How to Get Catholic Congregations Singing

One of the most notable features of the Anglican liturgical and musical patrimony is that the people sing. Of course, Ordinariate and pre-Ordinariate communities retain this tradition. Unfortunately, as explained in books such as Thomas Day’s Why Catholics Can’t Sing, many diocesan Catholic communities in the wake of the Second Vatican Council have lost the ability to sing. So, how do we get diocesan Catholics singing in church like their Ordinariate brethren?
 

Musical Structure, Rhythm, Style & Text

As Thomas Day recounts, much of the new, folk-pop music that poured into diocesan Catholic parishes in the late 1960s did not actually lend itself well to congregational/choral singing. Much of this music structurally and rhythmically lends itself to soloists and not to groups of singers. One shining example is “Be Not Afraid” - notes in these verses are notated as 16th notes, which are very fast, so they are almost always in practice sung as 8th notes.

Many of the post-VII Mass settings that were introduced to congregations, such as Dan Schutte’s “Mass of Christ the Savior” or Marty Haugen’s “Mass of Creation”, included refrain Gloria’s - settings of the Gloria in which three verses (into which most of the Gloria text are arranged) are given exclusively to the cantor, with the congregation expected to join in only at the “Glory to God in the highest” refrain.

Musical pieces like “Be Not Afraid” (the verses, in particular) and folk-pop-style Mass Ordinaries (like the two mentioned above) also use tricky rhythmic syncopations (“off-beats”) that are easy to neither sight-read nor pick up by ear. Furthermore, the verses of “Be Not Afraid” intrinsically lend themselves to very free rhythmic interpretation and improvisation. Indeed, mainstream Catholic cantors often sing these verses with much rhythmic variation, making it very difficult, or even impossible, for congregations to sing along. (Contemporary Christian music [“CCM”], sung by artists such as Matt Maher and Hillsong, only takes rhythmic freedom many steps further!) 

In addition to the structural and rhythmic issues posed by this music, there are issues with the style in which this music is often sung. This folk-pop music lends itself to vocal practices of that genre, such as scooping, which can often be heard in the singing of mainstream Catholic cantors. This slight pitch variation is appropriate only for soloistic pop singing - it is antithetical to the group, choral singing upon which congregational church singing is based. Pop singing practices such as scooping are even more prevalent in CCM than they are in the folk-pop genre introduced in the late 1960s. 

Folk-pop Catholic hymns can be contrasted with the Anglican church music tradition, which has always been fundamentally congregationally/chorally-based. The noble, stately, majestic, lofty hymns of the Anglican musical tradition are metrical and even, free of the rhythmic syncopations and 16th-notes that characterize post-Vatican-II folk-pop music, which makes them easily singable. These traditional English hymns are almost all stanzaic - the congregation sings each verse, instead of being expected to join in only at a refrain.

The Novus Ordo Missae (new order of Mass) of the Roman Rite in the late 1960s replaced the Gradual proper text of the old order of Mass (commonly called the “Traditional Latin Mass) with the responsorial psalm. Structurally, the responsorial psalm consists first of an antiphon (a line of psalm text), which the cantor first sings alone. The congregation is then expected to repeat the antiphon with the cantor. (However, in practice, most congregations do not.) The cantor then sings verses of the psalm alone, repeating the antiphon (supposedly with the congregation) in between. The Novus Ordo lectionary splices every psalm text differently, leaving out random verses of each psalm. Although the responsorial psalm musical genre only dates to the 60s, there are so many countless musical settings of the antiphons (and verses) that the vast majority of congregations do not and could not possibly know the vast majority of possible settings. 

The responsorial psalm “tradition” can be thoroughly contrasted with the Anglican tradition of psalm singing - whether to monophonic Gregorian chant psalm tones or to glorious, four-part Anglican chant. The psalm tones have an almost 2,000 year-old history and are well-ingrained in the ears of people who have been raised and cultivated in this tradition. The repertoire of Anglican chant tunes, 500 years old, enjoys a well-established level of patrimony. Whereas the responsorial psalm genre only expects congregants to sing one line of the psalm, the Anglican psalm-singing tradition expects congregations to sing the entire psalm. Whereas the responsorial psalm genre splices each psalm text, the Anglican psalm tradition includes each full psalm text, beginning to end. 

Finally, whereas the modern lectionary has undergone many (arbitrary) textual changes ever since it was introduced in the late 60s, Anglicans have been singing the Coverdale psalm translation for the last half a millennium. It is always easier to sing texts that one has heard one’s entire life. Furthermore, the rhythm, poetry and figurative language of language also improves its memorability, making some language easier than others to retain and sing back. In terms of rhythm, figurative language and memorability, the Coverdale translation of the psalms greatly trumps that of the New American Bible.
 

Quality of Music

One obvious point is that people generally do not wish to partake in unpleasant activities. In the same way that people prefer more beautiful texts to less beautiful ones, people prefer to sing elegant, soaring music in which they can participate, over banal, low-quality music in which it is difficult to participate. The high aesthetic quality of Anglican hymnody and psalmody make people want to sing them.

Quality of Performance

It is true that low-quality music, done well, can be made more palatable. Of course, though, low-quality music done poorly can very much detract from one’s worship experience. It is no secret that a low standard of music-making has prevailed in many Catholic churches, due partially to an excessive glorification of amateurity and a general cultural decline in musical literacy in the Western world. Catholic churches have also been known to support artists and musicians much less than their Anglican and other Protestant counterparts. A high level of support for skilled organists and choirmasters is one element of Anglican patrimony that can and should be shared with the wider Catholic Church.
 

Repetition of Music

Of course, the best way to get congregations to sing is to get them familiar with an essential repertoire. A select number (such as 6) of hymns for each season (like Advent and Lent) can be chosen and used exclusively during that season. Of course, the repetition of the Mass Ordinary in every single Western liturgy lends itself to a congregation’s quick learning of a musical Mass Ordinary setting.
 

Instrumental Support

While the organ is of course played during the singing of hymns (and psalms) in order to lead and support the congregation, the organ can also be used solo in order to get tones and tunes stuck in folks’ ears. Before Masses and services like Evensong, organists can either 1) improvise or 2) play organ repertoire, such as variations, on the hymn tune(s) that will be used in the upcoming liturgy. There are also times during the Mass that the organist can use in order to improvise on hymns or play hymn variation pieces. For example, while the deacon is processing with the Gospel book, the organist can play the hymn tune that will be sung at Offertory. Or, while folks are receiving Communion, the organist can give the congregation a “sneak peek” of the post-Communion or recessional hymn. 

Solo string and wind instruments, whose timbre is very compatible with both the human voice and the organ (whose very stops were designed to imitate string, wind and vocal instruments!), can also be incredibly helpful for both leading and supporting a congregation. Having a violin or flute play the hymn melody along with the organ can greatly aid a congregational singer!
 

Conclusion

It is clear that we can help congregations sing by 1) picking musical repertoire that lends itself structurally, stylistically, rhythmically, textually and aesthetically to congregational singing, 2) supporting this music’s high quality of presentation, 3) not picking too many different musical pieces per season, and 4) using instruments in helpful ways. The sooner that suggestions like these are implemented, the better!

Sarah Rodeo Dzialo freelances as an organist, cantor, chorister and choir director all over Connecticut and Massachusetts.