Music Ministry

     The Music Ministry at Newman provides a choir and full accompaniment at every weekend liturgy throughout the year. In an effort to promote unity in the parish rather than division by “musical preference,” the same music is used at every Mass (Sat. evening and Sun. morning).

     At most liturgies our instruments include: piano; keyboard/organ; clarinet; drums; timpani; guitar; and bass guitar. We also have a cellist, violinist, and flautist. We are an energetic, diverse, and FUN-LOVING GROUP! If you are interested in joining us, please contact Jeannie Rogers for more information.

Questions and Answers about Liturgical Music

Q: Do we have to sing the Holy at every Mass?

A: The document Liturgical Music Today clearly says that the Holy is one among other acclamations that are “preeminent sung prayers of the Eucharistic liturgy”. When we sing the Holy, memorial acclamation, Amen, Lamb of God, psalm, and Gospel acclamation (which must always be sung), our prayer is more effective. In fact, the document says we should sing the Holy and other acclamations even at daily Mass.

Q: If we like the choir, why can’t we just listen?

A: People in the assembly sometimes expect that the choir in worship follows the entertainment model as seen in concert halls or on television. However, if the assembly only listens to the choir, they become an audience who look at, listen to, and judge the group; they are consumers instead of worshippers….
…The assembly has a right and duty to experience the whole liturgy and to participate in it actively. Our work is to be a part of a pool of ministries who express faith by singing the liturgy, which will engage and inspire all people to the mission of Jesus Christ.

(from “The Liturgical Music Answer Book” by Peggy Lovrien, 1999 Resource Publications, Inc.)

"Singing at Mass” by Paul Turner

“Singing is the sign of the heart’s joy” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal 39). When we praise God at Mass each Sunday, we come with a joyful heart. We are grateful for the gift of life and all our many blessings. We leave the comfort of our homes and bring ourselves to church, where we gather with others who have made the same sacrifice. There we do something we may not normally do. We sing.
Singing has been a part of Mass ever since the Last Supper (Mt 26:30) The first Christians sang psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col 3:16). We echo them.
“Great important should therefore be attached to the use of singing in the celebration of the Mass” (GIRM 40). Our songs are formed by the rhythms and melodies of old traditions and contemporary cultures. They help us express the joy in our hearts – as well as our sadness, our wonderment, and our hope.
Everyone is invited to sing at every Mass. “Every care should be taken that singing by the ministers and the people is not absent in celebrations that occur on Sundays and on holy days of obligation” (40). Some parishes have a Sunday Mass at which no singing occurs, but the church asks us to avoid this. Music belongs at every Mass. It helps us participate with body, soul, mind, and strength.
One of the purposes of the opening hymn is to “foster the unity of those who have been gathered” (47). When you arrive at church, heart filled with joy, you express your faith in God and your unity with others in a beautiful way. You open your mouth. And sing.”
(Ministry and Liturgy, Vol. 33 Number 5 June – July 2006, p. 46).