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“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

Entertainment in the Liturgy and Our True Responsibility

Richard J. Clark · June 2, 2017

MONG THE biggest problems liturgical musicians face is the misunderstanding of the role of sacred music in the liturgy. The prism through which many view this role is that of their only frame of reference: the entertainment industry.

When individuals expect liturgical music to appeal solely to them, can we really blame them? At all? Not really. The world celebrates self and individuality; this is all many know outside of Mass and sadly, within as many parishes adhere to music that attempts to emulate secular models—sometimes poorly. (See The Truth behind Christian Rock: according to Hank Hill.)

When liturgy mirrors secular culture, it is no wonder the church musician is expected in rather demanding fashion to help us pleasantly pass the time. In the commiserative words of Kurt Cobain, “Here we are now, entertain us.” Sometimes, our jobs can feel this way, and sometimes, Mass can feel that way.

But, this is not a rant on sacred music composed in popular styles. Some is quite reverent and well crafted, having found a unique voice in the Church (while an abundance is less artful). The 19th Century was guilty of pandering to the crowds with popular faux-opera, quite ubiquitous in the Victorian era. This alone gave great inspiration to Pope St. Pius X for his 1903 Motu Proprio, Tra le Sollecitudini (“Instruction on Sacred Music”) which in turn inspired Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. (1963)

Pope Saint Pius X begins his “instruction” describing the overall purpose of the liturgy as “the glory of God and the sanctification, the edification of the faithful.” But such language sounds so foreign to our modern (and Western) ears. Surely such sentiment is to be dismissed as an irrelevant relic. Or are St. Pius X’s words—which so directly influenced Vatican II—the key to spiritual rebirth?

O ADVANCE SUCH SPIRITUAL REBIRTH, the job description of a church musician must by necessity be different than what many expect. We differ vastly from entertainers in that we do not point to ourselves or our own achievements. Instead our work must point to God while helping people sing their faith. The 2007 document Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (SttL) has much to say about entertainment and the role of music in the liturgy:

The role of music is to serve the needs of the Liturgy and not to dominate it, seek to entertain, or draw attention to itself or the musicians…The primary role of music in the Liturgy is to help the members of the gathered assembly to join themselves with the action of Christ and to give voice to the gift of faith. (SttL, §125)

As such, one’s job description or responsibility is three-fold and unified:

1 • Musician;

2 • Liturgist;

3 • Pastoral Presence.

One must be highly competent in all three areas. This doesn’t come easily. It might even take a decade or a generation, but be assured, all three are necessary.

Such a trinity of responsibility parallels the section of SttL called, Judging the Qualities of Music for the Liturgy: The Three Judgments: One Evaluation. I have written much about this here.

It is not enough to be a “talented” musician. One must be a competent liturgist, familiar with myriad liturgical documents. If that feels like drinking out of a fire hydrant, it is important to know how to find out what one does not know—what references to use, how to find the liturgical texts, rites, propers, readings, etc. Then it is important to understand the “why” behind the rites and liturgical action. This too may take many years of experience, study, and prayer.

This brings us to the responsibility of pastoral presence. Many musicians leave this part out. A friend is fond of saying, “There are professional musicians who are amateur human beings.” (Not a judgment, just an observation.)

One may be the finest musician in the world, but the willingness and skill to be a pastoral presence will make the difference between failure and success. It requires experience, problem-solving skills, social skills, and creativity to navigate the muddy waters of politics. Your patience will be tested to its limits, sometimes daily.

Who wants to sign up for this? Few, but if God calls us to serve, then dig in! (John 15:16: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…)

OW CAN ONE be a pastoral presence? There is no easy formula, but it begins by being grateful to the hard working musicians we have the privilege to pray with. It begins by being grateful for the people in the pews who may not be as musically literate as we are, but are unified with us in the love of Christ. It begins by understanding our role as a servant leader.

In recognizing our role of service, a positive pastoral presence often goes unseen, recognized, and quite likely unappreciated. (But God sees all.) But it is recognized by its fruit: happy and prayerful musicians emanate a joyful sound of praise. This translates to the hearts of the faithful in their praise of God, in turn strengthening the community.

This can be summarized in another important trinity of ideas: Lex orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi —“As we Worship (Pray) So we Believe, So we live.”

Here we are now. Sanctify us.

God is here now. Glorify Him.

Soli Deo gloria

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

    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
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —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

We cannot exaggerate our indebtedness to Dr. Julian’s “Dictionary of Hymnology,” a monumental work, without which we could not have reached the high standard of accuracy, as to both texts and authorship, which we set before us when entering upon our labours.

— Committee for “New English Hymnal” (1906)

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