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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

Is Recorded Music Okay for Children?

Fr. David Friel · July 27, 2014

Y NOSE HAS BEEN buried in Sing to the Lord lately as part of a research project on which I am working. In 2007, the USCCB promulgated Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (SttL) as a replacement for the twin documents, Music in Catholic Worship and Liturgical Music Today. To say that the new document is an improvement would be an understatement, but it is not an ideal text, either.

Two weeks ago, speaking about the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, I took issue with the prevalent notion that young people somehow need to be accommodated in the work of divine worship. As a former child, I find this to be an errant hankering—a perspective that is often well-intentioned, but fundamentally condescending and lacking in foresight. True, St. Paul advises feeding first with fluids, preparing the way for solid food (1 Corinthians 3:2). But the admonition is to serve milk (real food), not plastic fruit.

This all came to mind as I read paragraphs 93-94 in Sing to the Lord. These are the paragraphs in which the US Bishops deal with recorded music. The section begins well:

Recorded music lacks the authenticity provided by a living liturgical assembly gathered for the Sacred Liturgy. While recorded music might be used advantageously outside the Liturgy as an aid in the teaching of new music, it should not, as a general norm, be used within the Liturgy. (SttL #93)

Had the section stopped there, I would have been content. But in the next paragraph, one reads this:

Some exceptions to this principle should be noted. Recorded music may be used to accompany the community’s song during a procession outside and, when used carefully, in Masses with children. (SttL #94)

Having just acknowledged that canned music “lacks the authenticity” required by the sacred liturgy, why is a caveat provided for “Masses with children”? Are children not worthy of the best forms of liturgy? Having just rightly identified the inappropriateness of recorded music, why is its “careful use” proposed as acceptable when children are in tow?

In his commentary on SttL, Fr. Dennis Gill says it well:

Recorded music should not be used in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy… It is not the voice of the believer, the voice of the worshiper and, as such, is always inappropriate in the course of the celebration of the Eucharist, the other Sacraments, and the Liturgy of the Hours… Even in cases identified in Sing to the Lord when recorded music seems advisable, like outdoor processions, every effort should be made to actually sing in those circumstances. 1

These pages have demonstrated numerous times before that children respond very well to true sacred music. (For example, see this—Our Lady of the Atonement I, this—Our Lady of the Atonement II, this—Gregory the Great Academy, and this—Youth in Favor of Sacred Music.) If you have never experienced it for yourself, try it out. Children take naturally to chant, and there are so many resources available for teaching it to them. It is time to put the Glory & Praise cassette tapes away and to bust out the Ward method books. If you want to get started, I highly recommend checking out the work of Maestro Wilko Brouwers, the Words with Wings series available from CMAA.

It is so much more rewarding to challenge children to chant than to settle for the crudeness (and hoakiness and banality and utility and frivolity) of recorded music.




NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Gerard Dennis Gill, Music in Catholic Liturgy: A Pastoral and Theological Companion to Sing to the Lord (Mundelein, IL: Hillenbrand Books, 2009), 29.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Catholic Youth Choirs, Gregorian Chant, Justine Bayard Ward Method of Singing, Our Lady Of The Atonement Academy, Resources for training in Church music, USCCB Sing to the Lord Document on Music Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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’ with regard to 1960s switch to vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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 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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It is also customary in many lands that a brief but meaningful hymn be sung between the Gospel and the sermon. (I note in passing that this custom also preserves the original and primary function of the medieval congregational hymn, which was to frame the sermon.)”

— Professor László Dobszay (2003)

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