AST SPRING, the interior of our church underwent some minor renovations, including new paint, which required removing the pipes from the organ on the west wall, and left us without the KING OF INSTRUMENTS for three or four weeks. My request to have the removal coincide with the last few weeks of Lent was granted, and for the first time in my life I experienced lenten Sunday Masses in the Ordinary Form a cappella. Owing to enormous amounts of scaffolding that filled the choir loft (there is more than 40 feet of wall soaring up from the loft floor) it was impossible to fit in the choir—so I led the music myself. This unfortunately necessitated the use of the microphone to keep starts and stops together, but I purposely avoided overpowering the congregation. While we’ve always had healthy congregational singing, I was amazed how powerful it remained in the absence of the organ. In some small ways, it grew. The congregation responded favorably as well, noting that Easter was all the more joyful because of the organ’s return. Therefore, I thought we’d try something similar this Advent, and I wish to share the results (and some insights) with our readers.
A Mixed Bag • I placed a short introduction at the top of the worship aid on the first Sunday of Advent explaining the Church’s reasons for curtailing the use of the organ during penitential seasons, but nobody read it (including my own wife!) and there were a lot of questions after Mass from quizzical parishioners as to why they didn’t hear the organ. Neither did it help matters that we no longer look upon Advent as a penitential season, which begged the question why the Church would remove the use of instruments in the first place. Last Lent, it behoved us to forego instrumental music and everyone understood why (mostly from necessity, but also from ancient practice), whereas this Advent it didn’t make sense to our congregation.
I also chose to attempt the practice only at our principal choral Mass in Advent, as a way of “introducing” it to the congregation. This was a mistake because people don’t always attend the same Mass each Sunday.1 I’d like to attempt this again next Lent, but feel it should be applied to all Sunday Masses (and it wouldn’t hurt if their could be a word of explanation from the pulpit). All of this is to say that … it hasn’t gone so well this time around.
A Choir and One Cantor are Two Different Animals • As the lone musician leading music last Lent, it was very simple to begin music utilizing the pitch pipe on my phone and the power I wielded via the microphone—but it wasn’t so easy with the choir. Because I’m both organist and choir director at the same time (and because the organ is positioned at a weird angle to the choir) I’ve never realized how many singers wait until the organ introduction to the ENTRANCE HYMN to open their music … but I realized it acutely when the bell rang to begin Mass and I hummed the beginning pitches. Half the choir wasn’t ready and it was noticeable. I swore we wouldn’t have another difficult start … until we did at the Mystérium Fídei. We are currently using Paul Jernberg’s Mass in Honor of Saint Philip Neri (which is in four parts) and following the CONSECRATION in that moment of intimate quiet I softly gave the pitches … and singers mouthed back that they couldn’t hear the notes. I jumped in with the acclamation from the Roman Missal instead of trying to give more pitches. At the same time, my choir is very used to singing a cappella—so once they were personally prepared and had their pitches, everything went swimmingly.
The Right “Atmosphere” • I hate to discuss the “atmosphere” or “feel” of a Mass, but unfortunately this matters to a lot of people (priests included) in the Novus Ordo—so I believe I must. While there are various reasons for this worry, some more well founded than others, it results in a heavy burden being placed upon musicians to ensure that whatever they do is well-liked by all … lest the faithful complain (seemingly the great worry of many priests). Unfortunately I have had to note that the “atmosphere” hasn’t been the best in two weeks we have tried this. No one has particularly complained, but congregational singing is not what it usually is and upon inquiry I have noted that even stalwart supporters seems to be indifferent to an a cappella Advent, which has led me to question whether or not I will attempt it again in the future. I do believe we should move in this direction, but might there be a smoother road for us to trod.
Some Considerations • If you plan to take the plunge in your parish, I would suggest you first try it during the season of Lent, which even the most ‘unchurched’ intuitively understand to be a time of penance. In time, as more and more Catholics return to the tradition of a penitential Advent, it will be easier to extend the practice to Advent as well. Secondly, I would ask your priest to give a short explanation to the congregation. I would mentally rehearse a Mass with choir, but without organ, in order to alert yourself to any trouble spots. Thirdly, practice through those points with your singers ahead of time. I would especially recommend giving only a chord, as opposed to rolling pitches, but this will need to be rehearsed. If you plan to cantor the Mass by yourself, you will have to decide if you need a microphone or if you can adequately lead the music without it, but this will take little effort on your part.
As a parting note, I personally found a renewed love for playing the organ at Mass after having had several weeks without it last Lent. Moreover, the congregation certainly enjoyed hearing it on Easter.
1 Or they talk to their friends and can’t understand why the organ is used at other Masses.
