'Ministry' of Music

[presbyter]

........ this seems to imply a hierarchy that one must be commissioned (and prior to that trained) to distribute Christ in the form of communion, but anyone can distribute the Word with no training or commissioning at all....

Now docmattc is standing up for a just cause i.m.o. But the first question that needs resolving, I think, is a deeper one - that of instituted ministers - Lectors and Acolytes (who are ex officio Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist) - and those who usually exercise these ministries: i.e. non-instituted readers and ministers of the Eucharist.

Before one can become an instituted Lector and Acolyte, one receives a lot of formation - but as these LAY (and life-long) ministries are given still in seminaries as if they were minor orders (which they are not) - to receive them the recipient must be male. (We've had a thread about this before somewhere)

I myself should like to see this mess sorted out and all who exercise ministries at Mass for which ordination is not necessary be properly formed/trained and commissioned (including "Ushers") - but for how long? In my diocese, a minister of Holy Communion is commissioned for three years - and then re-commissioned and recommissioned ..... &c But this is not supposed to be a life-long ministry ....... how often does your community change its Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist?

How many readers would want to make a life-long commitment to the study (even in a simple way) of the Word of God? An instituted Lector is asked to do just that. Yet surely at least SOME preparation in finding out at least a little of what the passage one is reading is essential - so that the reader reads with UNDERSTANDING ...... and then (God forgive me for the vulgarity but I am quoting what was heard ) we won't get dreadful gaffs about Elisha taking the "*beep*" and St Paul writing to the Philippines. Formation for readers - liturgical, pastoral, practical and spiritual - is essential. And 40 years on from Vat II, Catholics on the whole, sadly, still tend to know almost nothing about the Bible.

Enough of any amateurish approach to liturgical ministry! And a pox on any twit who thinks that because we're all supposed to be participating that means anyone has a right to do any ministry (and do it badly) - sorry, side swipe at Primary School teachers of a certain inclination there - don't start me - go read St Paul on the variety of gifts and if you aint got that gift - then for God's sake and the sake of his people, don't do the ministry.

And as for the formation of Ministers of Music - by all means commission them - give them diplomas and certificates and degrees if you must - but not without sound liturgical, pastoral, practical and personal spiritual formation, formation, formation (yes, I know I've expanded the BCEWLC syllabus - I think it needs it). Liturgical musicians are facilitators of a community's PRAYER together so they must be people of prayer themselves.

I would be overjoyed if every parish had two musicians who had studied the BCEW Preliminary Level Syllabus and a certificate presented to them by their parish priest at Mass, making it very plain to the assembly that what they have studied is for the benefit of all gathered, not the individuals themselves. And I'd like to see that syllabus extended to primary, secondary, tertiary levels (if one could call them that) - and ultimately, I'd like to see formation programmes for musicians that are of the equivalent in some way to those for the permanent diaconate. A pipe dream? Why should it be?

Whatever you do - don't commission "naff" musicians to perpetuate "naff" music in the celebration of "naff" liturgy. E-naff for now and for evermore. Amen.

Time for bed said Meldrew......

PS - the new automated spell check in here is unhappy with "programmes" - can't it understand English like wot she is spoke then?

[presbyter]

Elisha taking the "*beep*"

Rolling on floor laughing - I've been beeped. Well you'll just have to look up the call of Elisha yourselves!

[oopsorganist]

On no I just lost my post! Good thing cos it was very waffly. Apologies for some tangling of the thread.

I think that there are some very good reasons why some musicians.organists/directors/liturgists and choirs should be formally and commonly commissioned which are around having a contract and promise....to work within commonly agreed and commonly practiced boundaries. A sort of uniformity of purpose. Such things would have prevented the awful rows which we have had in the past over which hymns to sing and who should choose them. ........ A role and a purpose and training for others to carry the work forward.

And to the above, the idea that what is sung is what is believed by the congregation. Making the choosing of material the most significant of all the roles in parish music.

But speaking personally I would not want to be commissioned especially in public as I do not feel that I have a Musical Ministry and this would cause a problem because there are two people in our parish who probably think that they do have one and do you know, I think I agree that they do, but it is not something that I would want to be part of. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and now I have to help out because it is my duty and because Mo knows where I live!

[Crumhorn]

Our parish is very careful about commissioning both extraordinary ministers of communion (and yes, isn't THAT a bizarre term?) and readers: both are recommissioned every year. But with us, too, the ministry of music is not recognised at all. In fact our PP refused to specify musicians among those asked to attend the annual day of recollection (and training) for the other ministers. (Yes, he does say that 'anyone else who wants to can come along', but he won't specify musicians...)

I feel very strongly (like Boadicea) that our work, like that of the Readers, is to interpret and convey the Word -- and since I'm a reader as well, I feel the difference in real terms is very slight.

