But good, reverent, meditative music performed in a sensitive manner is an aid to prayer for many people.
Some folks just don't like music at all, and for them there is the early Mass. Other folks find that music is helpful to their worship, and inspiring. For them there is the 11:30 High Mass. It's great that the parish has something for each.
Agreed! Our 7:30 Mass crowd wants to get in and get out, with a minimum of distraction. We had an elderly priest for a while who I called "Shotgun Leo". He could say the 7:30 Mass in 25 minutes, which included his brief comments on the scripture according to the New York Times. Those folks loved it, and they are the cradle Catholics who raised several kids each and sent them through the Parish School!
There is a 4:30 Sat. Mass with a minimum of music led by a Cantor, who mostly just introduces the music, and encourages the congretation to sing, which they do very little of. The 9am Sunday Mass used to be the Folk Mass, but I don't know what they do now. It's the one which families are encouraged to attend, and at the end of the Gospel, the younger kids leave and attend religion classes, returning just before the Consecration. It's extremely distracting to me, especially since we no longer have young kids.
SirKit and I are both in the 11am Mass choir, which we love. If we have a new congregational hymn, we'll sing it and after a couple of weeks using it, the congregation picks it up, because the director takes care to find music that is beautiful, but not too difficult for them to sing. I've noticed a remarkable change in the singing habits of the Parish over the last 15 years, since we got our new organist, and even more since we got the new director for the 11am choir. She does a good job teaching us HOW to sing, especially in elocution so that when we sing, the congregation can understand the words. We have improved considerably over the last few years, and many have remarked on it.
The 5:30 Sunday Mass is the 'rock and roll' Mass, and I don't like the music, because it does seem more like 'performance' music than congregational music. The girls always try to do the warbling Beyonce thing, and it's annoying and distracting. Our daughter Clare calls this "Jesus is my boyfriend" music, and prefers the 11am Mass music, when she's home from college.
So it's great to have choices, and though the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should be sufficient, it's not always that way, so we need to meet people where they are. By doing this, they will continue to enjoy being there, and have the opportunity to grow in Grace.