The Balancing Act of Cathedral Music:
Safeguarding Heritage - Promoting Participation
By Clare Schwantes, Chris Trikilis and Anthony Young
An ongoing challenge for any cathedral music director is to balance the responsibility of safeguarding and promoting the musical heritage of the Church while simultaneously preserving the right of the assembly to participate in the parts of the Mass that belong to them. In other words, the obligation of sharing the Church’s rich musical treasury is held in tension with the need to select a common repertoire that the congregation can sing.
Parish music teams have a shared responsibility in balancing this tension. While music ministers in a local parish may choose a wide range of music to suit their assembly and promote its sung prayer, there is a danger in developing an entirely idiosyncratic repertoire. If no consideration is given to the overall musical needs of the Church, choosing repertoire to celebrate in the cathedral becomes impossible, because people gather there from across the whole diocese. A balance is struck when parishes take responsibility for knowing a common Mass setting and including enough common repertoire for some hymnody to be widely familiar at large diocesan celebrations. This was, in fact, the vision of Catholic Worship Book II.
Parish music teams have a shared responsibility in balancing this tension. While music ministers in a local parish may choose a wide range of music to suit their assembly and promote its sung prayer, there is a danger in developing an entirely idiosyncratic repertoire. If no consideration is given to the overall musical needs of the Church, choosing repertoire to celebrate in the cathedral becomes impossible, because people gather there from across the whole diocese. A balance is struck when parishes take responsibility for knowing a common Mass setting and including enough common repertoire for some hymnody to be widely familiar at large diocesan celebrations. This was, in fact, the vision of Catholic Worship Book II.
Variety of Offerings at Cathedrals
Often the liturgy of a Catholic cathedral is assessed on the basis of single large solemn events such as the Chrism Mass, or the Solemnity of Mary Mackillop, or its live-streamed liturgies. Yet it is important to remember that these do not represent the full liturgical practice in a cathedral. Many cathedrals offer a wide range of musical styles and modes of participation in any given week. For example, the Cathedral of St Stephen in Brisbane offers 27 Masses each week, with music included at all Masses on weekends, feast days and special events. Each weekend, there are two solemn Masses with choirs. These tend to have a higher profile and enjoy large live attendances, while at Sunday evening Mass, worshippers would experience music that was more contemplative.
A range of worship styles may be encouraged at parish level, but it does not follow that any of them should be mandated for a cathedral which is a focal point for the whole diocese. It is important that cathedral administrators make provision, in resources and staffing, to ensure that the music ministries at all Sunday Masses provide examples of best practice in a range of approved music, particularly congregational music, while acknowledging local custom. Including different musical styles provides scope for the faithful to attend the Mass that best empowers them to participate. A profound sense of responsibility is clearly felt by directors of music who ask themselves at the final Mass of the weekend, Has there been something for everyone?
Often the liturgy of a Catholic cathedral is assessed on the basis of single large solemn events such as the Chrism Mass, or the Solemnity of Mary Mackillop, or its live-streamed liturgies. Yet it is important to remember that these do not represent the full liturgical practice in a cathedral. Many cathedrals offer a wide range of musical styles and modes of participation in any given week. For example, the Cathedral of St Stephen in Brisbane offers 27 Masses each week, with music included at all Masses on weekends, feast days and special events. Each weekend, there are two solemn Masses with choirs. These tend to have a higher profile and enjoy large live attendances, while at Sunday evening Mass, worshippers would experience music that was more contemplative.
A range of worship styles may be encouraged at parish level, but it does not follow that any of them should be mandated for a cathedral which is a focal point for the whole diocese. It is important that cathedral administrators make provision, in resources and staffing, to ensure that the music ministries at all Sunday Masses provide examples of best practice in a range of approved music, particularly congregational music, while acknowledging local custom. Including different musical styles provides scope for the faithful to attend the Mass that best empowers them to participate. A profound sense of responsibility is clearly felt by directors of music who ask themselves at the final Mass of the weekend, Has there been something for everyone?
