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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

“Can the Choir Sing Alone at Mass?” • Yes! And Here’s Why That Matters

Guest Author · May 25, 2025

HERE IS A WIDESPREAD modern notion in Catholic parishes that every moment of sung prayer during the Mass must be sung by all—priest, assembly, and choir together. Any moment where the choir sings on their own is often met with suspicion: “Isn’t that a performance?” — “Aren’t we supposed to be actively participating?” This outlook stems from a misunderstanding of what the Church means by participatio actuosa—“active participation”—a phrase popularized by the Second Vatican Council. Too often, it is interpreted to mean that everyone must be doing something externally visible at all times—especially singing. As a result, there is sometimes an almost frantic effort to involve the assembly at every turn, sometimes even to absurd lengths. A priest once suggested to me that we “mic” the people in the pews during Mass to make their responses more audible and robust.

But this is a mistaken approach, and it can have unintended consequences: cluttered liturgies, lack of reverent silence, and little time for contemplation. It also ignores the long and beautiful tradition of the choir singing on behalf of the people during the liturgy—not in place of the people’s prayer, but in service to it. In truth, the Catholic Church not only permits but encourages moments when the choir might sing on their own. The 2007 U.S. bishops’ document Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship outlines several places in the Mass where this is entirely appropriate:

“The choir must not minimize the musical participation of the faithful. However, there should also be times when the choir sings alone. Appropriate times where the choir might commonly sing alone include a prelude before Mass, the Entrance chant, the Preparation of the Gifts, during the Communion procession or after the reception of Communion, and the recessional.” (Sing to the Lord, 30)

This guidance is rooted in broader liturgical norms. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), the foundational document outlining the structure of the Mass, supports this understanding. For example, GIRM 48 explains that the Entrance Chant can be executed by “the choir alone,” and GIRM 53 allows for the same flexibility at the Offertory.

Many Catholics are surprised to discover that specific parts of the Mass are assigned to be sung by specific groups of people. Mass music is not distributed arbitrarily; rather, it follows a carefully structured hierarchy in terms of who is responsible for singing different parts. This hierarchy consists of three degrees, each with its own assigned responsible party.

The first degree includes the Order of the Mass—such as the dialogues, greetings, presidential prayers, and prefaces—which are properly sung by the clergy: the bishop, priest, or deacon. Indeed, the clergy (not the cantor or choir) are the primary leaders of singing within the Mass. Not something you typically hear at a liturgical music workshop!

The second degree is the Ordinary of the Mass—the fixed parts that are repeated regularly, such as the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. These parts are assigned to the assembly, encouraging the active vocal participation of the faithful.

The third degree is the Propers of the Mass—texts that change according to the liturgical day or season, such as the Entrance Antiphon, Gradual, Alleluia, Offertory, and Communion Antiphon. These five parts are primarily the responsibility of the choir or schola, who are appointed to sing these more musically and liturgically complex elements on behalf of the people.

But what about “active participation”?

To answer that, we must remember that active participation is not first about doing. It is about engaging fully—interiorly and exteriorly—in the sacred mysteries. Pope St. John Paul II clarified this in his 2003 encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia:

“Active participation certainly means that, in gesture, word, song and service, all the members of the community take part in an act of worship… Yet active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence, of listening, of profound personal engagement in the dialogue with God.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 52)

Listening is not a passive activity in the spiritual life—it is a profound form of receptivity. The Church’s 1967 document Musicam Sacram affirms this:

“The faithful should also be taught to unite themselves interiorly to what the ministers or choir sing, so that by listening to them they may raise their minds to God.” (Musicam Sacram, 15)

There are moments in the liturgy when listening to the choir sing is the most appropriate way to participate. Consider the Offertory or Communion: the faithful are often praying deeply during these moments, perhaps moved by the beauty of the music to deeper contemplation. A choral motet here is not a performance but a prayer—offered to God on behalf of the Church.

St. Augustine once said: Cantare amantis est (“Singing belongs to the one who loves”). When the choir sings with reverence and artistry, their love becomes contagious. The congregation may not be singing with their voices, but their hearts are lifted in worship. In a time when the sacred is often flattened into the merely functional or utilitarian, we should be cautious about reducing music in the Mass to a kind of holy karaoke. Sacred music is not just about communal efficiency; it is about transcendence. It is about creating space for mystery.

Let the choir sing. Let the people listen. And let all—singers and hearers—offer their hearts in love to the God who is worthy of every note.

We hope you enjoyed this article by Mark Haas.

About Mark Haas: Mark Haas is composer and speaker who promotes sacred music within the Catholic tradition. His liturgical music has been sung in over 600 parishes, in 10 countries, including musical settings for various ordinations and dedications. He currently serves as the Director of Music at the Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria, FL where he lives with his wife Renae and their seven original compositions.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: May 25, 2025

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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). 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 the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

“Whether celebrated with priest and people facing each other or with priest and people together facing the same direction, every Eucharist is Christ coming to meet us, gracing us with a share in his own divine life.”

— Most Rev’d Arthur J. Serratelli (1 December 2016)

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