Doing a cappella work with your assembly isn’t limited to Mass. Suggest to the Parish Council and/or Liturgy Committee that a brief sung prayer can start a meeting off in the right frame of mind; keep it short and sweet and a cappella. (Even one minute is an improvement.) Well-known hymn tunes work well for this. Every time there’s a parish meal, do a quick sung grace before meals. (“For Thy Gracious Blessing” is a good one.) What you’re trying to do, subtly or not so subtly, is get the unspoken idea across that “this parish sings for everything!”
But wait—there’s more:
—Listen to your music ministry members. If someone suggests, “Um, we’ve never done that song this slowly,” take a brisker pace, even if it feels odd to you. Now is not the time to dismiss their experience. Break complicated pieces into very small sections, and always end when they’ve done something well (“Good for you!”) before moving on.
—Rehearse with the choir the music that will be sung by the assembly. Don’t just concentrate on the main hymn. Never assume anything. “Oh, everyone knows this.” No, they don’t—and they will resent your making them feel inadequate.
—Improve your own skills. If you were a vocal major, take keyboard lessons with a really good accompanist! (See if the church will pay for them as part of your education allotment.) If you just sorta backed into conducting your choir, take a class or more on conducting. Whatever you learn will benefit your community as well as you.
—Involve your music ministry in decisions. New psalm? Bring in three versions to read through; then ask them which one they’d prefer. Have a group of volunteers help select music for the next few weeks. Yes, this is hard for introverts, but it pays off in better-informed choir members who have a vested interest in doing well.
—Get feedback. Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City, used to be famous for asking folks, “How’m I doing?” And they told him! Develop a thick skin; defensiveness isn’t productive. Cultivate honest friends who will tell you when you’re doing less than your best.
Maybe the stones of modern church buildings don’t sing back at us the way the big cathedrals once did—but our assemblies can sing. Given half a chance and some sincere encouragement, they will!
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from Religious Clip Art for the Liturgical Year (A, B, and C).
This art may be reproduced only by parishes who purchase the collection in book or CD-ROM form. For more information go http://www.ltp.org