Managing Transience
A significant consideration for cathedral music is the issue of transience in the congregation. At any given Mass, there are a large number of visitors, with only a small percentage of the assembly made up of regular attendees. To optimise the chances that the congregation will be able to sing the Mass setting, the plain chant is often chosen. This simple setting is provided in the missal and should be known by all. This position is supported by the Australian General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM 41) and many other English-speaking countries, for example Canada (169), and the United States STTL (72-76). The cathedral is the ‘people’s church’, that is, the church belonging to the Catholics of the diocese at large. As the seat of the bishop, the cathedral represents the diocese; for Anzac Day services and the like, it becomes the state church; but it is also an inner-city church and a local parish. Each of these has its own priorities and unique feel. Again, it is a shared responsibility amongst parishes and cathedrals to maintain a core repertoire so that those Catholics who worship at these events can participate. As well, some musical hospitality should be extended to those of other denominations.
An additional challenge is to accommodate the increasing number of Catholics who have migrated to Australia from diverse cultural and liturgical backgrounds. Australian congregations are no longer predominantly Anglo/Irish. The need to accommodate such a diversity of people may result in less innovation and creativity as cathedral music directors aim for repertoire familiar to the widest cross-section of the community. This explains the selective use of Latin, for example, at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta: it is designed to serve the multicultural nature of the congregation. Diverse groups who have English as a second language will often have a shared familiarity with the sung Latin parts of the Mass. Indeed, this musical strategy is recommended in the United States (STTL 62).
A significant consideration for cathedral music is the issue of transience in the congregation. At any given Mass, there are a large number of visitors, with only a small percentage of the assembly made up of regular attendees. To optimise the chances that the congregation will be able to sing the Mass setting, the plain chant is often chosen. This simple setting is provided in the missal and should be known by all. This position is supported by the Australian General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM 41) and many other English-speaking countries, for example Canada (169), and the United States STTL (72-76). The cathedral is the ‘people’s church’, that is, the church belonging to the Catholics of the diocese at large. As the seat of the bishop, the cathedral represents the diocese; for Anzac Day services and the like, it becomes the state church; but it is also an inner-city church and a local parish. Each of these has its own priorities and unique feel. Again, it is a shared responsibility amongst parishes and cathedrals to maintain a core repertoire so that those Catholics who worship at these events can participate. As well, some musical hospitality should be extended to those of other denominations.
An additional challenge is to accommodate the increasing number of Catholics who have migrated to Australia from diverse cultural and liturgical backgrounds. Australian congregations are no longer predominantly Anglo/Irish. The need to accommodate such a diversity of people may result in less innovation and creativity as cathedral music directors aim for repertoire familiar to the widest cross-section of the community. This explains the selective use of Latin, for example, at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta: it is designed to serve the multicultural nature of the congregation. Diverse groups who have English as a second language will often have a shared familiarity with the sung Latin parts of the Mass. Indeed, this musical strategy is recommended in the United States (STTL 62).
Local Tradition and Corporate Memory
In some cathedrals around the world, pastoral adjustments have been made to respect local traditions, preserve the sacred treasury of church music, and provide an avenue for the cathedral musicians to use their exceptional gifts to support the prayer, praise and congregational song of the community. Many would be familiar with the glorious tradition of organ improvisation at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A particularly memorable example was Olivier Latry’s improvisation on the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, during the preparation of the gifts at Sunday Mass in November 2015 in the immediate aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks. This extraordinary musical moment accompanied the assembly’s profound prayers of sorrow and united them in hope. The French organ voluntaries are balanced by common hymnody and congregational support from the choir and often a cantor and animateur who lead the congregational singing. Washington’s National Cathedral has maintained its local and loved tradition of singing a recessional hymn. The worship booklets note that, while the recessional hymn is not a required element of the liturgy, the assembly is invited to join in and sing the final hymn together. An organ voluntary then follows the hymn.
Guardians of Musical Heritage
Cathedral directors of music are responsible for preserving the musical heritage of the Catholic Church and bringing it to life for an ever-transient congregation. Many pivotal pieces of church music were composed by the most influential and gifted musicians the world has ever known – Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Palestrina, Schubert, Gounod, Beethoven – and so the list goes on. Indeed, these greatest of composers wrote a considerable corpus of work not for the concert stage but for the Mass, with the specific aim that the intimate connection between words and rites be apparent in the liturgy (SC 35).
The treasury of cathedral art and architecture expresses the beauty of the liturgy in an enduring and always visible manner. The treasury of sacred music, however, lies dormant as print on paper; it relies on church musicians to bring it to life and to keep the tradition alive for future generations. The Vatican Council II Constitution on the Liturgy gave unambiguous pride of place to Gregorian chant as being especially suited to the Roman liturgy; it also acknowledged that other kinds of music – particularly polyphony – were by no means excluded (SC 116). Pope Pius XII, who contributed to the building of momentum for the liturgical reform, said in his 1955 encyclical Musicae Sacrae: Everyone certainly knows that many polyphonic compositions, especially those that date from the 16th century, have an artistic purity and richness of melody which render them completely worthy of accompanying and beautifying the Church’s sacred rites. How can provisions like this be reconciled with Vatican Council II’s clear emphasis on the assembly’s full, conscious, active participation (SC 14)?
