by Fred Moleck
Some Assembly Required
The National Association of Pastoral Musicians reached a new apex with this summer’s national convention with a registration of about 3300.The usual roster of plenary sessions, not-so-plenary sessions, and workshops numbered well over 100. What I found encouraging was a goodly number of sessions dealing with the assembly.
At any church music convention/conference, one expects lots of exposure to vocal techniques for cantors, fingerings for guitarists, choral music showcases by the publishers for the choir directors, plus a lot more—all to expand the music minister’s understanding of what makes music ministry work.
What I found encouraging in this convention’s schedule were sessions dealing with the development of the assembly’s song.
The reason I bring up this element of assembly song is that it is one area rarely bragged about when music ministers get together.
One hears about how great the Easter Vigil was this past year or how many ranks the new pipe organ boasts.
One hears every so often about how the evening retreat was carried out on the necessity of quiet prayer for church singers.
However, at the same gatherings . . .
I have never heard about how a new hymn is taught to the assembly. No one has shown me a master plan by which new acclamations will be learned in a set time period.
How often has the “duty and delight” to give thanks and praise act as the springboard for a series of liturgical catechesis homilies to expand the assembly’s understanding of liturgy?
When I raise some of those questions, the responses have frequently been, “Oh, they just won’t sing,” or “The singing will get better when we get new hymnals,” or “Father said they are doing just fine.”
I have the distinct feeling that some of my colleagues would find their ministry a whole lot easier if they didn’t have to concern themselves with the song of the assembly.
At a luncheon with three other church musicians at a church on the West Coast, one of the pre-middle-age musicians admitted secretly that he wished he could play the organ and direct the choir without any participation by folks down in the pews.
He agreed to let the people sing the entrance hymn and recessional hymn. After all, they do have the spoken responses at Mass.
He did understand that some assembly participation is essential. It is required.
What a concept! Imagine—a liturgy without muttering on pitch from the person in the pew . . .. no rustling of missalette pages . . . no embarrassing hugs of peace . . .
Or enduring one more verse of a hymn so the assembly can sing something they might know.
No longer would it be the concern of the music director to choose music to assure the sung response of the pew dwellers.
One would think that by now the church would have developed a rite that would make it possible to celebrate the liturgy without anyone in the pew.
The priest and servers could do the whole ritual by themselves around the altar with no interruptions from the gathered folks. In fact, the folks wouldn’t even have to show up.
It would be life changing—no assembly required.
You can reach Fred Moleck via email at fmoleck@comcast.net