Music in our Liturgies
Music creates a certain mood, it is rousing, moving, it makes us happy and sad. Music is a means of expression and a means of making a crowd of people into a united body. Today we are surrounded with music, from the local supermarket to the modern airport. It is a form of expressing ones feelings, when we hear someone singing or whistling, we presume that they are happy. In short, music stimulates our bodies and minds. The music that we use in our liturgies is to serve the people of God in music and words. It should help people to express their praise, sorrow and prayer. The church places great emphasis on music in our liturgies. It states that 'song is the sign of the heart's joy.' 'Singing should be widely used at mass,' but we must remember that music is not the only sound we hear at our liturgies, there is also speech and especially silence. David Haas wrote that 'we do not sing "at" the liturgy, rather, we "sing the liturgy." When ritual prayer is enshrined in music that is accessible, prayerful, and engaging - then the liturgy is elevated being a true act of worship, not the mere following of rubrics and meaningless gestures.' Vatican II stresses that the 'musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater than that of any other art.' Scripture itself has bestowed praise upon sacred song, 'sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs among yourselves, singing and chanting to the Lord in your hearts.' (Eph. 5:19) So too 'have the Fathers of the Church and the Roman pontiffs who in more recent times, led by St Pius X, have explained more precisely the ministerial function exercised by sacred music in the service of the Lord. Music in our liturgies is not just looking for our favourite hymn. Worship is not entertainment, rather it is a meeting of God with God's people. It is 'to be considered the more holy, the more closely connected it is with the liturgical action, whether making prayer more pleasing, promoting unity of minds, or conferring greater solemnity upon the sacred rites.' Since Vatican II, a greater awareness of our liturgies has arisen. Many new forms of expressing one's prayer have evolved. It is quite common nowadays to see guitars, flutes, violins, synthesisers, and so on, played alongside the traditional pipe organ. There are many new composers of Liturgical music, and Vatican II say's, 'let them produce compositions which have high qualities proper to genuine sacred music, and which can be sung not only by large choirs but also by smaller choirs, and which make possible the active participation of the whole congregation.' Vatican II devotes a full constitution to sacred music in the liturgy. This document is entitled the Instruction on music in the liturgy. Sacred music, it tells us is 'created for the celebration of divine worship' and it is 'endowed with a holy sincerity of form.' 'Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony in its various forms both ancient and modern, sacred music for the organ and other approved instruments, and sacred popular music, be it liturgical or simply religious' come under the title of sacred music. Sacred music has taken many different forms since Vatican II, these can be defined into 6 categories: Prayer is expressed in a more attractive way when it is celebrated through music. Above are the different forms of Church music. and liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song in any of the ways above. Neither of the above is more important than the other, on the contrary each is as important as the other. In fact many of the choirs or folk groups in Ireland tend to use music from a number of the different styles above, and I feel that this is a good thing. Music is only a signpost in our liturgies, it is not the destination for what we are seeking, for that is God. Music helps us to turn in the right direction, and so careful attention should be given to preparing the liturgy and choosing the appropriate hymns to be sung. Our liturgies should leave us 'lost in wonder, love and praise.' It is important that the meaning and proper nature of each song be carefully observed. When selecting the music to be sung in our liturgies 'one should start with those that are by nature of greater importance, and especially those which are to be sung by the priest or by the ministers, with the people replying, or those which are to be sung by the priest and people together.' The selection of the music which is to be sung should bear in mind the capabilities of those who are to sing the music, especially the choir and the congregation. Music should not 'hinder the active participation of the people.' Great care should be given to the people's role in the liturgy. Time should be given to teach them their responses and to actively encourage them to participate in the singing of the liturgy. 'One cannot find anything more religious and more joyful in sacred celebrations than a whole congregation expressing its faith and devotion in song.' The order of priority of the things to be sung in the mass are the 'acclamations, responses to the greetings of the priest and ministers and to the prayers of litany form, and also the antiphons and psalms, refrains or repeated responses, hymns and canticles.' The choirs role 'has become something of yet greater importance' its has to 'ensure the proper performance of the parts which belong to it, according to the different kinds of music sung, and to encourage the active participation of the faithful in the singing.' Music is our liturgies has a very important role as we have seen. It contains a variety of ways of speaking, i.e. Proclamation, Praise and Meditation. Moreover, music should help the people to express their praise, sorrow and prayer. Finally when we finish our liturgies we should ask the question, Was this a meeting of God and God's people? If we can say yes then we have succeeded.
This 19th century music has as its aim the restoration of Gregorian chant and polyphonic renaissance music. It tends to be associated with the more conservative areas of the Church, such as Tridentine masses.
Modern classical music uses Gregorian and polyphonic music, but it does not tend to the more conservative areas of the church. This form of music tends to have heavy theological texts. Composers working in this area are conscious of the old and new, and their aim is to bring their music into dialogue with contemporary music. Some examples of these composers in Ireland are, Fintan O'Carrol and Colin Mauby.
Folk music began to emerge in the United States in the 1960's. Many of the movements in the around this time, the civil rights movement and the youth culture gave rise to other instruments being used in the liturgies. The style of this music, mostly using the guitar, tends to be simple. Its form is very easy and the music is very congregation friendly. The Dameans in the 1960's, the St Louis Jesuits in the 1970's, Marty Haugen, David Haas and Michael Joncas in the 1980's, are some examples of this music. More recently there has been a new emphasis on the piano/organ, and other orchestral instruments. Haugen, Haas, Joncas and John Foley SJ, are good examples of how these instruments are integrated together.
This form of music has arisen from the black, Hispanic, Latin and traditional culture. Again this has emerged from the United States. In Ireland we see Sean O'Riada, Liam Lawton and Marie ni Dhuibhir contributing to this style of music.
This is music which serves the liturgical text. This form of music tries to integrate music and rite. Lucean Deiss, Gelineu and Margaret Daly are good examples of composers who are working in this area.
This is music that is overlapping between different churches. We have heard many hymns in our churches that are Protestant in origin and also in Protestant church we have heard music that is catholic in origin. Taizé music is probably the best example of this happening today.