In some cathedrals around the world, pastoral adjustments have been made to respect local traditions, preserve the sacred treasury of church music, and provide an avenue for the cathedral musicians to use their exceptional gifts to support the prayer, praise and congregational song of the community. Many would be familiar with the glorious tradition of organ improvisation at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A particularly memorable example was Olivier Latry’s improvisation on the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, during the preparation of the gifts at Sunday Mass in November 2015 in the immediate aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks. This extraordinary musical moment accompanied the assembly’s profound prayers of sorrow and united them in hope. The French organ voluntaries are balanced by common hymnody and congregational support from the choir and often a cantor and animateur who lead the congregational singing. Washington’s National Cathedral has maintained its local and loved tradition of singing a recessional hymn. The worship booklets note that, while the recessional hymn is not a required element of the liturgy, the assembly is invited to join in and sing the final hymn together. An organ voluntary then follows the hymn.
Guardians of Musical Heritage
Cathedral directors of music are responsible for preserving the musical heritage of the Catholic Church and bringing it to life for an ever-transient congregation. Many pivotal pieces of church music were composed by the most influential and gifted musicians the world has ever known – Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Palestrina, Schubert, Gounod, Beethoven – and so the list goes on. Indeed, these greatest of composers wrote a considerable corpus of work not for the concert stage but for the Mass, with the specific aim that the intimate connection between words and rites be apparent in the liturgy (SC 35).
The treasury of cathedral art and architecture expresses the beauty of the liturgy in an enduring and always visible manner. The treasury of sacred music, however, lies dormant as print on paper; it relies on church musicians to bring it to life and to keep the tradition alive for future generations. The Vatican Council II Constitution on the Liturgy gave unambiguous pride of place to Gregorian chant as being especially suited to the Roman liturgy; it also acknowledged that other kinds of music – particularly polyphony – were by no means excluded (SC 116). Pope Pius XII, who contributed to the building of momentum for the liturgical reform, said in his 1955 encyclical Musicae Sacrae: Everyone certainly knows that many polyphonic compositions, especially those that date from the 16th century, have an artistic purity and richness of melody which render them completely worthy of accompanying and beautifying the Church’s sacred rites. How can provisions like this be reconciled with Vatican Council II’s clear emphasis on the assembly’s full, conscious, active participation (SC 14)?
Active Participation of the Assembly
This call for active participation of the assembly long predates the Council. In 1903, Pope Pius X commended the active participation of the people in the public and solemn prayer of the Church in Tra le sollecitudini. In his encyclical on the sacred liturgy, Mediator Dei (1947), Pope Pius XII praised congregational singing of liturgical chant as a means to foster and promote the people’s piety and intimate union with Christ (MD 106).
Sometimes the Vatican II position on full, conscious, active participation has been interpreted to mean that the assembly must sing whenever possible, and that music which is not sung by the assembly should be excluded from the liturgy. This, however, is not the position of the post-conciliar documents. Indeed, the GIRM clearly identifies parts of the Mass that may be sung by the choir alone, or by a choir/cantor with the people. To appreciate the true spirit and respect the integrity of the conciliar and post-conciliar documents, it is necessary to read them in their entirety and not to quote them selectively. A balanced approach is one which fosters the participation of the people while also safeguarding the treasury of church music. The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs (SC 114).
Some have proposed that there are two forms of active participation: external (singing, responding, gesturing) and internal (experiencing, engaging, being transformed). Active participation cannot be equated simply with ‘doing something’ because the community also participates fully and consciously during moments of corporate silence, in being open to God’s grace in the liturgical prayers spoken by the priest, or when listening attentively to the proclamation of Scripture. In his ad limina address in 1998, Pope John Paul II reminded US bishops that active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence, stillness and listening; indeed, it demands it. Worshippers are not passive, for instance, when listening to the readings or the homily, or following the prayers of the celebrant and the chants and music of the liturgy. These are experiences of silence and stillness, but they are in their own way profoundly active.
