Week by week the Darwin monkeys have been behaving better in mass. We realized this as our definition of being 'bad' shifted from shouting and kicking the pew to laying under the pew trying to pick off old bubble gum: not a well-advised activity, but much less distracting for the surrounding worshippers.
The last few weeks, both girls have begun to join in with the sung parts of the ordinary with particular will, and particular volume, but not particular tunefullness. This tends to attract glances and smiles from those around us, which of course encourages the little songbirds.
One doesn't want to quash this sort of thing, but one does wish to harness it a bit. And since the girls are (like all children) great mimics, I'm wondering if what is needed is a CD with mass parts for them to learn. We have, of course, some CDs of truly great liturgical music, but since our parish won't be attempting Palestrina, Montraverdi and the like any time soon, something rather more down to earth is doubtless required.
I seem to recall my parents having some tapes of common hymns and mass parts which we listed to when we were kids. Does anyone know of any CDs currently out there that do this? Although I'm nothing to talk about, MrsDarwin actually sings quite servicably, and I'm thinking one of the advantages to working on mass parts with the girls (and just having them listen to them and soak them up a bit) would be that the modern settings to tend to be very simple -- and thus might be a better place to learn the basics of hitting a note then when the monkeys are shouting along with the in-law's CDs of Irish drinking songs.
Our kids have been "better", too. "Better", of course, being a relative term.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm very proud of how our kids have made a conscious effort to improve their Massbehavior (Get it? Misbehavior. Massbehavior.)
Apart from my oldest's run-in with the unconsecrated bread and wine while we were visiting Virginia, we've had very little to be embarassed about lately.
I have no idea how I missed that post the first time around, Jay, but that's just hilarious. I bet you wanted to die at the time, though...
ReplyDeleteWe've never had a mishap of that caliber, but probably only because we've never had the opportunity. The girls do like to take off charging down the aisles if not restrained.
Hey guys... If you want I still have recordings I made while soundteching Mass up at Stueby. I'd have to search through stuff, but I know I have it.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that the little ones are behaving a bit better.
MrsDarwin, I think most of the hymnals that are put out have accompanying cd's that you can order through the publisher. Sometimes they're kind of hokey versions of the songs but they just may be the trick.
ReplyDeleteAt Mass in Singapore last Sunday I was near a young child who was lustily singing the Mass parts. And she brought a smile to everyone around her. I think her singing might have been helped by the very strong choir singing they have in this particular church.
ReplyDeleteI homeschool my daughters to teach them the rich traditions of the Church. One evening, on the way home from choir practice for my 8 year old, we were, as usual, practicing the "Salve Regina"(Mommy was learning too!)We were surprised to hear our four year old singing it flawlessly in her carseat. We had no idea that our practice was instruction!
ReplyDeleteCheck out OCP for CDs?
ReplyDelete