Familiarity Breeds

The famous line from HMAS Pinafore, 'A policeman's lot is not a happy one' could well apply to the parish musician whose 'lot' is to choose the music for Sunday liturgy. Musical tastes vary greatly and no matter what the musician chooses it will not please everyone! However, several foundational principles can guide the choices of the pastoral musician.

1. Sing the Mass rather than sing at Mass

Our first concern must be the structural elements fundamental to the Mass, referred to as the Ordinary: the Lord have Mercy and Glory to God, the acclamations during the Eucharistic Prayer (Holy holy, Mystery of Faith, Amen), and the Lamb of God litany that accompanies the breaking of the bread. Ideally, every parish would know at least two Mass settings as well as the chant setting found in the Missal.

Equally important are the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation. The psalms are songs and ought to be sung. If no-one is available to sing the psalm verses, at least sing the antiphon. There are literally hundreds of settings of the Gospel Acclamation - the Alleluia or the Lenten Acclamation - so it should not be difficult to have congregations sing that each week. Refer to Catholic Worship Book II (nos 42-61) for some excellent examples.

2. Choose appropriate hymns

In the Catholic tradition, hymns never stand alone but always accompany an action, often a procession. The singing to accompany the entrance and communion processions is a vital part of the liturgical action and the whole congregation needs to be able to participate; on the other hand, a hymn during the procession of the gifts is not essential. Indeed, if the procession is very short it may be better to have instrumental music rather than singing at this time. The recessional hymn has never been prescribed in Catholic liturgy, but most congregations finish with a song that sends the people forth to live what they have just celebrated.

Several criteria are used in judging the suitability of a particular hymn within the liturgy. Firstly, it must be in harmony with the action of the liturgy: appropriate in length and matching in spirit. Secondly, the text must be both theologically and grammatically correct (qualities not able to be taken for granted, unfortunately!). Thirdly, the hymn needs to be of good musical quality that will engage the assembly and hold up over many repetitions.

Finally, the hymn must be able to be sung by this particular congregation and not be beyond their capabilities by being set too high or having an overly­ complicated rhythmic structure.

Since singing touches the affective dimension of our being and actually brings about chemical changes in our brains we know that words that are sung carry more weight than those that are spoken. Hymn texts need to inspire, encourage, teach, unite and above all enhance prayer. Parish musicians therefore need to choose music that invites the assembly to sing, and this requires time and discernment on their part.

3. Familiarity breeds participation

Music in the liturgy works best when it is familiar to the assembly. The desire to constantly add 'something new' needs to be resisted! Take the time to work out a repertoire that suits the particular Mass community and then stay with it, adding only one or two new items each year. It is of far greater benefit to the assembly to be able to sing 60 hymns well than 200 poorly. Using the same music for particular feasts and seasons each year gives a sense of ownership of the repertoire. Then when the hymns for a particular season appear, they will be welcomed as beloved friends returning and not as unknown intruders.

While limiting the repertoire has many advantages, it is nevertheless important to ensure that it contains several 'golden oldies'(which nowadays may only be as far back as the 70s and 80s). Good choices are suitable for children and adults to sing together and will alsoappeal to young adults. Hymns sung during the entrance focus on praise of God, the particular feast or season, or the action of gathering as the People of God. Hymns sung during the communion procession acknowledge the great mystery of Christ present with the gathered people; they refer to the assembly rather than the individual, since it is the Body of Christ (the assembly) being nourished by the Body of Christ (the consecrated bread and wine).

Choosing hymns for Mass is not something that can be done in haste. It requires a good knowledge of the liturgy, of the community and of the available repertoire. It is best if it is a collaborative process with others who are working with the Scripture for the day. It calls for musicians to put aside their own personal preferences and look to the needs of the gathered assembly. It demands patient and careful building up of a repertoire that will stand the test of time and which, together with the sung Ordinary, will be the glue that binds together the hearts and minds of the assembly whose Sunday worship gives glory to God and builds up the Body of Christ on earth.

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This article was originally published in Liturgy News ​Vol 48(1) March 2018.  Reprinted with permission.

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