Many people would be able to recall memorable experiences of a choral or orchestral performance when they were profoundly moved and deeply engaged, despite not themselves singing aloud or playing an instrument. This internal participation is especially possible in the cathedral context where high calibre musicians minister to the community by providing high quality music. Of course, there must nonetheless be ample opportunity in each Mass for the assembly to lift their voices in unified song. Theologian Karl Barth notes well that congregational singing is not optional but rather essential in the ministry of the Church. The Christian Church sings. It is not a choral society. Its singing is not a concert. But from inner, material necessity it sings. Singing is the highest form of human expression…. The praise of God which finds its concrete culmination in the singing of the community is one of the indispensable forms of the ministry of the Church (Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV:3, ch 16, 72:4).
This call for active participation of the assembly long predates the Council. In 1903, Pope Pius X commended the active participation of the people in the public and solemn prayer of the Church in Tra le sollecitudini. In his encyclical on the sacred liturgy, Mediator Dei (1947), Pope Pius XII praised congregational singing of liturgical chant as a means to foster and promote the people’s piety and intimate union with Christ (MD 106).
Sometimes the Vatican II position on full, conscious, active participation has been interpreted to mean that the assembly must sing whenever possible, and that music which is not sung by the assembly should be excluded from the liturgy. This, however, is not the position of the post-conciliar documents. Indeed, the GIRM clearly identifies parts of the Mass that may be sung by the choir alone, or by a choir/cantor with the people. To appreciate the true spirit and respect the integrity of the conciliar and post-conciliar documents, it is necessary to read them in their entirety and not to quote them selectively. A balanced approach is one which fosters the participation of the people while also safeguarding the treasury of church music. The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs (SC 114).
Some have proposed that there are two forms of active participation: external (singing, responding, gesturing) and internal (experiencing, engaging, being transformed). Active participation cannot be equated simply with ‘doing something’ because the community also participates fully and consciously during moments of corporate silence, in being open to God’s grace in the liturgical prayers spoken by the priest, or when listening attentively to the proclamation of Scripture. In his ad limina address in 1998, Pope John Paul II reminded US bishops that active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence, stillness and listening; indeed, it demands it. Worshippers are not passive, for instance, when listening to the readings or the homily, or following the prayers of the celebrant and the chants and music of the liturgy. These are experiences of silence and stillness, but they are in their own way profoundly active.
Many people would be able to recall memorable experiences of a choral or orchestral performance when they were profoundly moved and deeply engaged, despite not themselves singing aloud or playing an instrument. This internal participation is especially possible in the cathedral context where high calibre musicians minister to the community by providing high quality music. Of course, there must nonetheless be ample opportunity in each Mass for the assembly to lift their voices in unified song. Theologian Karl Barth notes well that congregational singing is not optional but rather essential in the ministry of the Church. The Christian Church sings. It is not a choral society. Its singing is not a concert. But from inner, material necessity it sings. Singing is the highest form of human expression…. The praise of God which finds its concrete culmination in the singing of the community is one of the indispensable forms of the ministry of the Church (Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV:3, ch 16, 72:4).
Hierarchy of Parts of Mass Rightfully Belonging to the People
The US bishops’ 2007 document, Sing to the Lord: Music in Catholic Worship, supplements the conciliar documents. It acknowledges that while singing by the gathered assembly and ministers is imperative at all liturgical celebrations, it is not necessary for the people to sing everything.
The National Centre for Liturgy in Dublin in 2015, published Singing the Faith: A Guide to Liturgical Music (STF) which established three categories of varying importance to help identify the sung parts of the Mass that rightfully belong to the people.
♦ The parts of primary importance are the sung dialogues between the people and the ministers (e.g. at the Preface), Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, Acclamation after the Institution Narrative, Great Amen.
♦ The second category includes those texts which were written to be sung, namely the Gloria and the Responsorial Psalm.
♦ The third category embraces those parts of the Mass that are desirable to sing, but which are not essential, namely, the Entrance Chant, Kyrie, Response to the Prayer of the Faithful, Song at the Preparation of the Gifts, Agnus Dei, Communion Chant, and, if there is not a period of silence after Holy Communion, a Song of Thanksgiving.
