The disaster that is Christmas

[mcb]

in the same way that you don't sing Easter Hymns during Lent or Holy Week, you shouldn't be singing Christmas carols during Advent

OK, SC, I'll bite. Why don't we sing Easter hymns during Lent and Holy week? And what, if anything, would that have to do with not singing Christmas songs during Advent? I'm not sure the connection is as straightforward as you suggest.

[Southern Comfort]

I think it's something to do with living the cycle as it unfolds ─ something that liturgical musicians can be rather bad at, because they're often weeks or even months in advance in their planning. There's a risk of living the moment before you get there, so that when it comes it can be a bit of an anticlimax.

I agree, Christ is risen the whole year round, but we celebrate different facets of the incarnation-resurrection dipole as the year goes by. For me, we should not only celebrate it but try to live in it, and that means not pretending that we're somewhere else in the cycle.

I know that some people find that a bit hard to take, but thinking about how one works with RCIA, using Lectionary-based catechesis, can help. You simply can't use readings other than those of the day. It wouldn't be fair on the catechumens to say, in effect, well, we'll suspend today's (or this week's) readings in favour of something we like better. They need to experience the entire cycle, and so do we.

I apologise for the Chrism Mass jibe ─ I knew it was not an exact parallel. But I do think that singing Easter hymns during the Lenten season is something that no one would seriously countenance (quite apart from all the alleluias), any more than we'd accept singing Christmas carols during Lent. In both cases, they simply don't fit. My contention is that most Christmas carols don't fit during Advent either.

[mcb]

For me the difference between Lent and Advent is that in the run-up to Easter we have chronos mixed in with the kairos - a ritual remembering of the sequence of historical events leading up to our Lord's resurrection. It would be out of place in that context to go overboard with celebrations anticipating Easter Sunday. (But (i) for all that, the Mass on Palm Sunday is still a celebration of the resurrection, and at every Mass in Lent, potentially, we could sing or say the words Christ is Risen; (ii) that's liturgy. What about concerts and nonliturgical celebrations - should we avoid singing Messiah in Holy Week?)

Advent, I think, is different - there really isn't a temporal structure to the immediate preparations for Christmas. After all, the feast barely commemorates anything historical other than the fact of our Lord's birth itself. If Christmas isn't really Jesus's birthday, why refrain from anticipating what it celebrates? Answer: out of a sense of restraint - waiting in joyful hope - to make the celebration of the feast all the brighter when it comes. But (like I said above) that's for liturgy. I don't think anyone round here would argue that we should sing Christmas carols in Masses during Advent. It doesn't seem at all compelling to me that we need to exercise the same restraint outside of our liturgical celebrations. In my blog I put it like this:

My feeling is that if we were more fastidious about the timing of Christmas musical celebrations, we could miss out on communicating the Christmas message itself to people it might otherwise not reach. In a week or so’s time we’re hitting the pubs of Salford, this time in aid of St Ann’s Hospice, Little Hulton, but with the same ulterior motive in mind.

[Southern Comfort]

Here's a different kind of problem with Christmas....

http://tinyurl.com/ykaocs3

[presbyter]

My potential disaster is that the only man in the parish who knows how to put the crib together has just come out of hospital with a replacement knee. He's not that mobile at the moment. The donkey also needs major surgery (its name is "Arfa" - 'cause it's only "arfa" donkey - hindquarters missing).

[musicus]

My potential disaster is that the only man in the parish who knows how to put the crib together has just come out of hospital with a replacement knee. He's not that mobile at the moment. The donkey also needs major surgery (its name is "Arfa" - 'cause it's only "arfa" donkey - hindquarters missing).

No ass then?

[oopsorganist]

Hmmmmm
I have just been down to lead a planning/practice for the Christmas music, as requested by PP - of course, there was only me there. I suppose the fact that the church was bitterly cold, and the weather inclement, had put people off.

So I guess we will just sing the same carols we sing.

PP always insists that there will be carols sung before the Vigil Mass and the Midnight Mass. This means a long haul for me and anyway, no one really sings.

