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I enjoy singing. My modest vocal competence also has been an asset in ministry. While substituting at rural parishes in our diocese and in northern Idaho, I have witnessed the resolute efforts in music ministry where small parishes sing with a big voice. It’s not perfect. Sometimes. it’s a bit awkward when I can’t contribute my voice. I recall a Mass during the Christmas season when the music ministers prepared three Christmas hymns that nobody knew. While I appreciate the attempt to sing something new, three at one Mass?
I go back a long way with singing. Mother was quite musical and gave her children the gift of music. Kathleen and Jim are accomplished musicians. Kathy sings with the choir at her parish in Reno and does some accompaniment. Jim’s band does gigs for the “liturgy of the nightlife” in Seattle. I lacked the patience and discipline to learn an instrument. Kathleen gave up on me after one piano lesson. But sing I could. We Catholics of a certain age lived the evolution of liturgical music in the Church from pre-Vatican II to post-Vatican II. I do not lament the loss of the good old days when we belted out “Sons of God,” and it’s not because of the non-inclusive language. Singing at seminary liturgies was a workshop for our later life in ministry. At the American College in Louvain (1970-74) there were several musicians and plenty of strong voices. There I got to know the most gifted man, musically speaking, I’ve ever met, Richard Fragomeni, now a priest of the Diocese of Albany. He’s so highly regarded for his liturgical and musical talents that we even invited him to Spokane as a presenter in one of our major programs. Richard showed me not so much what one man could do, but how one man could draw so much out of many. A significant liturgical insight came to me from one of our priests, who remarked, “Music is a nonthreatening way to express emotion.” I won’t identify this priest because he may not read my column, and will be taken by surprise when one of my followers (I’m up to 30) mentions to him, “I read about you in The Last Word.” On that same occasion, he taught us the hymn “We Shall Rise Again.” He sure had it right that music expresses emotion. Not every hymn has such an affect, and it doesn’t necessarily last, but haven’t you experienced the joy of a congregation when many voices are lifted up as one? I hope you have, even if you were singing “Sons of God.”
I was able to join the men’s group at Sacred Heart (Spokane), the Schola. I commend Marian Beaumier and the 10 or so men of the parish who formed the Schola and sing once a month. That’s about right for me. I also like the presentation: black jackets, white shirts and ties to match the liturgical season.
Music is important, even essential, for good liturgy. I can’t say it enough. Not every parish can offer a music program like Sacred Heart’s. There is no point being competitive. The music program that a particular parish can manage is the best there is when the parish does the best it can. But overall, do we put enough money into music? There are people with specialized talent, but talent needs to be compensated. God bless you, pastoral musicians and directors and choir members and singers and, yes, every Christian lifting up your voice in song.