I am often asked how I go about selecting music for each Mass. The
answer is actually quite complicated on a whole but it is easy when
broken down into individual components which I employ or consider on a
regular basis.
I worked in a Roman Catholic Church for fifteen
years and played for five Masses each weekend. While serving this
parish, I really honed my knowledge and familiarity with the
Lectionary. There are three years in a cycle. Year A, B and C. Each
Sunday of each year has its own readings. For instance, a specific
Sunday in year A will have three readings and a Psalm. Year B, the same
calendar day will have different readings, and likewise for Year C.
The collection of pre-selected readings come from a book called "The
Lectionary." It is a collection of scripture organized and sorted for
each Sunday of the year for three years. That means, every three years
you will hear the same reading. There are however a few exceptions to
the rule.
The priest at this church where I served for fifteen
years took his homilies out of a book that some theologian wrote. No,
his homilies were not his own, he did not write them, they were canned.
But, they were good. I had my own personal copy of the Lectionary and
during each Mass for the entire 15 years of service, I would scribble in
the margins and stuff it with post-it notes about the music I used,
what the congregation responded well to, what went well with the
readings or the homily and what the homily was about, etcetera. Over
the years Father would marvel about how flawlessly I could match the
readings and even to his homily. He credited the Holy Spirit.
So
in planning music, the first method I would consider is what I call
"ACTS." - If I choose a hymn or song from each the the following
categories, Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication (ACTS),
I can't miss. Many hymn books come with a thematic index. Even so, it
isn't difficult to grasp the theme of a hymn by reading it carefully
and prayerfully. Many hymns may also encompass multiple topics. When
you choose hymns for the average liturgy in the order of ACST, you can't
go wrong. That is one method.
I aslo take into consideration
the season. If you schedule Christmas hymns during the Christmas season,
most liturgist will be forgiving if it is casually chosen. The same
applies to a Lenten song during Lent or an Advent song during Advent
(which is not Christmas). Of course, the exception to this rule is
planning music to accompany sacramental action. Just keep in mind that
every seasonal song may actually have a place on specific Sundays of
its season. "On Jordan's Bank" is an Advent hymn but works well on the
Second or Third Sunday of Advent or even on the feast day of the Baptism
of Jesus.
Thematic. Sometimes a pastor will preach on a theme
and often for several consecutive weeks, so, I'll go along with them.
Having regular meetings with the pastor to discuss the seasons, readings
and community dynamics can be a great tool.
I also choose music
based upon what the worshiping community may need to sing (we are what
we sing). For instance, I once played for a church which was opposing a
parole shelter or halfway house from moving in next door (who wants
sinners coming to our church?) so in consultation with the pastor I
scheduled "All are Welcome," “The Summons,” “Amazing Grace,” and "God
has Chosen Me" for about four weeks straight. It is not enough to ask
God for forgiveness if we can not forgive others. The giving of money,
going to church or even serving on a committee to the church does not
free people from the responsibility to forgive. The act of forgiveness
is very hard, but, very easy. Despite our protestations, the shelter
went in and the parolees became wonderful tenants. Not only did they
attend our church, but they performed many community service projects on
our building and a few of them became members, got married and started
families in our congregation. We lost some of our more pious members
but we can now sing "All are Welcome" and mean it, and know it, and live
it. It was a true transubstantiation. Even the haters are welcome
back if they are willing to forgive themselves for, adoration leaves no
room for pride.
Of course, I would always first consult the
Lectionary for the readings. Some liturgists use the Lectionary for what
I call "Eureka Planning." That is when you read the scripture for a
particular day and can match it to the text of a hymn. For instance, on
the second Sunday of Easter, Years A, B AND C, the scripture reading is
about Jesus appearing to Thomas and Thomas doubts that it is really
Jesus so Jesus invites him to place his hand to the wound in his side. A
perfect hymn or song to sing here would be "We Walk By Faith" which
echoes that scene in the third verse. I may use an upbeat setting of
that hymn for the opening to foreshadow what will be heard in the
readings. I may use it for after the homily to augment what I know the
pastor may break open in Word. The possibilities are endless. That can
be the most frustrating part of planning. You can have fifteen songs
which would be perfect for any one Mass but you only need four.
I
have eclectic tastes and usually program music so that there is
something for everybody at every liturgy crossing instrumentation and
genre. During the hymns and songs, I am always cognizant of the
congregation and their level of participation. If they really like a
song or are moving along to it, I make note of it. If they aren't, I
make note of it but then try to analyze why and then figure out how I
can fix whatever may be wrong. Of course, some organists can't do this
from their balcony aeries with their backs to the congregation and 54
ranks of pipes staring them in the face.
I also think that each
liturgy should be a production and that each person should leave the
service a different person than when they came in. That is easy to do if
you can encourage them to sing one song or let out one "woot." At least
on a cellular level they will have taken a deeper breath, oxygenated
their blood, and they may even zap a few brain cells, leaving with a
clearer mind or more energy. Singing has the power to physically change a
person and for the better because it does aid in the oxygenation of the
blood which does wake up the brain and that is why it is a crucial tool
at the disposal of every pastoral musician. A congregation that sings,
goes out into the world as better people - a transubstantiation.
If
your church uses the Revised Common Lectionary, it is easy to choose
music based on the scheduled readings. I would plan a tentative
schedule for an entire year. If the pastor chooses the readings, I will
schedule music as far as he plans but would then lean toward seasonal
planning.
Just to recap, there are six criteria to consider:
A. What the congregation knows; Not the same as what you like.
B. How quickly they learn;
C. What are the needs of the assembly, congregation and outside community.
D. Seasonal songs
E. Topical and thematic songs and/or requests from the pastor
F. The Lectionary
Keep
in mind that there are also dozens of websites, many are denominational
or publisher based, where selections of suitable songs and hymns have
already been mapped out for you. Just as a pastor can have canned
homilies, your selections can be canned. Generally, if you use them,
you can't go wrong. The difference is like giving someone cash for
their birthday as opposed to giving them a handmade gift or something
you picked out yourself. If you use a planning guide to choose your
music, it will be good. If you do your homework, work with the pastor,
the parish and the people, it will be better.
If worse comes to
worse, there are hundreds of church musicians who post their music
schedules online for their choir members and the world to see. Steal
them.
When choosing music for a choir or soloist, it is pretty
much the same as the aforementioned with a few added components of what
is in the library, the budget and the skill level of the choir. If your
choir worships music and loves to perform, well, there you have it. If
the choir is in love with God, loves the people of the pew and, for
them, music is not a ministry, but a tool to ministry, the sky is the
limit. Adoration leaves no room for pride.
Preludes, postludes
and offertories are also an expression of my faith. I try to play
something spirited, dynamic and engaging. In one church I served, the
pastor welcomed the people at the start of the service then he sat down
and my prelude began. Every prelude had to be something interesting
since they all sat there and listened intently. The postlude was the
same, he invited them to sit and listen. When I was finished they were
invited to go out into the world to love and serve the Lord and each
other. One Sunday I played a still and quiet piece (which is rare for
me) for the prelude. Because they were accustomed to toccatas, fugues
and a broad range of dynamics in the prelude, a little old lady came up
to me after the service with her walker and said, “What the heck was
that? Don’t ever do that again.”
