Has Anyone Actually Been To A Clown Mass?

[Lil Red]

[quote name='cmariadiaz' timestamp='1345586615' post='2471490']
fixed
[/quote]

ain't touching that one

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' timestamp='1345586402' post='2471487']
Yes. And when the noise starts to bother me, I remind myself that the 3 am slot is open and it's probably fairly quiet then. Then I'm not so bothered at all by the noise.
[/quote]

I would like to try one of those graveyard shifts sometime. It is not really an option at the moment for me, but not too far in the future I may be able to give it a try.

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1345586697' post='2471491']
ain't touching that one
[/quote]

I love ya Lil Red

Edited August 21, 2012 by cmariadiaz

[EmilyAnn]

My parish doesn't have so much of a problem of people talking before Mass as people talking after Mass. The doorway is quite narrow so when everyone tries to leave at once, then people trying to give back their hymnals and get the newsletter from Sister, it gets kind of clogged up. So people tend to chat as they're trying to get out of the door. It is quite frustrating, because they have coffee and stuff in the hall after Mass (I've never been) so sometimes I'm just thinking "Go have your conversation in the hall! It can wait a few minutes!"

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='franciscanheart' timestamp='1345577072' post='2471363']
Clearly you've never been in a church choir.
[/quote]

Actually I've been in the one that I'm talking about and another one.

Edited August 21, 2012 by MaterMisericordiae

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Slappo' timestamp='1345580196' post='2471387']
It'd be amesome if they wrapped up music practice 15 minutes before mass though. That, I think, could be a reasonable request.
[/quote]

I agree.

[Vincent Vega]

I find it strange that they'd be practicing in the church itself at all...where I work (which, granted, is not a Catholic church), the choir doesn't sing with the organ until we do so on Sunday morning. 100% of our rehearsal - barring very unusual circumstances - is done with the piano.

As for the organist [i]practicing[/i] on Sunday mornings, yes, that is wholly unacceptable. Unless you mean that he was just running through things/warming up before mass began. That would be understandable. You wouldn't ask a runner to race without having stretched first.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1345601386' post='2471666']
I find it strange that they'd be practicing in the church itself at all...where I work (which, granted, is not a Catholic church), the choir doesn't sing with the organ until we do so on Sunday morning. 100% of our rehearsal - barring very unusual circumstances - is done with the piano.

As for the organist [i]practicing[/i] on Sunday mornings, yes, that is wholly unacceptable. Unless you mean that he was just running through things/warming up before mass began. That would be understandable. You wouldn't ask a runner to race without having stretched first.
[/quote]
Similar situation here.

We only rehearse in the sanctuary with organ (outside of Sunday warm-up) under very special circumstances. When that happens, the Church has been reserved for that purpose, so we should not be bothering anyone.

We are fortunate to have three organs at our church, two of which are fantastic for ensemble or choral performance. Even still, we also use a piano for practice a good portion of the time (i.e. sectionals, learning new music).

[BG45]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1345586420' post='2471489']
i'd rather listen to musicians practicing before Mass than listening to people talking.

edit: i realize that people are still probably talking anyway, but i'd think the music probably helps drown them out a bit, eh?
[/quote]

That it most definitely does.

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1345586737' post='2471492']
I would like to try one of those graveyard shifts sometime. It is not really an option at the moment for me, but not too far in the future I may be able to give it a try.
[/quote]

I used to do Adoration around 10 or 11pm when I had a perpetual Adoration chapel nearby, really was deathly silent. Well...usually. But I wasn't about to feel cranky about the noise if someone was sobbing to Jesus about a very real issue.
[quote name='franciscanheart' timestamp='1345603464' post='2471699']
We are fortunate to have three organs at our church, two of which are fantastic for ensemble or choral performance. Even still, we also use a piano for practice a good portion of the time (i.e. sectionals, learning new music).
[/quote]

It's as if I heard a thousand jealous organists cry out as one...

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='BG45' timestamp='1345604305' post='2471707']
It's as if I heard a thousand jealous organists cry out as one...
[/quote]

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1345584483' post='2471454']
I would settle with them being skilled enough to play what the Church wants them to.
[/quote]

Then maybe the Church ought to cough up the money to get really good organists/choir directors/ handbell instructors. People can make double or triple the salary at any of the mainline protestant denominations compared to the Catholics.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1345652672' post='2471988']
Then maybe the Church ought to cough up the money to get really good organists/choir directors/ handbell instructors. People can make double or triple the salary at any of the mainline protestant denominations compared to the Catholics.
[/quote]
Not to mention not having to play - and brace yourself, because this is brutal honesty that a lof of people here might take offense to - the music that is the butt of nearly every joke in the sacred music world. Catholic sacred music, that is to say, the stuff that you hear in most parishes (ie, the stuff that comes out of Breaking Bread, Gather, the missalette, etc) is openly ridiculed in organ circles.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1345652672' post='2471988']


Then maybe the Church ought to cough up the money to get really good organists/choir directors/ handbell instructors. People can make double or triple the salary at any of the mainline protestant denominations compared to the Catholics.
[/quote]
Yes, I think we need to re-prioritize where our money is going, and make more room for people skilled in true sacred music.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1345675878' post='2472165']

Not to mention not having to play - and brace yourself, because this is brutal honesty that a lof of people here might take offense to - the music that is the butt of nearly every joke in the sacred music world. Catholic sacred music, that is to say, the stuff that you hear in most parishes (ie, the stuff that comes out of Breaking Bread, Gather, the missalette, etc) is openly ridiculed in organ circles.
[/quote]
It absolutely needs to be said. Our Liturgy deserves better, in my opinion.

[carmenchristi]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1345675878' post='2472165']
Not to mention not having to play - and brace yourself, because this is brutal honesty that a lof of people here might take offense to - the music that is the butt of nearly every joke in the sacred music world. Catholic sacred music, that is to say, the stuff that you hear in most parishes (ie, the stuff that comes out of Breaking Bread, Gather, the missalette, etc) is openly ridiculed in organ circles.
[/quote]

I don't think the stuff you are talking about is worthy of the term "Catholic sacred music" (of course you employed it loosely in this case)... Maybe "music often used at Mass" could be correct without offending anyone. The sad part is... those of us that actually WANT real Catholic [i]sacred[/i] music meet with a lot of opposition...

As a student of sacred music, I often wonder what is the point of all this study and hard work.... I'll probably end up working in a protestant church