4.8 Music

Question 1

What are hymns and how are they used in worship?

Answer 1

• Hymns mean songs of praise.
• They are adressed to God and express faith and emotion.
• Most were written during Victorian times.
• Contemporary style hymns are more popular in modern worship, such as ‘One Bread, One Body’ or ‘Here I am Lord’
• Hymns are written specifically for the purpose of praise, adoration and prayer

Question 2

What are plainchants and how were they used?

Answer 2

• Early Christians developed a tradition of unaccompanied singing from Jewish synagogue worship.
• There are two types of plainchant: responsorial and antiphonal.
• After Vactican II introduced the New Rite Mass, the use of plainsong declined and is now mainly restricted to monastic orders.

Question 3

What are psalms and how are they used?

Answer 3

• Psalms are sacred songs or hymns contained in the biblical book of Psalms.
• There are psalms of praie, thanksgiving and lament, and so contain human emotions about life, God and religion, which makes them still relevant to worship today.

Question 4

What are worship songs and how are they used?

Answer 4

• Worship songs are a Bible verse or simple Christian message put to contemporary music.
• They can be lively praise songs, or calmer adoration, many of which developed form Youth 2000, which was a response to Pope John Paul II’s call for young people to evangelise to celebrate the new millenium.
• These songs tend to appeal to younger Christians, and appear in some Catholic masses.

Question 5

What are some of the different ways music may be used?

Answer 5

• Music is used to open Mass as the priest and servers enter
• Important parts of the Mass, like the Gloria, Gospel Acclamation, and parts of the Eucharistic prayer are sung.
• Music may be sung/played when the bread and wine are brought to the altar during the offetry procession
• Contemplative music may feature in communion

Question 6

CCC 1156

Answer 6

“He who sings prays twice”

Question 7

What does the Catechism say about doxology?

Answer 7

Doxology, the praise of God, arises from God’s marvellous work of salvation.

Question 8

CCC 2641

Answer 8

The early chrisitans composed hymns and canticles to praise God for his work in the icarnation, the Passion, resurrection and ascension of his son.