Singing As Part Of The Life In A Convent

[Julie de Sales]

I know not everyone has a beautiful voice...you don't want to hear mine  :hehe2:  But if I am in a convent, I have to sing like everyone else. Or don't I? For example, when I was in my live-in last year I sang like the other nuns, but sometimes I wondered if I shouldn't ask to be dispensed of it, because I knew I was singing bad and around all those wonderful voices I felt so humiliated...

 

On other ocasions I tried to sing just parts of the office, or just the chorus of a song, but I don't know if it's the right choice. 

 

Any thoughts on this? What if someone enters the monastery without knowing how to sing? I understand that she will have time to practice regularly, but before she will get to a good level, will she have to sing as she can? 

 

 

 

 

[Antigonos]

I've wondered how completely tone deaf people fare in conventual life...sing very, very softly?

[maximillion]

As to singing,the Sisters will usually give you some instruction once you enter, also not everywhere has a sung LOTH, and in addition, most people will get to learn how to intone even if they never have a good singing voice. This means you can join in instead of being completely silent. TBH I would pose these questions to the community if they have a sung Office, they will know best what to advise......

 

Personally I would think it would be very difficult to enter somewhere that has a full sung LOTH and face the prospect of never being able to join in, though having said that, it is not a reason to look to another community. There is usually a solution to these things.

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

You'd be amazed how many sisters in our community have tonal difficulties. EVERYONE can sing, some people just have to learn how. Some sisters just sing softly. When you sing the Office every day after awhile one does pick up the tones and be able to sing them.

 

IF you can, before you enter, a few singing lessons probably would be to your benefit.

 

Our community regularly has people come in to work with the community.

[brandelynmarie]

I would recommend singing as you able in the same way that you can only pray as you are able...do the best you can & offer it to Him with love. And yes, practice, practice, practice! Make a joyful noise onto the Lord!

[ToJesusMyHeart]

I've visited a few communities that have people with deformed vocal chords, who are unable to sing the pitches required for the LOTH, and they said they simply lip-sing. The superiors know that they aren't singing, and it's perfectly acceptable. 

[Catherine Therese]

When I entered I was struck by the beautiful emphasis of singing "with one voice" - those of us with singing ability (and I've been blessed in that regard) were required to regulate our volume based upon the volume of the sisters around us. We sought to have no-one louder than anyone else, so that our voices would rise, united, as incense to the Father. We were given gradual instruction in chant and we had a choir practice once a week to grow familiar and comfortable with the music used by the community.

There was a lovely sister in my group who was basically tone deaf when she entered. Over the course of my time there I saw her gradually become very capable when singing with the group to sing in the correct key and to maintain it. She struggled when it came to LEADING any singing and would typically not sing on her own, but she had adjusted over time. She really wasn't as tone deaf as she or anyone else had thought! True tone deafness would not have ever adapted, because she would not have been able to hear that adaption was even NEEDED... yet she managed to adapt. I feel that MOST of the time people who consider themselves tone deaf aren't TRULY such - they are just underexposed to the type of singing that gives them an ability to sing with the choir. The antidote is to expose them over a period of time, simple as that!

ONE friend a few years older than me "in religion"... about 10 years younger than me in age... had entered in this supposedly tone deaf state... when the time came for me to leave, I had taught her many things on both the guitar and the harp, and she was learning piano from one of the other sisters, too. AND she had a beautiful voice.

The Lord had always blessed her with the gift but it hadn't been discovered or cultivated until she entered the convent!

From the rest of us, it just took love and gentle patience... not being too critical of off notes etc. Giving her a safe environment to make mistakes and practice... and explore something that she truly loved!