One point that hasn't been made (yet0? If music is recognised as a ministry, does it give us at least the beginnings of a lever on those members of the congregation who stand to attention with their hymnbooks firmly shut during every musical item -- even those that form an integral part of the liturgy...?

We need to demonstrate to everyone -- including many PPs -- that music at Mass is not some kind of optional extra that has no impact on the rest of the liturgy. I think we can only do that by emphasising, very strongly, that it is -- or should be -- an integral part of the Mass.

Then, of course, it's down to good parish musicians to prevent some of the horrors we've heard about on other threads....

OK, I take it all back, I don't WANT to be recognised!

[oopsorganist]

Hello all

Now then, I agree with what is said above especially as regards the participation and support which musicians receive(or don't).... and I wonder if sometimes people in my parish think I am paid for playing the organ or something. Because just before PP found out I could play the beast, we had no organist for a year and he employed a professional organist on a couple of occasions and kept rattling on about his plan to pay for a Sunday organist and then I appeared. So most people who come in the doors could be forgiven for thinking I get paid. But payment is not why I do it.

A recent course I attended was organized by the RSCM and they were mainly Anglicans there. But do you know, they were there........ engaged and involved and with choirs abounding, organists galore, an expectation that children would be in choirs and people will be able to sing in harmony. It was quite an eye opener for me. And a greater passion for church music and liturgy than I have ever encountered anywhere in my experience.

There is a social aspect to this as well. I suspect that there is a class thing going on too. I will try to explain.

It is a middle class role/expectation in English Society - a bit like taking cake to the poor - to be involved with church and or church music. And as Catholics we do not have that thing going on. More likely a lot of very poor parishes in working class areas with only a few better off or educated people to help ....
Think about the choir schools in the great Cathedrals and how those connections are spread out..... Think about who has piano lessons as part of their education.... Here there are set roles and understanding of the social/liturgical/ spiritual expectations embedded in Education and in Society.

And anyway, have you ever seen any training or formation opportunities going through the Catholic education system? So anyone in a stressed parish can take over the music and most people are just glad for that to happen as it lets them off the hook. IF they get on the parish council too that parish could be in big trouble. I have seen this happen. Soon they do everything and other people wander away. Those with a very little knowledge can have a field day bossing everyone about and the majority of people go along with what is happening as they think it must be right as it is happening in a Catholic church.
Then the bossy martyrs complain that no one helps or joins in and they have to do everything all by themselves, including all the singing!

And this is not a healthy place to be.

[Crumhorn]

Oops makes a good point -- and I think it's incumbent on all of us to examine our consciences closely before complaining about lack of participation by the people (and 'all of us' definitely includes me).

But true ministry is just that -- ministry. Which is a form of service. And it isn't a servant's job to be bossy. Our job is to inspire and persuade, and to be sure that we are wise and diligent servants who know and understand the tasks we are charged to perform. So yes, Oops, that means we need to be properly trained, perhaps along the lines that presbyter is suggesting, or an equivalent thereof. But we all have to start somewhere, so in the absence of training I'd suggest:

a) reading up on music at the Liturgy Office website, which dispels many of the more common misunderstandings.

b) using a good liturgy guide (SSG's and/or Stephen Dean's) to help pick appropriate music for particular days -- with careful thought about what the congregation know (and like) know (and loathe) or don't know (and might be taught ).

c) encouraging feedback from the congregation. (You probably won't get it, unless you're very fortunate, but you still need to ask -- that way when they complain about the music you can reasonably ask why they didn't come to you when invited to do so...)

What do other people feel is a basic minimum for someone starting out in the ministry of music? And how do we tackle the people who won't do even the basic minimum unless there IS a ministry of music...?

[musicus]

I'd suggest ... using a good liturgy guide (SSG's and/or Stephen Dean's)

Folks might like to know that you can now access the SSG's new Preparing the Liturgy via the link on our home page. Big thanks to Paul Wellicome, SSG webmaster, for that. He's posted the first two Sundays of Advent. because the next issue of Music and Liturgy is late. (It's at the printers now.)

I know that all of us involved in preparing this successor to the previous Liturgy Planner would really appreciate your feedback on the new one.

[gwyn]

Musicus pointed us to:

SSG's new Preparing the Liturgy

I'm impressed.

There's something greater than a mere pickllist of appropriate songs here.
Well done Lit-planner developers. That is a lovely and accessable format.

Personal Preparation. A paragraph devoted to this is good news. It's so easily overlooked isn't it? Especially when we're rushed to prepare a pre-rehearsal choir menu or in a sometimes unavoidable pre-mass hubbub.

Soldier on!

[mcb]

Then the bossy martyrs complain that no one helps or joins in and they have to do everything all by themselves, including all the singing!

Ouch! But yes, this is beautifully put, Oopsorganist (or can I call you Oops?). Bossy martyrs, that's us. Unless we remember to keep on casting a critical eye over the ways we get set in.

M.