I would like to start this post by clarifying exactly what I
mean by folk groups. I am not referring to folk musicians who are
professionals. I am, however, referring to music groups who play in
church. I am also throwing into this pit
of despond choirs. Church choirs span a huge spectrum of ability and talent.
These range from the virtually professional choirs through to those where they
are the only people in the parish community who would do it but don’t really
have the vocal ability to do the job.
I can hear some of you reaching for your keyboards with
steam coming from your ears. You are probably saying something along the lines
of ‘Stop downplaying the importance of these people. They contribute greatly to
the spiritual life of the community’.
I do not deny the faith or otherwise of these people merely
their musical talent. Those of you who read these pages occasionally will know that I am Catholic
with Buddhist tendencies. Within the Catholic church folk groups and parish
choirs really started to appear in the 1970s. My sister played in one. Billy
Connolly used to refer to the people who played as ‘having Czechoslovakian
guitars’. When I lived in Huddersfield
there was one Mass I dreaded going to. It was the Sunday evening Mass known
locally as the ‘happy clappy’. We were always led to believe that the folk
groups and choirs were there to aid the liturgical process and lead the
singing. This particular folk group seemed to think that this involved the
following:-
1 1. Playing songs that weren’t in the hymnal
2 2. Playing songs that were in the hymnal but to
tunes that nobody else knew
3 3. Generally taking over proceedings to the extent
that not even the priest joined in
They acted like they were a rock band on stage the only
thing missing from the performance were shouts “Huddersfield you’ve been a
fantastic audience and we’ll see you soon!!” These groups blithely assume that
people wish to worship in the way that they dictate.
In the same parish there was a director of music who spent a
great deal of time and energy creating a choir which aided the liturgy. Within
the Catholic church though there is a current trend to sing everything. I am
sure they would sing the newsletter if they thought anybody would listen. This
gets away from the beauty of what is the ‘Low Mass’.
I am not now , never have been and in all likelihood, never
will be a happy clappy type. I don’t like being told that I should clap during
prayer. I like simplicity. The other problem with choirs and folk groups is
that they discourage universality. If you have the misfortune to stumble upon a
Mass in a church which you have never visited before you probably won’t know
what the hell is going on if you get one of these groups.
In an episode of the television series Babylon 5 called ‘And
The Rock Cried No Hiding Place’ a group of religious leaders meet together on
the station. A Pentecostal leader delivers the line ‘Make a joyful noise to the
Lord’. One of his contemporaries retorts ‘I’ve heard you sing. It is anything
but joyful’.
If you are going to join a choir it should at least be a
basic standard that you can carry a note. If you can then fine because as the
group develops a place will be found for your voice. The church where I grew up
applied this principle. They had a very good musician leading the group who
over time took the group and developed them and that development has continued.
Whilst it was not of the calibre of the group in Huddersfield at least it is
better than what we have in my current parish which is an excellent organist
and half a dozen people with weak voices. In addition they are not conifdent
singers which adds to the pain.
When done well these groups can add to the spiritual
experience of the community but too often they are more caught up in
proclaiming ‘Look at me’ and turning people off. One of the nicest Masses I
have attended recently was in my old hometown. I arrived and picked up a hymnal
and was told ‘You won’t need that it’s too early for singing’.
