Music at Confirmation

Music and the Rite

Confirmation should be a great event in the life of the candidates and the worshipping community. We know that the full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else (SC 14) and that the participation must be both ‘internal’ and ‘external’ (MS 15). Accordingly, choosing the best music possible is an essential part of the preparation.

Where the sacrament of Confirmation is conferred at a later age after first communion, it would usually take place during Mass. The Catholic tradition however has consistently seen Confirmation as sealing Baptism and leading the baptised to holy communion, that is, as the second of the three sacraments of Christian initiation. This might mean that it is celebrated outside Mass (since the children will not yet have received their first communion) or within a parish Sunday Mass (since initiation concerns the whole Church, represented by the Sunday assembly).

Where Confirmation is celebrated during the Sunday Mass, the hymns, responses and acclamations chosen for the celebration ought to be familiar to the whole assembly, precisely so that the people can participate fully in the liturgy. The decision of choosing this music should be made by the trained liturgical musicians who usually prepare the parish music and not left to those who prepare the children for the sacrament.

Pastoral Contexts

Music at Confirmation needs to take account of a variety of pastoral circumstances.

1. The candidates may be active members of the parish and the celebration may occur during a parish Sunday Mass. In this case, everyone involved knows ​the parish repertoire and the music ministers may skilfully incorporate special music for the Confirmation ceremony into the music program for the preceding weeks so that the music becomes known. The candidates themselves learn the music as part of the sung prayer in their preparation. The music ministers would choose familiar Catholic music so that visitors know the music or are carried along by the singing of the well-led assembly. Music to accompany the anointing of the candidates need not be sung by all.

2.  A second scenario is that some of the candidates and their families are not active members of the faith community. Pastorally this is an opportunity to evangelise. When the Confirmation rite is part of the Sunday Mass, regular parishioners will provide a pastoral welcome and model good participatory behaviour. Prayerful and joyful music may encourage the ‘disconnected’ families to come back to church more often. Perhaps these families will be more likely to sing music they know from the time in the past when they did attend church.

3.  When Confirmation is not celebrated during a weekend Mass and few parishioners are present, it will be more difficult to involve ‘disconnected’ families. Again, an intergenerational and ecumenical repertoire will assist. The candidates, parents and sponsors must learn the music as part of the sacramental preparation. Praying aloud, reflecting in silence and singing together should occur in the first preparation meeting so as to normalise silent communal reflection together with spoken and sung prayer.

At the ceremony itself, those present need to be nurtured from the start of proceedings. A short song practice ‘breaks the ice’. A few kind words of guidance before the ceremony will set expectations of behaviour and participation. People do need to be silent at key moments, respond to the prayers, and sing the congregational music. Mobile phones should be switched off and no photographs or videos should be allowed. Such respectful attentiveness can no longer be presumed in church. The need for hospitality does not do away with due reverence for the sacred and respect for a solemn and important rite.

Choice of Music

These are practical suggestions about the choice of music in addition to the usual considerations for music at Mass.

1. Text   

Confirmation involves the assembly in sung prayer. It is not a concert by the candidates or a soloist. Texts should be neither arcane nor banal. For example, if Come Holy Ghost is chosen (CWBII 382), the terms ‘ghost’ and ‘paraclete’ may causeconsternation. Adults may not be comfortable singing children’s songs – anyone remember Carey Landry’s I’m Like a Bright Giant Love Ball from the 1973 Hi God album? By contrast, traditional hymns such as Firmly I Believe and Truly (CWBII 486) might work well, as might We Believe (AOV 149). Use the index in you hymnal: CWBII gives a handful of suggestions for Confirmation and suggests looking further in the Pentecost section.

2. Range and Intervals   

Research into voice development in children makes it clear that people cannot sing music that their voices cannot manage. We should avoid choosing pieces with a range too far over an octave. If young untrained children are singing, try not to go below C3 or above C4 and check for awkward intervals.

3. Rhythm 

n modern music, favour songs where the syncopated rhythms are natural and speech-like and similar rhythmic patterns are repeated. If the word setting to rhythm changes with every verse, even trained singers at worship will give up.

4. Form  

A simple repeated chorus or hymn form will teach itself through the repetition of the verses. If the piece is in verse/chorus form, the chorus should be simple. If the verses are simple too, that is even better. If the verses are difficult, they may be sung by a cantor. If the piece has a bridge, it can be deleted or sung by a cantor. And if the form of the piece is not easy to follow, do not choose it.

5. Style 

Music ministry is about service. The music should suit the assembly, not just the musicians. Reflect on the demographic of your worshipping community. A congregation from western Queensland will engage with different church music than a congregation from inner city Melbourne.

6. Resources 

There is no point in choosing music that the parish musicians cannot lead well. Parishes need to work to develop a well-equipped, strong music leadership team, but further exploration of this issue lies beyond the scope of this article.

What Next?

​There is no point having a wonderful Confirmation celebration if the newly confirmed attend a dreary Mass the next weekend. Confirmation should be a high point in reliable, vibrant and active liturgical practice in our parishes. We must all work together every week to make the Mass the summit and source of Catholic life.

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This article was originally published in Liturgy News ​Vol 49(1) March 2019. Reprinted with permission.