I started joining the sunset mass choir after the Confirmation mass I was put in charge last year. The choir master offered his help to us but on the condition that we use only the organ. Although I didn’t understand why such request was made, I willingly took up the offer as I knew nothing about music for mass and its liturgy.
He explained that voices was the best way to worship God and only the pipe organ, which has the nearest tone to the human voice was suitable to be used for worship during mass. He gave the example that on the account that we want to praise someone, we don’t play a piece of music to them or go bang bang bang on the drums, instead we use our voice to praise the person.
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| The organ of Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England. |
For the many of us who grew up with praise and worship songs - the piano, guitar and drums (and not sacred music), would find a statement as such to be gibberish, thinking: ‘I’m sure God wouldn’t mind us playing instruments for Him!’
About a month ago, when I was travelling back home and listening to my usual choices of praise and worship songs, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind of how beautiful these songs are when the momentum picks up and all the instruments go silent, only voices singing the chorus usually.
As a praise and worship leader myself, I have come to use these arrangements during sessions. From the heightened chorus, immediately, all instruments are muted, and only voices of the people praising God can be heard. That is the moment that lifts us up to God the most, that is the moment when we feel being drawn towards heaven – just the heavenly and angelic voices praising our God and Saviour... Just God and us – no other sounds.
Wow! At that moment, it amazed me (it still does) how God explained to me something that couldn’t be understood from another person’s lips.
In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man's mind to God and to higher things.
But other instruments also may be admitted for use in divine worship, with the knowledge and consent of the competent territorial authority, as laid down in Art. 22, 52, 37, and 40. This may be done, however, only on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful.
Art. 120, Chapter VI, Sacred Music, Sacrosanctum Concilium
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