Music and Religion

Music and Religion play major roles in my life. Because I attended a Presbyterian church as an infant, I do not remember hardly anything pertaining to these two subjects. However, I have been going to St. Paul's the Apostle Catholic Church since I was knee high to a grasshopper. It is a very traditional church. Obviously, clapping, shouting, and waving hands is not acceptable in our church.From my experience in the Catholic Church, the music goes within the readings and mass parts. These mass parts are usually sung or chanted by the people. The purpose of the music is to add to the ambiance and beauty of the mass. After all, we are preparing for the most sacred sacrament, the Eucharist. Also, the music coincides with the different parts of the mass: the Opening Prayer, Greeting, Penitential Rite, Gloria, Opening Prayer, First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel Acclamation, Gospel, Homily, Profession of Faith, General Intercessions, Preparation of the Altar and Gifts, Prayer over the Gifts, Preface, Eucharistic Prayer, Memorial Acclamation, Amen, Communion Rites, Prayer, and the Blessing. Some of the performing styles that are expected during the mass would be to play during these different parts of the mass and during time of prayer at times. The rules that should be followed during the mass would be that the music changes with the different seasons of the liturgical year: Easter, Lent, and Advent. There are always different mass parts and certain songs that go along with these different seasons. Also, certain mass parts such as the Gloria will be either not played at all or sung differently. Switching over to the aesthetics of both music and religion, the Catholic Church, from my experience, influences what is found aesthetically pleasing in music. For example, some people find chanting relaxing. They like to go to mass early to meditate and pray to the music. The organ is our main instrument at my church. Soft music and Gregorian chants are very popular in our ministry. These chants are usually sung by choirs in some Catholic churches; St. Paul's does not. Our choir and congregation sing responses to the mass. The church values do inherent the way music is built or experienced because music is a inherent part of our mass. You can say the mass parts, but it is better to sing them. Because music is such a major part for Catholics, the music repertoire expands. More and more people have joined the congregation because of its reputation and music. Therefore, the music is not only built through and on these values, but experienced by the community.