Can't drum up much enthusiasm for the whole routine just now.
This is sad, because I really enjoy singing and I would love to be in a church/group/organisation where I could sing with other people. And I think that sometimes, I really hate playing the organ. So it's not quite right is it.
Christmas. Bah. Humbug.

[VML]

Hi Oops,
You are clearly working the same shift as I am on Christmas Night, i.e.Family Mass at 6.30, and Midnight preceded by carols. And we have a carol service tomorrow afternoon for which the only practice with 3 teens who are singing what they have sung at school, will be after Mass in the morning, -on my Sunday off music for Mass!! I told our list of 'choir' contacts that we would practise every week through November and December. The first week it was me +1, the second, +3, the 3rd, +1, then 2 weeks when I was on my own. There are actually many varied, valid and sadly serious illness reasons why most of our once reglar members are not available to practise.
We have a supportive and understanding PP.
Does your PP feel disheartened in any way by the lack of response or is he putting it all on you? It must be disappointing for him too, even if he has a funny way of showing it.
I would not be able to cope if I was only using the organ. I sing and play a classical guitar as well, and quite a few musicians come along and play. Sounds dreadful doesn't it? Mostly it works more or less.
I know I will be on my own musically for the children's Mass, and I am afraid I will be wearing my old folkie/ singing leader/ teacher hats for that. There will be about 250+ there, and crowd control is part of it.

We are blessed with a newish church, sideways on if you see what I mean, where the organ and music corner is very visible beside the altar. If you are stuck in an organ loft it is very hard to motivate a congregation to sing. But will your PP let you lead unaccompanied singing, at least from the front if not from the ambo? People will usually respond if they are told it is up to them to make a joyful noise, or "For God's sake, sing!!'

We will have the Lourdes Gloria, the Lillis call and response Holy holy from the old Celebration Hymnal, and straight words Lamb of God, and sundry carols. I am hoping it will work.
Midnight won't be very clever, and will rehash a previous year. It is the art of the possible, and I hope yours will be too. Please don't be disillusioned by it all. So many of us are in the same boat.
You will have earned the blessings of Christmas I wish for you!,

Veronica

[oopsorganist]

You're quite right VML, it's not hopeless. I should be thankful that our PP is eternally optimistic, very adaptable and quite up for getting it all in a muddle at the drop of a candle/ book/ or anything that makes a good clatter. I do get a bashing for being disorganised from various others. And I just say, I need some help, when are you free?

It's the juxtaposition of the shopping madness/preparation frenzy, with the isolation of music practice that gets to me every year. That, and the idea I have that I oughta be able to round people up a bit better, be more inspiring. But I ain't inspiring so there is no point worrying about it.

Now I'm off to look up that Holy Holy...... where's that book? In a heap with all the other papers in a heap, with unopened Christmas cards and other miscellaneous clutter. But it might prove useful yet, when I find it. We have used the Gordon Rock Lamb of God during Advent, miraculously the congregation remembered it, so there is hope yet.

I was wondering about using the Servant King during the Vigil? I would prefer that to endless Away in Mangering. Is that OK do you think. I just love those hands flinging stars into space.

[MaryR]

I was wondering about using the Servant King during the Vigil? I would prefer that to endless Away in Mangering. Is that OK do you think. I just love those hands flinging stars into space.

I don't see why you shouldn't use The Servant King. I don’t know why we don’t think to use it at Christmas. Another alternative to Away in a Manger might be What Child Is This. It’s by William Chatterton Dix and the usual tune is Greensleeves which everyone should know. The words are:

1. What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

2. Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

3. So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

[JW]

Oops, I sympathise, but I guess that on the day your choir will be full of people who have not practised and everyone will have a great time. These are great occasions for memories; for example:

As a lad before Vatican II, I was playing Adeste Fideles for the procession into Midnight Mass, when the priest conducting the choir (nicknamed Oxford) shouted "Oh My G..., he's on fire!" An altar boy had held his candle too close to the cotta of the boy in front of him.

