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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Thank You, But Hold the Applause

Richard J. Clark · September 6, 2013

AM NOT SURE HOW AND WHEN it all began, but it has been increasingly common for congregations to applaud at the end of a recessional song or hymn. While this is a very well intended gesture of appreciation for the music ministers, it is indicative of both something right and something not entirely right. A close cousin of this is loud talking in the pews after (or before) mass while others are literally kneeling and trying mightily to pray.

Before I sound too grumpy, there are a few things here that are in the right direction and a few that are not. On the bright side, for someone who used to witness with regularity one third of the congregation disappearing after communion in order to beat the traffic, I am happy to see this practice becoming far less common than it was perhaps a decade or two ago. It is good that people are happy to be at church. It is a very good thing for people to form a close community. This cannot be overlooked with depressing statistics about declining mass attendance. (That is an issue for a dissertation, not a brief blog entry.)

But perhaps in part, the overall decline in mass attendance can be attributed to what is not quite right in this circumstance.

Pope Benedict XVI famously wrote:

“Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment. Such attractiveness fades quickly—it cannot compete in the market of leisure pursuits, incorporating as it increasingly does, various forms of religious titillation.” (The Spirit of the Liturgy, pg. 198-199)

Mass cannot, nor should not compete on a level of entertainment. “Such attractiveness fades quickly.” The mass brings something else entirely different. It is in our very human nature, the need to worship God. Our brains are wired for contemplation. It is within our very soul to connect with the divine. This desire and need is very human. Vatican II states:

“Christ indeed always associates the Church with Himself in this great work (of the liturgy) wherein God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is His beloved Bride who calls to her Lord, and through Him offers worship to the Eternal Father.”(Sacrosanctum Concillium §7)

Take the case of applause at the end of mass. Certainly, everyone understands the expression of such appreciation. However, quite interestingly, the more transformative the music, the less likely there will be applause. The more closely the music is connected with the liturgical action, the more it “adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites.” This is turn builds hearts, souls, minds, and a sense of close community.

At the end of a Recessional on Palm Sunday, it would seem very inappropriate to applaud or talk loudly after such a solemn occasion. This is because the people are filled with a deep interior silence that is moved by the transformative power of Jesus’ sacrifice for us all.

Speaking as a musician, it feels very uncomfortable to hear applause. If anything should be applauded, it should be the Eucharist and the Word. Of course, this is silly. As such, applauding music is just as silly. We don’t applaud the lectors or altar servers, greeters, or ushers, etc. Yet, they all serve an important ministry.

Finally, the best way to show appreciation for your music ministers is not through applause — for if there is applause, we have somehow failed to convey a sense of awe and reverence. For music ministers, there is no greater thrill than to hear a congregation singing with full hearts, minds and voices. Still, it is never about us.

Soli Deo gloria!
To God alone the Glory!

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 Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The choir shall henceforth sing or say no anthems of our Lady or other Saints, but only of our Lord, and then not in Latin; but choosing out the best and most sounding to Christian religion they shall turn the same into English, setting thereunto a plain and distinct note for every syllable one: they shall sing them and none other.”

— 1548 Edict of King Edward VI (a heretic) for Lincoln Cathedral

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