We all know that the music at the typical Catholic Mass is often cheesy and inappropriate. But what can we do about it?
It’s a popular pastime for Catholics to gripe about the music at their parishes. I should know because I was among those who did so.
Instead of continuing the rich tradition of producing and preserving over a millennium of beautiful Catholic music, most parishes feature contemporary pop music (usually in the style of James Taylor or the Carpenters) sung by warbling church ladies and a flamboyant Elton John wannabe accompanying them. For too many Catholics, this cheesy and inappropriate music was a huge stumbling block to the Faith. How could one take Christianity seriously when it sounded like this?
This frustration eventually inspired me to start going to the one Latin Mass parish in my area. Being a trained musician and early music enthusiast, I joined the choir and learned to read and sing square notes and Latin.
I had participated in choirs before then, mainly as an instrumentalist, but this was a new experience. The environment was much more professional, rehearsals moved swiftly, and singers were expected to practice at home. Sure enough, the music was exquisite and lifted the souls in the congregation. It justified the dense crowds and long treks that people made to attend Mass there.
As my family grew, I gradually switched to a parish nearby. This meant returning to the Mass of the Boomers and grooving to the suburban Novus Ordo liturgy once more. Again, I took to complaining about the music, though I remained grateful that the church was close. There’s something to be said about going to Mass with one’s actual neighbors.
Finally, at the behest of an old student and fellow parishioner of mine, I overcame my snobbery and joined the choir. Yes, we sing the new hymns, and yes, it is frequently cheesy and would make my younger self cringe. Yet, more often than not, it all comes together and adds to the beauty of the Mass. We just had a Christmas concert last month to raise money for a new building, and it was a genuinely fine performance that matched those of any choir or ensemble that I have been a part of in the past.
This experience has illuminated the real challenges of having suitable music at Mass. It’s not so much that priests and choir directors have bad taste in music—though this was definitely true in past decades—but that the parish’s priorities and efforts are misplaced. Where there is a will, there is a way, but too many churches have given up trying and wrongly believe that they lack the talent and resources to have quality music.
Even in suburban parishes, where money isn’t exactly tight, music is treated as an afterthought. Pastors and church committees will routinely sketch out plans for a new family center, a new office, or some new outreach program long before they think of paying their music director more than a pittance or upholding a basic aesthetic standard.
I’ve attended Mass at one such parish, which is brimming with resources and has vast parking lots filled with Teslas and BMWs, and yet their music is all run through one singer strumming his guitar. Surely, this parish could enlist a few dozen singers and musicians for a decent choir and prepare something better and more inclusive.
Even poorer parishes could do more. At the moment, the choirs at these parishes are mostly made up of retirees with an interest in music. Occasionally, they may even know how to read sheet music and carry a tune. It thus falls to the overburdened choir director to do something with this. While it would be great to feature a four-part rendition of Palestrina during Communion, many choirs are still learning to sing “Eye Has Not Seen” or “Be Not Afraid” despite having sung these hymns several times already.
The tragic irony is that nearly all parishes have a wealth of talent waiting to be tapped. Every Sunday, I see accomplished singers and instrumentalists quietly sitting in the pews, never thinking to offer their gifts to the community. Rather, they will endure long hours of practice and tedium at their high school or college all so that they can perform for a few judges at a competition or a few parents at a school concert. It never occurs to them that they could play for a much bigger audience, have a much higher purpose, and learn so much more about music if they joined the church music program.
More importantly, singing and playing for Mass is far more enjoyable. When music becomes an activity of worship, a means of glorifying God and His Church, it provides the kind of fulfillment and satisfaction that doesn’t come from earning a high grade, a superior rating, or superficial approval from adults.
If only someone could tell them, but this is seldom the case. Many parishioners now assume that mediocre music is just an inherent feature of the modern Mass. Those who oppose this status quo will either migrate to a traditional parish or a rich one that pays their singers. Those who remain—to be sure, a dwindling number of people—have largely stopped caring.
To these Catholics, I entreat them to demand more from their parishes. And if they know how to sing or play an instrument, or desire to learn, they should join the music ministry and be a part of the solution.
Or, if they want to embark on the quixotic quest to bring back traditional chant and polyphony, they can start a group of like-minded people to sing for the neglected trads of the parish, as a friend of mine has recently done. To my surprise, there happens to be a large audience for this.
Either way, such individuals stand to save more souls and further build up the Church than in writing articles and having debates—though this doesn’t stop me from doing both.
As Pope Benedict XVI, who was an excellent pianist in his own right, regularly pointed out, “Art and the saints are the greatest apologetics for our faith.” Catholic art, especially Catholic music, can and should be used to bring people to Christ and His Church. If we cast our nets for more people and trust in the Lord to help us improve the music at Mass, positive change can happen; and we can finally stop listening to “On Eagle’s Wings” for the umpteenth time.