Around 1990, in my current parish, a gentleman whom I had never seen before interrupted the sermon with "I thought this was a Catholic Church" and proceeded to rant - obviously of like mind with our Society of Pius X brothers and sisters.

And a lovely time in an early children's vigil service c.1980 when the PP invited all the children up on to the altar for the Our Father. A break for about 5 minutes while about 100 children trooped up followed by a really prayerful Our Father.

[FrGareth]

On a par with using the Servant King, our choir has a tradition (i.e. they've done it all 3 years I have been here!) of singing "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" at communion during our Midnight Mass.

FrGareth

[Southern Comfort]

On a par with using the Servant King, our choir has a tradition (i.e. they've done it all 3 years I have been here!) of singing "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" at communion during our Midnight Mass.

FrGareth

I think this is absolutely fine.

I was wondering about using the Servant King during the Vigil? I would prefer that to endless Away in Mangering. Is that OK do you think. I just love those hands flinging stars into space.

Can't stand this hymn meself...

[oopsorganist]

It might be a phase you are going through SC.
I went through that phase too, unfortunate frequent rendition by chubby soprano just that half a tone flat......
But it is useful to me now and I love the hands throwing those stars. The younger people know it and will sing it. I am hard to put to find anything that people will sing. In the absence of a choir you have to just do what you can.

For example, faced with "On Jordans banks" sung timidly by four people and The Servant King being sung heartily by the whole congregation for Advent there is no debate - The Servant King is a better choice, and it occured to me that it might go good for Chrimble too....... but we won't do it, ( we have a carol crisis - more below) nor sadly will we do Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence ( no one knows it ha ha ha ha ha).

Last Sunday there was a drifting around accusation that this organist does not let them sing enough carols...... ha ha ha ha ha, and old soprano and PP revealed they had sung carols the night before..... tut tut - O Little Town of Bethlehem actually, and who knows what else. I wanted to ask if they had sung "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" as well. Old housekeeper suggested animatedly that the old couple who are celebrating some wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve should be asked to choose the music for the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve. Apparently this couple are very Traditional ( Bovered? They'll be dead soon). What do they hand on then to the future church - a Victorian Christmas card complete with glitter?
All this is intentionally stirred up by one individual.
Sigh sigh sigh sigh sigh.

So that is what I do eh? Choose the hymns? Such power and control. Oh my.

So I came home and planned Christmas music choosing each and every Traditional carol in the hymn book we use and placing them within the four services. This leaves out "Of the Father's Love Begotten" which I love. But hey, they want carols so I give them carols.
O Little Town and Once in Royal and Silent Night and Away in a Manger have got B listed into the pre service carol thing, the one where I play the organ and wonder if I am alone.. only to peek round and find a couple of hundred people at least, shuffling uncomfortable and clearing their throats.
Less common carols are in the Mass and - at the end - those horrible high ones - Hark the Herald for Midnight Mass and Joy to the World for the Vigil.
I don't hate Christmas Carols as such, I love them and would happily pop along to a Carol Service and sing away....but they are debased by Supermarket use and Hollywood abuse. They leave Christmas a sentimental party with St Shopping and Santa in charge.
I don't care if "everyone's Christmas is ruined" because they didn't get to sing Once in Royal David's City over and over again. If that is all Christmas means then I am wasting lots and lots of my time.

I should go to confession. I am a bad bad organist/hymn chooser. Christmas. Bah humbug.

[Southern Comfort]

It might be a phase you are going through SC.

If so, it's been going on a long time ─ in fact since 1983 when this ghastly, badly-written song first appeared. Somehow I don't think I am going to change my mind after more than a quarter of a century....

Sorry to hear about all your trials and tribulations, though. Can't imagine why 200 people don't sing if you are providing them with traditional carols and suchlike. Perhaps you need to investigate the possibility of a good cantor to stir 'em up? Is the priest there for the pre-service carol thing? He should be. And he could lead by example and sing himself, perhaps?