be done at a parish level, by trained lay people like yourself.

It would be beautiful to hear a Trad priest, and servers, chant the Mass.

If you're addressing the question to me, in general, it has not been the celebrant priest (I think for hundreds of years) who has chanted the Mass, simply because parish priests these days are busy enough.  (They often prep the Mass prayers that need to be chanted only by the priest, so that they will do so fairly smoothly.  Lacking local seminarians, a division of labor is almost always desired, if not strictly speaking, "necessary.") 

Certain Masses have special Prefaces, for example.  Our priests also chant the Epistles, Gospels, etc.  It's plenty for him to handle, along with preparing a good sermon, sometimes meeting with servers ahead of schedule, etc. Often the servers have plenty to do just serving High Masses.  Very few know how to chant.  Since TLM priests are still in the minority, they are already stretched thin in their time commitments and responsibilities.

I already chant the Mass (Propers and Ordinary), along with several others. It's a learned skill, and you're right: often priests need to be trained, but merely, frankly, for their chanted roles such as the Dismissal, which they often get wrong  unless they have memorized all the Ite Missa Est settings, which is not likely.

The only priests I know of who would actually know how to chant a whole Mass (including all the prayers at the altar, the Propers, the Ordinary) would be members of trad apostolates. Again, there simply are not enough of those, all combined, in the U.S. to fill the demand for all the scheduled TLM's in the U.S.  Some apostolates split their priests between Europe and America.

[Melkor]

Can you please come to my parish...choir sorely needs help.