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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

How Do I Get Them to Sing? Part 1 of 2

Andrew R. Motyka · March 6, 2013

t’s the question that I’ve heard the most, both explicitly and implicitly. For many music directors, getting their congregations to sing is the greatest challenge. Whether or not everything needs to be sung by the congregation is not the point of this entry. One of the primary means of lay engagement in the liturgy is congregational singing, and if your parish is one where nearly everyone remains silent, there is a problem somewhere. It is not always the fault of the music director; the liturgical culture of a parish is many-faceted. That said, here are some practical tips to get your congregation to sing out:

1. Sing worthy music. This may sound completely irrelevant, but it is, in my opinion, the number one reason that congregations don’t sing. People need to have something that is worth singing, and that means both a worthwhile text and melody. Trite and banal music and poetry does not edify anyone. If you want the people to sing, make it worth their effort. Give them real prayers and texts that are not sappy and embarassing to utter.
Make the music “singable.” The average person in the pew cannot sing complicated rhythms, syncopation, and exotic melodic leaps. Keep it simple and dignified. A good place to start is with the dialogues. If the priest intones the simple prayers of the Mass, the people respond, and it puts them “in gear” for sung prayer. When Mass begins, a sung Sign of the Cross gets everyone off on the right foot. I have never in my lifetime heard a congregation sing the Lord’s Prayer poorly.

2. Step away from the microphone. I almost listed this as Number 1. Other than music selection, overuse of the microphone is a fantastic way to discourage your parish from singing. You may (or may not) have a cantor with the most beautiful singing voice, but if he sings every single piece from the microphone, he will be the only singer. Even hundreds of parishioners can’t compete with one amplified voice, and they won’t even try. If the microphone is needed at all, save it for music that the cantor must sing alone, like the verses of the Responsorial Psalm or the Verse Before the Gospel. If you want the congregation to sing, just back away from the mic. Singing, whether in choir or in assembly, is an act of responsibility. The congregation needs to know that the music simply won’t happen unless they create it. At first will be a shock, and you may see a decrease in singing before it increases again, but the end result will be greater. Another reason to tell your cantor to back away is because congregational singing is already, by its nature, clunky and ponderous. As such, there can be only one leader of song, and it absolutely must be the organ. Speaking of which,

3. Use the organ rather than the piano. This is not an argument from tradition, though there are some good arguments there, too. Solely as a practical matter, the organ is an infinitely superior instrument in leading congregational singing. The broad and sustained sound from the organ will always lead song better than the attack-and-decay sound of a piano. Furthermore, the very mechanism by which the organ creates sound is the same mechanism that the human voice uses. The organ is an instrument much like the human voice and makes for a better song leader.

Next week, we will cover additional tips for getting your congregation to sing, from how the instrument is played to more tips on music choice.

CLICK HERE to read Part 2 of this article.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It was amusing to read in our papers that German Catholics were now using the vernacular at High Mass. In some parts of Germany they have been doing just that for well-nigh four hundred years! The cathedral in Osnabruck has solemn High Mass every Sunday with the whole chapter present, and the introit Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei are sung … in German. Imagine, for four hundred years almost!”

— Hans Ansgar Reinhold (Dec. 1944)

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