Good music needs training

by Letters Editor · January 27, 2011

From:� Joan Kerswill SFO, Pretoria

I Refer to Fr Chris Townsend�s letter on �Why I hate Catholic Music�. While I have to agree that there is rubbish that passes for Catholic music, sadly much of it comes from hymn books supplied to music groups by their parishes.

Yes, good music is difficult and the music groups need help and practice. In the years that I did music, besides help from one or two priests, I have been pretty much left to get on with it and to learn from my mistakes.

I have seen altar servers have training sessions, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and readers given training, but never our guitar group. Only in the last two years, since I stopped leading the group, have they had a session on liturgy.

Most of the problems mentioned by Fr Townsend stem from a lack of understanding of the Mass and a lack of teaching. Since I no longer play in my parish there have been a lot of opportunities to visit other parishes and I have seen it all. How many groups know that the Gloria, responsorial psalm, Gospel acclamation, the Holy, Holy, memorial acclamation and the Great Amen are the essentials to be sung? If the responsorial psalm is not sung, there are different ways it can be read.

Another problem is hymns sung at the wrong place in the Mass, as well as no time for silence. If music groups do not know what they are doing, it�s because they have not been taught.

As for �dodgy music imported from other churches�, where is our Catholic music, such as Carey Landry, John Foley SJ, Dan Schutte SJ, Rex O�Conner SJ, Bob Dufford SJ (to name but a few)?� The youth prefer the �imported� church music because that is what they are exposed to.

Try to buy a good Catholic CD in a music store�not available. Try to buy a good Catholic CD in a Catholic shop�not affordable!

Why can we not set up training at places like Santa Sophia for music groups to learn the Liturgy and to learn to play and sing with true worship?

It�s always easy to sit back and criticise but what many do not realise is that there is a lot of work involved in producing good and varied liturgical music every week. This is often done by people who work long hours at their normal day jobs or in their homes.

Let�s make it easier for them by providing the means to learn and gain the respect their time and effort deserve.