Appropriate Styles of Music at Mass

This is the fourth and final article in a series of articles on the use of music at Mass.  The first article, “Why We Sing at Mass”, discussed why we sing at Mass, including its biblical basis.  My second article, “Who Sings at Mass”, discussed how we are all called to join in the singing at Mass while relying on those with the gift of music to lead us.  The third article, “Where Should Musicians Sing From”, discussed whether the musicians should be positioned in the sanctuary or in the choir loft.  This article, the final one in the series, will look at the style of music used at Mass.

Style
In considering what style of music we use at Mass, we need to think about what effect we expect music to have on us at Mass.  Do we expect the music to make us feel good for the hour we are there?  Do we see the music as a means of praising God?  Or do we seek music at Mass as a means to draw us into a deeper relationship with God? 

These questions point us back to my first article in this series, “Why We Sing at Mass.”  Music at Mass is a way to praise God.  However, in today’s society where radical individualism is prevalent, one might rush to think the primary purpose of music at Mass is to make me feel good.  Our desire to feel good is not necessarily bad but if it is our only (or primary) goal at Mass, we have missed the mark.  We miss the mark if we are more interested in feeling good for an hour than we are in deepening our relationship with God.

All three questions are valid considerations in what style of music is offered at Mass.  Which one of the three is most important to us affects our choices of hymns at Mass. 

If I am in my car driving, I sometimes choose to turn to a Christian radio station that plays contemporary Christian rock.  These songs can make me feel good for the time I listen to them.  That does not mean I want to hear these songs at Mass.  Please know that I referred to them as “songs” rather than “hymns.”  A hymn is designed to praise God.  A song is music we sing.  The two are not mutually exclusive but the focus is different.  This does not mean that contemporary Christian rock does not praise God.  If it draws our hearts to a deeper connection to God, then it may serve as praise.

The key question is whether we focus more on the music’s rhythm or the theology in its lyrics. Are we looking for a hymn that soothes our hearts or a song that gets us dancing and prancing like at a rock concert? 

What soothes the heart can bring us closer to God.  A hymn expressing solid content from our faith can also bring us closer to God.  A song with a beat that gets us “dancing and prancing” may be focused on making us feel good for a few minutes.

Music at Mass should draw us closer to God.  If we are “dancing and prancing,” are we paying attention to the rest of the Mass?  Are we paying attention when the Bible is read or are we waiting for the next song?  Are we paying attention to the faith expressed in the Eucharistic Prayer as the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus or are we waiting for the next song?

We need to look beyond simple matters of taste in music.  Actually, people’s different taste in music is not all that simple.  It is real.  I know I have my personal taste in music but at Mass, my taste is not what is most important.  As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) writes, “At the same time “in planning the celebration of Mass, [the priest] should have in mind the common spiritual good of the people of God, rather than his own inclination.” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 119.  Quote from GIRM, 352).

In considering music for Mass, the USCCB acknowledges that we must consider both the culture and abilities of the Congregation (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 58, 70).  They also say it is important for new music to be composed in each generation (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 81).

Of course, Gregorian chant enjoys a “pride of place” in church music (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 72).  This is not because the Catholic Church is stuck in the past.  Gregorian chant holds a pride of place because it is music composed specifically for our Catholic faith.  The name “Gregorian” goes back to Pope Gregory I.  However, “in recent times, the Church has consistently and freely welcomed the use of various styles of music as aid to liturgical worship.” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 136).

The USCCB also writes, “The choir may draw on the treasury of sacred music, singing compositions by composers of various periods and in various musical styles, as well as music that expresses the faith of the various cultures that enrich the church.” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 30).  In doing so, the musicians must consider what gives praise to God in contrast to what makes us feel good for an hour.  Do the hymns express truths of our faith or does it say what we want it to?  (I discussed doctrinal content of music in the first article “Why We Sing at Mass”.)

Purposes of Music at Mass

There are three categories of music at Mass that I would like to flesh out.  They are psalms, Mass parts, and general hymns.

The psalms used at Mass are always from the Bible.  They are almost entirely from the Book of Psalms but there are some other canticles such as the Song of Moses from Exodus 15 and Isaiah 12 that are used at the Easter Vigil.  We need to hold true to what is found in the Bible (Paragraphs 153-160 of the USCCB document Sing to the Lord express the rubrics on this). 

The Mass parts include the Gloria, the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts), the Memorial Acclamation (When we eat this bread….), the great amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, and the Lamb of God.  While they are normally sung, they express specific elements of our faith.  The USCCB states, “The Gloria is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church, gathered in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb.  The text of this hymn may not be replaced by any other text” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 148, quote from GIRM, 53).  All the Mass parts need to adhere to the wording as found in the Roman Missal.

For general hymns, there is a hymn for the opening procession, the offertory, during Communion, and (not required but common) the recessional procession.  These are the hymns that are open to the full treasury of Sacred Music.

Choice of Musical Instruments in Style

One of the ways in which music style is expressed is in the choice of musical instruments.  It can be a controversial subject for some.  Multiple instruments are mentioned in the Bible. The USCCB writes, “from the days when the Ark of the Covenant was accompanied in procession by cymbals, harps, lyres, and trumpets, God’s people have, in various periods, used a variety of musical instruments to sing his praise” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 89).  For examples, cymbals are mentioned eighteen times in the New American Bible Revised Edition.

Perhaps the instrument that can be most controversial is the drum.  Used poorly, it can overpower the music but I have personally experienced organists who play so loud such that you cannot make out the vocal singing.  When discussing what instruments are appropriate, any discussion begins with what makes us feel good as compared to what draws into praise and worship with God and a deeper relationship with him.

One also needs, as mentioned above, to consider the local culture.  “Many other instruments also enrich the celebration of the Liturgy such as wind, stringed, or percussion instruments “according to long standing local usage, provided they are truly apt for sacred use or be rendered apt” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 90).

Of course, there is the organ.  The USCCB writes, “Among all other instruments which are suitable for divine worship the organ is “accorded pride of place” because its capacity to sustain the singing of a large gathered assembly, due to both its size and its ability to give “resonance to the fullness of human sentiments, from joy to sadness, from praise to lamentation.”  Likewise, the manifold possibilities of the organ in some way remind us of the immensity and the magnificence of God” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 87). 

The organ can indeed be a powerful support of the music at Mass, but, if and only if, the organist knows how to take full advantage of it.  The same is true of any instrument used at Mass.  Its proper use at Mass is dependent on the player knowing how to play in order to support the music and not take over it.

I would also suggest that familiarity with a hymn or Mass part should be a consideration in which instruments are used.  When a congregation is familiar with a hymn or Mass part, the organ can be wonderful.  However, with a new piece, I will say that for me, I learn it better from a piano where I hear distinct notes more clearly.

Before concluding this series, a final note on musical instruments.  Everything I have written about the use of musical instruments has focused on their use to support vocal singing.  The words are what expresses our faith.  That being said, I would be remiss if I did not mention that “There are also times when the organ or other instruments may be played alone, such as a prelude before the Mass, an instrumental piece during the Preparation of the Gifts, a recessional if there is no closing song, or a postlude following a closing song” (USCCB, Sing to the Lord, 44.  Cf. 91).

This concludes my series of articles on music at Mass.  I hope these articles have helped you develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the use of music at Mass.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Bibliography

Compendium:  Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. USCCB, 2006.  Also available online at https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) including Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America (USCCB: Washington, DC).  2011.  https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Sing to the Lord Music in Divine Worship.  Washington, DC: USCCB.  2007.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine (USCCB Doctrine), “Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church:  An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics.” September 2020.