Catholic Sensibility

Homily Helps was popular enough, and maybe I have more to say about singers in churches. 1. Drink 16 glasses a water a day. Normal people need 8. Singers need at least double that, according to my wife's voice consultant. Before singing, be sure the water is room temperature; not hot or cold. Jesus doesn't like lukewarm, but your vocal cords do. 1b. Be sure to locate restrooms in unfamiliar churches before the opening song. 2. Cultivate a prayer life. Pray a psalm daily: these are the bedrock of your ministry. If you already do this, get a breviary besides and begin to pray morning and evening prayer, too. 3. Never use a microphone to drown out, enhance, or even assist the people's parts. A good organist or pianist can lead congregational singing without you. Your role is to be a minister of hospitality for the singing assembly. Oversinging into a microphone is like a party host keeping all the chips and dip to herself. Be polite. 4. If a microphone must be used, use it sparingly. The only items I can think of are psalm, alleluia, and communion verses, and the occasional litany. And if your church acoustics are great and you don't need amplification or if the setting is small and intimate, forego the electronics. 5. Know every hymn, psalm, and Mass setting in your parish's repertoire. Be sure you have a list from the parish liturgist or music director. Learn new pieces faithfully. 6. Ponder why you might seem to do far fewer infant baptisms than weddings and funerals and perhaps suggest to the liturgist it is time this sacrament had more musical honor in the parish. 7. Take voice lessons. 8. Attend concerts and study what the singers do. 9. Buy audio music of the great singers and study what they do. Be sure to include jazz, opera, and art songs as well as sacred music in your library. 10. Reflect on the readings in advance of every cantor assignment, even the funerals and weddings, if you can get the information. You are assisting others in singing the liturgy. You are not a hired gun to plop in with a musical dollop of your talent and zip out to the bank. Try to discern your singing as part of a larger ministry involving the worship of God and the sanctification of God's people. Live what you sing. Any additions?