There’s a wonderful West African folk song called “Everybody Loves Saturday Night.” Made popular by the great Pete Seeger, its cheerful, repetitive melody and easy multi-language lyrics are really for everybody.

While we go through the Sundays of Easter (and the rest of the year), few liturgy or music planners take much account of the Saturday night Mass. It’s just … there: same music, perhaps played and sung by a different group, or just a cantor. But the Saturday evening experience is different from Sunday morning: it comes the end of the day when people are tired, not at the day’s beginning when they’re energized. Saturday congregations have been talking during the day’s course; Sunday’s voices are rested. Yet most approach both liturgies as a one-size-fits-all experience. It’s not.

For Sunday morning, say, you’ve planned a lively arrangement of “Now the Green Blade Rises (NOEL NOUVELET)” as the Entrance chant; then for Preparation of Gifts, “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”; Communion, “Shepherd Me, O God (Haugen)”; and Sending Forth, “Celtic Alleluia (Walker).” (Note: use only one “Shepherd” song!)

But for Saturday evening, think Evening Prayer—same music but switching things around. Sing a few verses of “Shepherd Me, Oh God” to begin the liturgy, starting softly (not slowly) and building up gradually. For Preparation of Gifts, try an instrumental version of “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say.” At Communion, sing the remaining verses of “Shepherd Me, O God,” stretching it a bit with instrumental verses. The “Celtic Alleluia” is a lively and familiar Sending Forth.

I’m pretty sure that after a few weeks, you’ll find your Saturday night assembly singing and participating more fully. If not, you can just return to the Sunday model—even though you already know it doesn’t work too well on Saturday.