Whether we are choosing music for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, or Ordinary Time, it goes without saying that we will play and sing this music for our assemblies. More often than not, the way we perform a piece of music greatly impacts its overall effect. It might be a great song, but if the performance was distracting–not inviting, we missed the boat.
You’re sitting at the piano (or holding your guitar) and the first reader has just left the ambo. As they return to their seat all eyes and ears are upon you. It is…silent. What happens next depends on you. You are about to “introduce sound” into this beautifully reverent moment of silence as listeners contemplate a reading from the Old Testament. How will you begin? Loudly? Softly? Just piano? Solo flute? A cappella voices? Drums? There are so many options, and for each we must consider the liturgical moment.
On any given Sunday the music ministry is directly responsible for leading up to 15 moments in the liturgy (not including Preludes, Sequences, Dismissal of Catechumens & Candidates, and Postludes.):
1. Entrance/Gathering Song
2. Penitential Rite
3. Glory to God
4. Responsorial Psalm
5. Gospel Acclamation
6. General Intercessions (if sung response)
7. Song during Presentation of the Gifts
8. Holy
9. Memorial Acclamation
10. Great Amen
11. The Lord’s Prayer (if sung)
12. Lamb of God
13. Communion Procession
14. Meditation/Song of Praise
15. Closing Song
That’s a lot of music, and a lot of responsibility. But we should embrace these opportunities with excitement, reverence, and musical sensibility. Over the next 2 “Setting the Tone” articles, we will take a look at some of these “liturgical moments” and consider the musical possibilities for each.
Most parishes and communities have their own style of beginning the liturgy. Some parishes and pastors request that you remain silent as you enter the church, until the gathering song. Some parishes encourage you to greet one another openly, welcoming friends and family. In other parishes the music ministry rehearses (sometimes with the assembly) before the official start-of-mass time. Depending on which Mass you attend it can also vary within the same parish. I know when I begin the 7:15 am Mass at St. Ann’s it’s a little more subdued than the 10:30 children’s mass, or the 6:00 pm contemporary teen mass!
So are you coming from sound, or silence? Are people talking openly, or praying quietly. Listen. You are about to introduce sound to this moment. Here are your options depending on what type of tone you want to set for the liturgy:
1. When starting from silence: begin the gathering song tenderly. Piano/guitar and a solo instrument playing the intro are always easy on the ears, and rather expected. A cappella voices are also a great way to start from silence. Soft percussion works as well. Remember, this is just the start of the song. Once the song gets going you can make it as big and loud as it needs to be, but “get there” first. Forget what dynamic marking is in the music…you need to make a musical decision based on where you are in the liturgy. A contemporary band coming in with a crash on a downbeat would be…loud! Is that what you want to happen there? There are times for this, and I don’t think this is necessarily one of them. Similarly, an organ with all the stops pulled out playing a really loud intro can also disturb the silence in a “not so positive” way.
2. When starting amidst a “gathering” assembly: When people are greeting one another, talking, shaking hands, etc. the sound in the room has already begun for you. You can begin almost any way you want, within reason. A nice strong downbeat with a band can add some majesty to that moment, almost like: “Wow, something big is about to happen!” People’s attention will shift forward and they will know that it’s time to begin singing.
Another option, however, is to grab their attention by playing softly…a solo voice singing the melody, a trumpet softly playing an intro, a soft downbeat by the entire band with a slow-strummed type chord in place of a “crash.” Again, people’s attention will shift forward as they begin to hear the music. Let it build as much as you want, encouraging full and active singing by the assembly.
The important thing is to be creative and musical. Don’t start every Sunday by counting 1-2-3-4 and everyone comes in together! Vary the way you begin from week to week. A single song can begin many different ways. Your assembly will appreciate the variations.
Where Are You Going?
We’re not finished, yet. The song needs to end. Just like we looked at where we were coming from (sound or silence) we need to look to where we’re going in the liturgy. The very next thing to happen is the Greeting: the Sign of the Cross. How will you set up that liturgical moment? Will you ask the priest to follow a big, strong ending where everyone, assembly included, is singing at the top of their lungs? Perhaps. Or, will you gradually bring the dynamic level down, setting up the Greeting with a brief moment of silence? It’s your choice…and it can make all the difference.
1. Start one way, end another: If you begin strong, end quietly. Start with the full band, as described above, then end with just the assembly singing the refrain of the song, accompanied by just piano or guitar. A nice way to end is by adding the last chord, softly by the whole band….(the priest beings: “In the name of the Father…”)
Similarly, if you begin quietly, end strong! Build up all the way to the end. The last chord rings out big and strong until the whole band is cutoff together by you... (the priest beings: “In the name of the Father…”)
That would be powerful musical contrast: highs and lows, loud and soft.
In the same way you can begin strong and end strong. Christmas Day and Easter Sunday come immediately to mind. It would be feel completely appropriate to be as festive as possible for some liturgies. Keep the dynamic level up.
Some Things Never Change…
Where the Gathering Song might have an intro that depends on the starting dynamic level of the room, the Responsorial Psalm always takes place within the same liturgical moment: complete silence.
Everyone has just listened to a reading from scripture and is (hopefully) contemplating its meaning in their lives. Listen. How will you introduce sound to this moment? Will you come crashing down with a big chord, trumpets and sax blaring away on the “really cool” intro of the song? That would be a big jolt to everyone in the pews. They’re not ready for that. You need to ease them into the next song. Start quietly and gradually build.
You can take any song, any song, and start it quietly. It doesn’t matter how it was recorded, and it doesn’t matter what’s on the page. Make music, not distractions. If you’re not sure how to start, try one of these methods:
1. Piano, softly in the upper octaves, playing the refrain melody
2. Guitar, gently strumming or picking the chord progression of the intro or refrain.
3. Light percussion (shaker, maracas, congas, bongos, etc.)
4. Piano/guitar and solo vocal
5. A cappella refrain, especially if it has easy, predictable 3 or 4 part harmonies
6. Flute, playing refrain melody with no accompaniment.
Depending on the nature of the song, some of these methods will probably work better than others. Just start out quietly, gradually adding to the sound. When the assembly needs to sing, bring in the bass guitar. Now you can bring it up to full volume, encouraging everyone to sing out with full voices. Use your best judgment, but be musical. Your assembly will really appreciate the efforts you make.
Welcome to the blogosphere, Ed!
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