Why is it that Protestant pew hymnals almost always have four part harmony while Catholic pew hymnals almost never do?
FWIW, some Protestant churches are now going to the other extreme: a format in which the words (no music at all) are projected onto a screen.
I wonder if there isn't an assumption that no one in the pew can read music anyway, and that they will be more likely to sing if they don't have intimidating musical notation in front of them. Lack of harmony parts can be quite frustrating to those in the pews who aren't sopranos.
Is music taught in most Catholic schools? Does it include singing in harmony?
IMHO, singing is a way of expressing thanks to God (see Col 3:16). He gave us the gift of music. I like to use it to glorify Him.

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Yeah, most men are definately tenors. That doesn't necessarily mean they can sing high, though.
The problem with the contemporary songs that seem high has more to do with the way they're written than how high the actual notes are. They are actually much MUCH lower than the traditional hymns. It has to do with things like the way the note is approached. One big thing is that they all make you growl out below-the-staff verses and then when you get to the normal range refrain, it feels high.

Hi,
Nice Blog. Very interesting stuff. Just wanted to let you know that my voice teacher told me most men are Tenors and so I listened to pop singers and studied a lot of live singers and I found it to be true.
Sting, Bono, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney for example are all tenors. No too too many baritones. The older pop vocalists were, Sinatra & Bring Crosby but Tony Bennet is a tenor, I think.
Not sure about country singers but listening to even speaking voices most men seem to be tenors. Fewer baritones and even fewer basses.
What do you think?

Correction to my earlier post. I said "I have before me, as I write, the St. Basil hymnal." It should have been The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book.1941

Yes, Eastern Rites Catholics have some beautiful music. I have learned a lot about Ukrainian Catholics, and I can safely say that they have some of the most beautiful church music I have ever heard.

I'm the organist at our parish (Quebec, Canada -- it's bilingual), and also have something to say about church music. Our directors (both female) have very little professional training, although one is more musical than the other. Over the time we've worked together (14 years), we've had several conflicts over the placement and appropriateness of music at liturgies. They tend to choose hymns from the St. Louis Jesuit school (and IMO not all of them are bad from a musical standpoint), and every Christmas they use "O Holy Night" as the entrance hymn at Midnight Mass. They say this is our PP's preference. Also, we suffer from a dearth of male voices, although the ones we have now are a big improvement over previous ones. There's still one tenor whose voice is very loud and un-musical, and who doesn't seem to realize that he's got a tendency to overpower everyone else (sigh)... Our choir, rather than a worship ministry, is a social club, complete with non-stop chatter between hymns at Mass (easy because the choir is in a loft at the rear of the church). Yesterday, there was talking even during the Consecration!! Of course, if I comment on any of this, I'm regarded as a witch (or the word that rhymes with it). Over time, I've learned to hold my nose (metaphorically speaking), and just play. Despite my own professional credentials, they just do what they want. In two years' time it will be 20 years since I started as organist,and I'm looking forward to retirement very much!

A Ditty to God (after Dan Schutte's The City of God)
Awake from your slumber, arise from your sleep;
The homily's over, it wasn't too deep.
He spoke of a 'journey', well, what else does he say?
We're all part of a 'story' as we go on our way.
So let's sing a ditty to God,
It's a way we can all be together.
And we'll be the City of God
If we tell his story once more.
We're all part of a journey, to 'I-don't-know-where',
But that isn't important, so long as we're here.
Be part of the story of me and of you,
And don't worry asking if the story is true.
No, just sing a ditty to God,
It's a way we can all be together.
It would be a pity for God
If we told his story no more.
So come if you're ready, the meek and the smug,
For God is a Teddy, he'll give you a hug.
And take consolation, till next time we meet,
As you go on your journey, God's in the back seat.
So just sing a ditty to God,
It's a way we can all be together.
It would be a pity for God
If we told his story no more.

