Thank You, Father Z

Just when I needed it most, as I'm in the midst of the details of working with our new pastor to move our music ministry to our long-abandoned choir loft. (See: The Schizophrenic Choir Director)

A perfect post.

The good Father says in not so many words how I'm feeling:

The problem with putting a choir in front of everyone’s eyes (let’s not even contemplate putting them in the sanctuary where the clerical choir belongs) is that it gives the impression that the choir is performing. It gives also the wrong sense to the musicians (if they can be so called) as well.

It seems to me that making the choir too easily visible in the church places to much emphasis on their physical presence and appearance rather than on the prayer they contribute in the form of sacred music. Having the choir up front is just another distraction. Even for the members of the choir it is a distraction. [This is true. It's going to be a lot less pressure and a lot easier to do the mechanics of our work in the liturgy from the loft.

Moreover, in most older churches, the building’s acoustics will favor the positioning of the organ and choir in the choir loft. [This is certainly the case in our church.] A choir can usually sing without amplification when they are in a choir loft, thus avoiding yet another layer of artificiality in the sacred action.

Again I say: Thank you Father Z!

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