[markomalley]

Personally, I don't sing because, in general, OCP songs are so horribly bad (and my parish seems to typically have the habit of selecting the very worst ones from the missalette). But that's just me.

[NYer]

Ping!

[trisham]

I don’t care for it at all. Imho, it’s an unwelcome distraction.

[Responsibility2nd]

Hymnal Ping.

So. What’s your favorite hymnal?

(as if I didn’t know?)

[fishtank]

http://www.christianpost.com/news/pc-usa-removes-in-christ-alone-from-hymnal-because-of-line-about-gods-wrath-exclusion-is-theological-blunder-says-lay-committee-president-101483/

[bboop]

I’m a musician. I attend either the music early mass or Latin w wonderful choir. Hated the evangelical ditties! I sing along w CDs if I want great hymns. I also miss them very
Much.

[JoeFromSidney]

Since you asked, I'll voice my dissent.

The hymns we're asked to sing are either insipid, or like Amazing Grace embody a non-Catholic theology. Yes, while many of the Protestant hymns Catholics have borrowed since Vatican II are very singable, the fact remains that intrinsically they're Protestant. They embody a Protestant theology (as they should; they're for Protestants, after all).

One of the promises made after Vatican II was that once Catholic composers were freed from the rigors of Latin liturgy, we'd have good quality Catholic hymns to sing. It hasn't happened. What hymns were written post-V-II have been for the most part musical trash. The St. Louis Jesuits were among the worst offenders, but there were plenty of others as well.

Finally, I find much hymn-singing is intrusive. For instance, when I've just come back from Communion, I want to talk to my Lord. I can't. A cantor, or the choir, is bellowing out some hymn that is not just distracting but completely blots out my thoughts. That, of all times during the Mass, should be a time for silence. Unfortunately, it isn't.

Hymns, if sung at all, should be a complement to the Liturgy, not a substitute for it.

[uncitizen]

Personally, I don't sing because, in general, OCP songs are so horribly bad (and my parish seems to typically have the habit of selecting the very worst ones from the missalette). But that's just me.

it's not just you. Just yesterday at church I was thinking the songs couldn't be any worse if they tried! The melodies were so non melodic, almost like a bunch of random notes strung together. Just horrible.

[exit82]

At any rate, I’ll just conclude again by saying that I favor metrical hymns for congressional singing

When they're sober.

[Heart-Rest]

I agree completely with Msgr. Charles Pope.    Bring back those good old hymns, and lose the new ones they try to foist on us.

As a quick example of some old hymns I really like (among many others), which I believe would get a much greater and more enthusiastic and active singing response from the congregation, are these great old classic ones:

• "Faith of Our Fathers" (When old Father Jim occasionally has the congregation sing this during the daily Mass, everyone there joins in and sings with great enthusiasm and volume.)

• "There Is A Fountain" (Beautiful)

• "Sweet Hour of Prayer" (I always thought this old hymn would be good as an "entrance hymn" for Mass, or as a hymn to listen to prior to starting an hour of prayerful adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.)