Can anyone shed any light on this?
Is it good for an animateur/cantor to announce hymns during Mass or not? I was wondering about this as some parishes clearly do and some definitely don't. What's the general consensus on this? Also, what about announcing sung parts of the Mass? Is it all down to preference or need (e.g. people don't have the hymn numbers/can't read!) or is there a right or wrong on this one?
Apologies if this has been covered anywhere else.
Maz
Announcing Musical Items
Moderators: Dom Perignon, Casimir
Announcing musical items
Our previous pp announced everything - hymns, sung Ordinaries etc, sometimes explaining why and quoting the 'Council documents.
Our present PP doesn't - and participation has dropped.
I know the Mass "flows" better without announcement, but I would sacrifice flow for participation any day. (Although in my Anglican days, we had flow with no announcements, and 110% participation!!!!!!! Time for another thread here perhaps?)
Our present PP doesn't - and participation has dropped.
I know the Mass "flows" better without announcement, but I would sacrifice flow for participation any day. (Although in my Anglican days, we had flow with no announcements, and 110% participation!!!!!!! Time for another thread here perhaps?)
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Merseysider
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- Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 11:21 pm
All comes down to necessity – sometimes I'll announce something because the refrain is on the parish notice sheet, rather than in a hymal. Sometimes the PP will announce an offertory or communion item because it flows well from his homily or from the Gospel. Surely there can be no hard and fast rule.
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Gwyn
- Posts: 1147
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- Parish / Diocese: Archdiocese of Cardiff
- Location: Abertillery, South Wales UK
O.T.T.
Hymn-announcing can get a bit O.T.T. though. One Anglican church at which I've organ-bashed really go for it, the vicar chappy announces hymns thus:
"We shall now sing hymn number four hundred and sixty-two, four - six - two. Praise to the holiest in the height and in the depth be praise. Four-six-two, omitting verses three and five. Four six two."
Excruciating!
If the (correct) numbers are on a hymn board, shut up. Unnecessary yabbering does nothing to aid the prayerful flow of a liturgical celebration.
F.W.I.W. Welsh language chapels read out slowly and distinctly the first verse of EVERY hymn. Aaaaargh !!! (Or maybe should that be Aaaaarglwydd ?)
"We shall now sing hymn number four hundred and sixty-two, four - six - two. Praise to the holiest in the height and in the depth be praise. Four-six-two, omitting verses three and five. Four six two."
Excruciating!
If the (correct) numbers are on a hymn board, shut up. Unnecessary yabbering does nothing to aid the prayerful flow of a liturgical celebration.
F.W.I.W. Welsh language chapels read out slowly and distinctly the first verse of EVERY hymn. Aaaaargh !!! (Or maybe should that be Aaaaarglwydd ?)
Whilst it can get a bit OTT, we have to accept that some people sing only reluctantly. Prompting them that the next 'bit' of the liturgy is an opportunity for them to open the hymnbook, or pick up the service sheet, and actually be ready by the end of the introduction - else, guaranteed that they will still be wondering whether to pick up the book, let alone open their mouths!
Basicly, whatever works for you, in your parish, will be correct...
Basicly, whatever works for you, in your parish, will be correct...
Benevenio.
At a slight tangent some of my wife's family are Salvation Army, and there they don't have a playover - the hymn is announced, and as soon as the band starts playing you're meant to start the first verse.
In my parish the PP tends to announce stuff when there are visitors (weddings and funerals), but not for a normal Sunday Mass.
D.
In my parish the PP tends to announce stuff when there are visitors (weddings and funerals), but not for a normal Sunday Mass.
D.
Public Service Announcements
With an instrumental introduction of reasonable length, plus the dear old board with the numbers on it, or a mass sheet, it ought to be possible to dispense with the requirement for an 'announced' "hymn-number-seven hundred-'n'-seventyseven" (which will easily be misheard somewhere as "I think he said twentyseven").
What gets more awkward is where the more important sung parts of the mass are less familiar, and still require that we all try and find the relevant setting in the book. It's often quite a faff to dig out - rapidly - the tune to that new memorial acclamation or Sanctus, but the nature of the Eucharistic Prayer rather demands that we do not 'hang about' in our response to the call:
"Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
" ...as we sing our song of praise:"
It's almost as if the punctuating colons are emboldened at these points.
- especially when that part of the hymnbook (a misnomer perhaps?) is crammed full of settings of various parts of the mass (I refer you back to my point in "Hymnbooks" about layout).
More of an observation than a solution I'm afraid - sorry.
What gets more awkward is where the more important sung parts of the mass are less familiar, and still require that we all try and find the relevant setting in the book. It's often quite a faff to dig out - rapidly - the tune to that new memorial acclamation or Sanctus, but the nature of the Eucharistic Prayer rather demands that we do not 'hang about' in our response to the call:
"Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
" ...as we sing our song of praise:"
It's almost as if the punctuating colons are emboldened at these points.
- especially when that part of the hymnbook (a misnomer perhaps?) is crammed full of settings of various parts of the mass (I refer you back to my point in "Hymnbooks" about layout).
More of an observation than a solution I'm afraid - sorry.
Announcing musical items
As I am only just over 5' tall, I frequently have problems seeing number boards!
It is useful if a pp announces the hymn number and says the first line only, then part of the first line is played over (without the harmonies so that the tune is clearly heard - I have been told by members of the congregation that this is helpful). This would use up very little extra time.
Another idea, particularly for a lesser known item - in France, I have been to churches where there is an animateur at the front of church to the side of the altar, which would serve both choir and congregation.
Hope this helpful.
It is useful if a pp announces the hymn number and says the first line only, then part of the first line is played over (without the harmonies so that the tune is clearly heard - I have been told by members of the congregation that this is helpful). This would use up very little extra time.
Another idea, particularly for a lesser known item - in France, I have been to churches where there is an animateur at the front of church to the side of the altar, which would serve both choir and congregation.
Hope this helpful.