Sacred music, the Church teaches, should evoke God's majesty at liturgical celebrations, seeking to stimulate prayer and dispose the hearts of the faithful to celebrate the mystery of Christ present. Its “lovely melodies and splendor (should) beautify and embellish the voices of the priest who offers Mass and the Christian people who praise the Sovereign Lord” and should “make the liturgical prayers of the Christian community more alive and fervent.”¹

So, does Catholic music in Singapore pass muster?

Amazing Bass

Well, the first thing that strikes the average Catholic at Mass is perhaps the volume. Elijah heard the Lord in a gentle whisper but these days, you're more likely to experience Earth, Wind and Fire from booming audio-speakers!

Though necessary in certain environments, choirs seem to be indiscriminately hooking up their musical instruments to the amplifiers even when the natural acoustics are good. Choir leaders, or sometimes animators, sing into the microphones and drown out the rest of the congregation. Instead of leading the rest of the congregation in song, the choir, in effect, gives a solo performance.

Many choirs these days also favor drums, cymbals and electric guitars, so the indiscriminate use of microphones, besides overwhelming the rest of the congregation, can have ear-shattering consequences. Once, at a church in the city, I even had to stick my fingers into my ears during the Offertory hymn which featured frenzied drumming. After Mass, I confronted the choir-mistress and complained that I could barely hear myself think, let alone pray.

“I’m sorry,” she replied, “You’ll have to take this up with the parish council if you’re unhappy. They want Mass to be more lively.”

Lively Up Yourself

If that was indeed the parish council’s intention, then perhaps they have failed to apprehend what the Mass truly is. Is Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist deemed to be so insufficient for our attention that it requires “livening up”? Is the solemn quiet of adoration an uncomfortable one?

Thus, instead of worshipping, we try to entertain. And the music serves to occupy our senses, to guard against boredom. We are no longer a congregation of faithful worshippers but an audience. Perhaps this mistaken notion explains why sometimes the congregation will applaud the choir at the end of Mass as if it were a concert performance.