Does your congregation sing?

[Tsume Tsuyu]

I ask this question because we seem to have great difficulty getting our congregation to join in. They will sing the traditional hymns they have grown up with but they don't tend to join in with anything they perceive to be 'new', even if we introduced it 10 years ago! We always provide words if they are not in the hymn book and we always teach anything that is new – just the chorus or refrain – to introduce it.

At his workshops, Marty Haugen always says you can't make people sing; all you can do is invite. I agree with this, but it is a little frustrating when the invitation falls on deaf ears, week after week, year after year. I accept that some people actually prefer to just listen but there are lots of folk who clearly enjoy singing the traditional stuff, but clam up if it is anything they are less familiar with (unless it's in Latin, in which case they seem to think it must be old, and they sing! Chris Walker's Laudate and Bob Hurd's Ubi Caritas are examples).

I have heard arguments for the choir dispersing itself among the congregation, rather than sitting in a group. Does anyone do this in their parish? Does it work?

So – does your congregation sing and, if they do, how do you achieve this?

TT

[Gwyn]

Our congergation sing well.

I threaten them that if they don't sing this week's service music then next week I'll select a load of politically correct, runny, late 20th century rubbish that's devoid of any substance and which cautiously avoids any reference to the holy catholic faith for which our fathers were prepared to (and did) surrender their lives.

Works for us.

[presbyter]

There's a simple but profound article (IMHO) on the formation of a liturgical assembly on the back of this summer's Spirit of the Season. Contact Martin Foster - see member list - for a copy.

[Ros Wood]

When moving to ur current area, and having had a dreadful experience in our old Parish, we decided that this time we would try out the local parishes before deciding which to go to. We selected the smallest and least church like building first. We found the parish friendly and the volume of singing was amazing (for a Catholic church that is). We decided to go back the next week and were asked to join the choir. We've been there ever since - it's 16 years now!! Generally people sing but sometimes at 9:00 on a cold winter's day it's difficult to get people motivated.

[Martin Foster]

For those interested in the article mentioned by Presbyter.

'Spirit of the Season' is a half-termly bulletin we produce for schools. It is available on the Liturgy Office website and is distributed via diocesan liturgy contacts and diocesan RE centres.

The article is on the back page of the Summer edition.

http://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/SOS

[musicus]

Thanks for the link, Martin.

M

[musicus]

In my experience, congregations will sing better if they are well led by their accompanying musicians, whether these be organists or other instrumentalists. There are several aspects to effective musical leadership, and I will only touch on a few here.

[1] play rhythmically, both during, between and (especially) before the singing. A well-articulated introduction does much to encourage the people to sing, not least because it makes it crystal-clear when they should start singing. My keyboard skills are indifferent, but I was taught by a master of introductions, and I know how to get folks off to a good start (which they will then maintain). Again, organ playing (or guitar strumming) that is seamless and arhythmic doesn't help.

[2] 'Leading' does not mean 'overpowering'! There are organists who seem to love the sound of their organs more than that of their congregations. If you cannot hear the people, you are too loud. (OTOH, if they cannot hear you, they will falter.)

[3] Vary the dynamics. Some instrumental groups just 'play' (i.e. sempre mf) without any thought for dynamic contrast. If you match the dynamics to the meaning of the words, congegations are generally intelligent enough to appreciate this and to respond accordingly.

[4] Vary the timbres. As an organist, I hardly ever use the preset combinations. A few hours spent at the organ manually mixing tone-colours can make for better listening and better singing.

Some musicians think it undemocratic or tyrannical to give a lead, but I argue that leadership facilitates. The congregation is your most important choir: conduct it with your instrument(s).

Musicus

[Dominic Macdonald-Wallace]

I would support all of Misicus's comments.

One additional factor that may be useful is to use "praise" to lift the communial self-esteem of the congregation.

We had a similar "non-participating" congregation problem in my parish about 10 years ago and we resolved it by asking the animateur and the priest to praise the congregation for their good singing - even though it wasn't particularly good.

The animateur praised them before mass began and the priest before the final hymn. We repeated the process across the coming Sundays and within weeks the strong singers in the congregation let go of their inhibition and we have never looked back.

Dominic

[musicus]

Welcome to the forum, Dominic.

M

[sidvicius]

I agree with Musicus, and Dominic makes some interesting observations. Lavished (and undeserved?) praise may not work for everyone, but it seems that many people receive so little praise in their day-to-day lives that the words of encouragement they receive at mass are returned to the music liturgists and the presider, eventually 'in spades'.

I knew a priest once who had to bounce between two churches every week. When he was in our church (definitely the weaker, generally, of the two) he said "I like coming here because you sing better". Whether he said the same in the other church I don't know, but it did the trick.

Rather like putting compost on that tree that just won't bear fruit - some things need a little more time and effort. Of course, even Jesus knew that some nuts you just can't crack. They're called rocks, and all you can do is let them be rocks.

[pews2]

Some songs seem to draw nearly everyone in, almost irresistibly. Others less so, whether ancient or modern. The experts will probably know why.

Participatory singing seems to aid concentration. Better music can often be made by a well-rehearsed choir, who presumably sing in stead of the people. Does not always prevent minds wandering, though.

In our parish, a cantor or small cantor group, with the "irresistible" kind of songs, seem to work better than a choir as far as participation goes - with some sacrifice of musical ambition. Also, for some reason, the softer the organ is played in our church, the more inhibited people seem to become in their singing. Play it loudly, and most of them seem to sing. Who knows why - perhaps they feel that their inadequacies, real or imagined, are being hidden by the organ. One might predict the reverse effect on the better singers.

Most Catholics leave Mass attendance to a minority. Those in turn sometimes leave the singing during Mass to a further minority. Curious state of affairs ...

[sidvicius]

To add to Musicus' remarks about leadership, I would add 'Always be ready to ask for Help'. We all mess up occasionally. I've botched intros and had mental blocks where I have simply forgotten the tune. A congregation that sees the 'leader' make a big, obvious call for help when such a blooper has occurred is usually big enough to respect it and do indeed respond positively, as if to make up for the error. After all, we are merely there, in privileged positions, to 'assist' and facilitate the community in their praise of God, and sometimes our ability to do that from the front eludes us. Being prepared to be humble on those occasions may do wonders for how other people view you.

[SOP]

Look what I found when I scrolled onto the second page!!!

Perhaps anyone feeling uncomfortable on the fight thread, I mean choir v congregation thread, could post on here!

[manniemain]

Most of our congregation will not sing anything but the most "cheesy" offerings of the late 60s and early 70s when many of them were in their 20s and 30s. Anything newer (in any genre) than this is dismissed as "modern rubbish" and anything traditional (even "O bread of Heaven") is dismissed as Protestant.

[Nick Baty]

Manniemain, your post made me giggle.
Our congregation complains about "this modern stuff" when we sing Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.
As my PP says when I grumble, "Oh our job would be so much easier if there were no people in the parish".