John Williams is a genius.

Everytime I hear one of his scores in a movie I am reminded of how well he can craft a theme that fits the scene and keep bringing it back throughout the movie at just the right times, at just the right level, for just the right duration.

...like in Star Wars, when Luke Skywalker turns to Obi-Wan and says, "The Force?" and you hear that theme come in, played by a French horn. Later, he brings it back at just the right moments when the subject comes up again, and we are reminded of the first time we heard it and what it meant.

Movies, by their very nature, are filled with dialogue, music, and vibrant images. Everything works together to create a greater whole. The same goes for Broadway shows: dialogue, music, movement, vibrant images, lighting, etc. They, too, have recurring musical themes.

How similar are our liturgies?  We use lighting, movement, dialogue (sort of), music, vibrant images, etc. Similarly, one of the ways we can enhance our liturgies is through that same use of recurring themes.

Most of the time we sing a song...and never hear of it again for the rest of the mass. If, for example, your gathering song was "Rain Down" (Cortez), it might be effective to bring the refrain melody back, instrumentally, at some other point in the liturgy.  Perhaps it could be played softly on the piano underneath the Prayers of the Faithful?  Or on a flute after communion as a meditation?  Or you could even invite the assembly to sing just the refrain again after communion.

Another theme could be the responsorial psalm. Let's say you sang "If Today You Hear the Voice of God," for the psalm. It could be powerful to bring back that melody subtly, instrumentally, underneath a spoken prayer, as an interlude in between communion songs, or even sung again as a communion meditation.

The important thing to remember, though, is not to overdo it. Just like recurring themes in movies are brought back tastefully, at the right volume, and for the right duration, so should we be sensitive of the moment we are trying to create, or enhance. We never want to be distracting...only enhancing.