You know, we _are_ allowed to make up harmony parts if we feel like it. My dad almost always does this with old-fashioned hymns, and sometimes with newer ones. Highland Catholics used to have their own harmony style, until all the teachers with their obligatory written choral feis parts
stamped it out for good. (Sigh.) There was life before congregation hymnals.
Admittedly, I only learned how to harmonize my own parts from listening to Celtic, filk, and folk music. (If you listen to other people harmonize long enough, you eventually get a feel for how to make up your own parts. But for some reason, my dad's baritone never gave me a feel for how to do a mezzo part!)
But there's no reason why we shouldn't do this in church. I know Wesley's comments on not making a big show...but geez, if Wesley went to a Catholic church today, he'd say any congregational singing whatsoever had to be an improvement.
Actually, I personally feel that the parts I and my dad make up are much better than the parts-as-written that we sing in choir (for most of the newer songs, anyway). The composers keep trying to impress folks by writing non-obvious harmonies, and sometimes this is not the most productive or beautiful course.
Now, there is always the increased probability of making an unlovely note when you make up harmony. But you can screw up singing unison, too. And hey, it gives you quiet folks a better excuse for singing softly if you're only just starting to experiment with making up harmony bits.... Also, you can always cheat and just sing along with some of the accompaniment chords.
Harmony doesn't have to be absolutely perfect to be good music. We do a lot of spontaneous harmonizing at filks at science fiction conventions, often to songs we've never heard before. There's even a song about the process called "Strangers No More" -- one voice singing, somebody starts a drone, various vocal parts start to join in, people with instruments figure out some kind of chords and start playing along. You don't need sheet music to tell you what to do, and listening to what everybody else is doing is all that's needed to prevent chaos.
(All right, and a good math/harmony brain helps, so it's better if you've had enough sleep or coffee. But you knew that.)
Finally, those of you who don't like the style of a particular song can easily alter it by making out the right harmony, countermelody, or style of singing. (Or lyrics, for that matter -- no reason you shouldn't sing "Ah" or in Latin or Greek, if you can do it without hurting reverence. But you'll have to be tasteful with actual lyrics change/addition.)
"One Bread, One Body", which folks noted above, is particularly fruitful for this kind of treatment, as it has lots of spaces to fill in however you feel like. (Though, actually, the written harmony for that isn't too bad.) You could make it baroque. You could make it a lot of things. Demonstrate the diversity of the Body's members! ;)
However, prepare to be hunted down and forcibly placed in choir if you sing loudly enough to be heard. :)

THERE IS HOPE
"Now, I am an adult convert, so I don't know if maybe some of you cradle Catholics might remember harmonizing at Mass."
I'm one of those cradle Catholics who remembers growing up with beautiful four part hymns sung by our small town adult choir. I was especially blessed, I now realize, to have gone to a Catholic elementary school in Minnesota that was very much influenced by the Liturgical movement which was centered at St. John's University at that time. Beginning with first grade, we learned and sang many different Gregorian Masses and many beautiful, devotional hymns from the St. Gregory hymnal. Each grade took its turn in the choir loft. I cannot remember whether or not we sang along with the congregation the Sundays we were not in the choir, but I think that we may have, if not audibly at least in our hearts, as we knew the songs by heart. We had an adult choir , too. When they sang hymns such as Ave Verum by Guilmant or Mozart or O Sacrum Convivium by Remondi in four parts, I would feel that I was in heaven.
"It could be that we as Catholics don't) sing much in the way of harmony as a result of Gregorian chant. Unless I'm mistaken, they don't use a harmony,"
Many may have only experienced Gregorian chant with a single melody line, but is not true that they are not written with harmony. I have before me, as I write, the St. Basil Hymnal and it is full of chants and Masses with four parts; in fact there are none that just have a melody line! You just don't hear them sung any more in most churches.
When do we feel that we are transported? Helped to truly lift our minds and hearts to God? Stirred within as though it is a foretaste of heaven? When the music is truly beautiful in itself and beautifully done. Beauty. Beauty. Beauty. I venture to say that even the restless little ones are soothed when they experience this.
It can happen. It still does happen. After many years, we recently discovered a Catholic Church in San Diego where the liturgical music is truly beautiful and
beautifully done. It is a small church but the right ingredients are present.
1) The pastor sets a high standard.
2) The choir director is a professional musician with a classical background.
3) Several of the choir members are professional singers. Three of them take turns as cantor and when they lead the Responsorial Psalm, the professional quality and purity of the voices is awesome. Every gesture, every bow they make is filled with reverence as they enter and leave the sanctuary,
4) The organ accompaniment is beautiful and fitting.
5) The cantors help the people to learn the congregational parts to participate more fully and there is a very good response.
6) The choir performs beautiful works alone as well.
7) Recently the choir director arranged to have a PhD from the University of Stubenville come to San Diego and give a two hour presentation on Sacred Music. It was awesome and well attended by both those in the parish and beyond.
8) The choir gave several concerts this year alone and in conjunction with other invited musicians. They used the offerings to purchase new hymnals and bring the speaker from Stubenville.
9) All are dedicated to glorifying God through what they prayerfully do.
I do think that the way that this church does the Liturgy could serve as a model.
One more glorious thing to share. This is from our fellow catholics of the Eastern Rite. If you want to hear music that is truly heavenly try this website:
http://www.byzantines.net/realaudio/index.htm
There are 8 real audios 25 seconds to 3.14 minutes in length.
My favorites are The Great Litany, The Augmented Litany and the Beatitudes.

You have hit on what I have called in the past the Barney Test. If you can see no discordance between the music and it appearing with words sung by a purple dinosaur, then it has passed the test, and failed the test for sacred music.

Whoa! I didn't know there had been any "blog music wars"! To tell the truth (as I have confessed here before) I am something of a technophobe. Digitally speaking, I don't get out much. So, sorry very much, please, if I stirred the pot of liturgical bitterness and unrest. I was just asking if any of y'ins remembered singing harmony at Mass. I also did not mean to sound like I was pining for the "old days" or slamming modern music. I only meant to slam moderm music of a certain (boring, monosyllabic, non-harmonious) type.
The point about Gregorian chant is well taken, but I don't think the two can be compared, if judging only by their actual effect on people. One transports and transcends, the other, well... doesn't.
I don't think this is an especially Catholic problem, as I hear the same complaints from protestants that I know.

