Church Music Controversy Hits Sour Note In Goa Archdiocese PANAJI, Sept 1: Church music has struck some wrong notes in Goa and Daman archdiocese. Some area choirmasters allege that singing in churches has declined after the western Indian archdiocese discouraged the use of commercial and professional choirs. However, a Church official says musicians had reduced church singing to "stage performances," affecting community participation in liturgy. The disharmony arose after the archdiocesan synod in February 2002. A synod document published later discouraged the use of commercial and professional choirs "that tend to be showy and performance oriented, without leading the community to participation." The archdiocese covers the small western state of Goa, whose capital, Panaji, is 1,910 kilometers southwest of New Delhi. Agnelo Dias, a 51-year-old church musician, says the archdiocese's stance has led to a decline in "appreciative music" in churches. The decision has led to the emergence of "third-rate" musicians, who play memorized music in churches for exorbitant fees, charges Dias, a member of the choir that sung at Mass when Pope John Paul II visited Goa in 1986. These musicians are not well trained and have gaps in their musical education, he told UCA News. He recalls being invited to play at a nuptial Mass. "At the outset, the priest announced from the altar that outside musicians were not permitted to play in the church. Eventually the Mass went on without the organist," he said. Dias added that some parishes in the archdiocese have witnessed discord after their priests refused bands from outside. In Goa, a former Portuguese colony, it was common for Church musicians to play snare drums, trumpet and saxophone outside church premises before and after a feast Mass, or during festive occasions, processions or funerals of children. They played violin, guitar or organ indoors for regular Mass. One Goan Catholic "horrified" by the parish priests' attitudes toward Church music is Altinho Pereira, who recently attended a wedding. He accused the priests of insensitivity and of being spoilsports. People get outside bands for weddings because they want "the best during the most important moment of their lives," Pereirs told UCA News. He wondered how priests would react if "such ugly scenes" marred their ordination. Father Kyriel Souza, an episcopal vicar in the archdiocese, says the Church does not discount the choir's role in encouraging people's participation in the liturgy. However, "what goes on in our churches is stage performance, where each musician sings in front of a mike," the priest told UCA News. Father Souza blames professional choirs for the decline in congregational singing. Those choirs, he added, include altos and sopranos, whose range goes beyond that of most people and makes them shy about joining in the singing. The priest said even European churches do not use mikes and the choir leaves certain parts of the hymn for the congregation to sing. He also said some professional choirs in Goa were using unapproved and non-liturgical hymns. Church regulations stipulate that before a hymn can be used as liturgical music, it must be certified for such use by a competent ecclesiastical authority. Luis Cotta, a choirmaster for 17 years, reports that most church committees, or "Confraria," have dismissed choirmasters and expect the congregation to sing during Mass. Earlier, a choirmaster used to organize practice sessions and lead the crowd. Now people "look at each other" during the Mass, he added. Crowd participation comes when the quality of the music is good, he asserted. According to Cotta, who used to sing in a parish in Panaji, the synod decision has led to confrontation between the committees and parish priests. Earlier, the committee paid the choirmasters regular salaries from funds collected as rent for parish properties. Since the parishes did away with the choirmasters, some committees have refused to shoulder the cost of snacks for people who come for singing practice as volunteers. -UCAN
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