Clapping at the end of a carol service

[JW]

A priest, not in my deanery, has issued an instruction that there should be no clapping at the end of a primary school carol service in his church. My informant tells me that this instruction will be ignored completely and that clapping will be even more heartfelt than usual.

Whilst the sacredness of the space and times of silence should be respected, the service is finished and it seems appropriate to thank those who have worked hard to prepare it.

It seems that priests and bishops all joined in heartily with the clapping in this clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3_J4wQIDEE, which leads me to ask 'is there one law for the important people and another for the little people?'

Of course, you could argue that, strictly following the seasons of the church, we shouldn't be celebrating with carols till Christmastide anyhow. I've generally felt comfortable with carol services in late Advent as they meet people where they're at. I'll be playing at two this Sunday. I see that Westminster Cathedral are holding Christmas Celebrations on Tuesday and Wednesday next week and that the cathedral choir have already performed Britten's Ceremony of Carols, perhaps with applause at the end?

What do you think?

[High Peak]

At the end of my Camino, last year, at the end of the Pilgrims Mass in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, there was even applause - from both the nave and the sanctuary - for the swinging of that rather silly Botafumeiro! It would not have been out of place in Barnum's Circus!!

My main concern with what you have recounted was with the line, "has issued an instruction". If it was, indeed, like you suggest then it is both high handed and heavy handed. Too often has been the experience of decrees handed down from above, with no attempt to explain or justify or to take people along with them. Poor people skills, poor management skills......it turns people off and it turns them away.

[quaeritor]

'is there one law for the important people and another for the little people?'

Suprisd you only just noticed that, JW
Q

[oopsorganist]

Oh look, I'm still logged in after the last time I posted. Which is lucky. Otherwise I have to go to my emails and find the last password activation, copy and paste it and so on and so forth there does not seem to be a facility for changing new passwords to memorable passwords on the board - or I have screen blindness.
I am with the PP who issued the decree.
The key is in the word Service. If it was Concert, fair enough, clap along.
Since I am unemployed now, I have time to post on Christmas Eve! Time on my hands so to speak.
In the recent past my former PP took to organizing the parish school into a performance of whatever Christmas songs/show they had prepared in school - and staging it just before the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve. To avoid my chuntering on, he did not involve me in it. Very wise. It got all the kids and families into the church for the Vigil Mass and money in the plate. A devious but understandable initiative. I can't imagine it was that popular with the school staff though. There will have been much clapping.
Clapping is quite nice after Mass for this and that, a very senior birthday, the presentation of FHC certificates, even sometimes for a Baptism. There was once clapping after a Post -Communion performance by the visiting Diocesan choir! And other various parish milestones.
But we can't expect little ones to understand about the idea of quiet service if we only train them to expect applause for junior efforts of activity connected with Liturgy. They have to have the opportunity to give real service.
Happy Christmas everyone. May your scales be merry and bright and may all your finger work be right.