2) they tend to be in keys that baritones (which most men are) can't sing easily,
Amen!

May I share a view coming from the other side. As a Baptist, I always sang in the choir (but did it less as praise music became more prominent. Part of adding praise music tended to mean that they needed fewer, but better singers up front, and being able to sing alto, with a strong woman next to me, or unable to reach the soprano line generally caused me not to apply.)
I agree that I wish that the pew hymnal would have 4 part harmony, but I honestly don't think that it would encourage me to sing during Mass. The reason that I tend to be silent is that with my mouth still, I can actually worship better, more aware of the Holy that has come down.
I am sure that my reasons are not appropriate for most people, though.

If you actively participate in Mass with a few squirmy, wiggly kids in the pew, probably neat-o harmony is not one of your big priorities. And of necessity you need to add a few words not in the song [sit down, get off the floor, stay here, stop fighting, stop kicking...etc.] Why don't they put those words in the modern songs? Like:
Here I am, Lord, [Sit down right now!]
I have heard You [Quiet!] in the night
[Let her go!], Lord, If You lead me
I will [No dounuts yet.] in my heart.
Harmony? Ha. Ha.

For some time, I wouldn't sing, until a our priest told us "God gave you that voice, make Him listen to it." And so, He does.

The problems I have with contemporary hymns at mass are:
1) they are constantly changing and as a result few ever manage to learn them,
2) they tend to be in keys that baritones (which most men are) can't sing easily,
3) they seem to have a solipsistic streak by putting God in the first person,
4) the melodies often sound like those that have been rejected from either folk festivals or broadway shows,
5) they are often played by out-of-tune 12 string guitars, and
6) the lyrics often have a sappy I'm-ok-you're-ok sentimentality.
As a result, most people will not sing them. Isn't it ironic: progressive liturgists' musical revolution (vandalism?) in the end runs contrary to Vatican II's exhortation for full, conscious, and active participation in the mass.
PS. Speaking of active (actuous?) participation in the mass, here's a good reference: Participatio Actuosa.
PPS: I'm going to add to my list: 7) Lousy harmonies, if any at all.

I don't want to start a blog music war either, (butt monkey) but I can't help but comment.
Hymns do have harmonies written although the hymnals that are in the pews only have the melody line. Generally the "choir" verison has the harmony parts.
(Music war part) Personally, I boycot anything by Haas, Huygen (sp?) and Shutte, plus anything sung as God in the first person. (/music war part)

I'm a musician for my choir. Usually, during the songs, there is only silence, or a sort of inchoate humming, from the congregation. A few weeks ago, however, the congregation actually sang. Wow! Admittedly, it was "Eagles Wings"...but hearing those voices coming back at us was just plain way cool! Come on, people, SING!!! :)

do not sing
sorry

Heh. This reminds me of a song I wrote for this very blog, also to do with What's Wrong with Catholic Music Today:
Sing a Sixties Song to the Lord
REFRAIN:
Sing a Sixties song to the Lord
Let the tempo bounce to lyrics vague
Sing a Sixties song to the Lord
And the words should not rhyme.
Classic hymns are so passe
Let's sing a pseudo-psalm
And strum along on steel-stringed guitar
And let the keyboard sound.
REFRAIN
Rise, O children, stand through Mass
The kneelers now are gone
Let's all hold hands, pray "Our Father" now
Around the altar joined.
REFRAIN
Glad our souls, for we have sung
Our happy happy song
Theology shifts to poetry
The Council "spirit" lives.
REFRAIN
And now I have hit just about everything I've ever written in verse on Jimmy's blog within only about a day or two!

It could be that we as Catholics do sing much in the way of harmony as a result of Gregorian chant. Unless I'm mistaken, they don't use a harmony

There are a lot of simple songs that DO have harmonies but people aren't aware of them. It makes them much better. Admittedly, some music is cheesy, fruity, or otherwise silly and does little to elevate mind and soul to God.
An astute choir member noted to our group that with 2000 years of Church history it's absurd to take 90% of our music from the last 20 years (to paraphrase).
Check out some Palestrina CD's from your local library. They are jaw-droppingly amazing. Yes, they take talent, but modern composers of sacred music could learn much from it.

If the music at church bothers you, consider these options:
(1) Think of it as your participation is the sufferings of Christ; I bet the apostles couldn't carry a tune in a fishing net.
(2) Join the Choir. Can't sing? Join anyway; lots of people in choirs can't sing. Really, really can't sing, to the point of irritating the choir when you open your mouth? Still join and shake one of those egg-shakey-things, or a tambourine, or a rain stick, or be the sound man. Then this problem will be your problem, too.
(3) Go to a Mass without music. You can usually find one (early Sunday) in your neighborhood.
(4) Go to Mass once in a while at a Church where you like the music, and consider that the "treat" that will get you through music you don't like at your usual place.
(5) When all else fails, bring your iPod to church and listen to what you want while the congreation and choir sing what you don't want.
But please, don't start another round of blog music wars!