While such guidelines are clear, they are not rigidly applied for all times and places. In practice, a number of factors will determine the musical style of pieces to be sung. Each piece of music should correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action, should promote the participation of all the faithful, and should consider the culture of the people and the abilities of each liturgical assembly. For example, the Irish document notes that the importance of congregational singing in the acclamations need not exclude some choral elements within the setting. On some occasions, a more elaborate setting of the Sanctus, drawn from the historical repertoire may be suitable; the setting should not however be so long that the relationship between this particular acclamation and the prayer as a whole is no longer perceptible (STF 14).
Of course, music in any liturgy, whether it is celebrated in a cathedral or in a parish church, should not fill every space. It is imperative that significant periods of silence be intentionally planned within the course of the liturgy. Striking a balance between sound and silence is fundamental in any liturgical celebration.
The US bishops’ 2007 document, Sing to the Lord: Music in Catholic Worship, supplements the conciliar documents. It acknowledges that while singing by the gathered assembly and ministers is imperative at all liturgical celebrations, it is not necessary for the people to sing everything.
The National Centre for Liturgy in Dublin in 2015, published Singing the Faith: A Guide to Liturgical Music (STF) which established three categories of varying importance to help identify the sung parts of the Mass that rightfully belong to the people.
♦ The parts of primary importance are the sung dialogues between the people and the ministers (e.g. at the Preface), Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, Acclamation after the Institution Narrative, Great Amen.
♦ The second category includes those texts which were written to be sung, namely the Gloria and the Responsorial Psalm.
♦ The third category embraces those parts of the Mass that are desirable to sing, but which are not essential, namely, the Entrance Chant, Kyrie, Response to the Prayer of the Faithful, Song at the Preparation of the Gifts, Agnus Dei, Communion Chant, and, if there is not a period of silence after Holy Communion, a Song of Thanksgiving.
While such guidelines are clear, they are not rigidly applied for all times and places. In practice, a number of factors will determine the musical style of pieces to be sung. Each piece of music should correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action, should promote the participation of all the faithful, and should consider the culture of the people and the abilities of each liturgical assembly. For example, the Irish document notes that the importance of congregational singing in the acclamations need not exclude some choral elements within the setting. On some occasions, a more elaborate setting of the Sanctus, drawn from the historical repertoire may be suitable; the setting should not however be so long that the relationship between this particular acclamation and the prayer as a whole is no longer perceptible (STF 14).
Of course, music in any liturgy, whether it is celebrated in a cathedral or in a parish church, should not fill every space. It is imperative that significant periods of silence be intentionally planned within the course of the liturgy. Striking a balance between sound and silence is fundamental in any liturgical celebration.
Continuing the Tradition
Quality church music is important in leading people to an encounter with Christ and needs to be reinvigorated. This highlights the need for a ‘succession plan’ to train church musicians. Courses should equip them not only with technical instrumental skills, but also with a deep understanding of their role as liturgical ministers, in order that the musical treasury can be carried forward confidently in the hearts, minds and mouths of the gathered assembly. Currently in Australia there is a troubling lack of tertiary degrees in sacred music. There is an urgent need to establish a centre of excellence in this important field.
Of course, there would be limited value in training people for jobs that do not exist. Consequently, it is a matter of serious importance that Australian parishes prioritise the employment of competent musicians in order to promote the sung prayer and participation of the people. Relying on the generosity of willing parishioners to lead congregational worship is not a sustainable model, nor does it recognise the integral importance of this specialised ministry in promoting the art of liturgical celebration for the People of God.
Quality church music is important in leading people to an encounter with Christ and needs to be reinvigorated. This highlights the need for a ‘succession plan’ to train church musicians. Courses should equip them not only with technical instrumental skills, but also with a deep understanding of their role as liturgical ministers, in order that the musical treasury can be carried forward confidently in the hearts, minds and mouths of the gathered assembly. Currently in Australia there is a troubling lack of tertiary degrees in sacred music. There is an urgent need to establish a centre of excellence in this important field.
Of course, there would be limited value in training people for jobs that do not exist. Consequently, it is a matter of serious importance that Australian parishes prioritise the employment of competent musicians in order to promote the sung prayer and participation of the people. Relying on the generosity of willing parishioners to lead congregational worship is not a sustainable model, nor does it recognise the integral importance of this specialised ministry in promoting the art of liturgical celebration for the People of God.
Clare Schwantes is the Director at Liturgy Brisbane and chairs the National Liturgical Council.
Chris Trikilis is Director of Music at the Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane.
Anthony Young is a choral conductor, church musician and a member of the National Liturgical Music Council.
This article first appeared in Liturgy News 52/3 Spring 2022
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