This article in Crux hit a nerve with me but from two points of view. The first has to do with large churches with high ceilings and the sound system for the modern Mass. Every church in which I have been assigned in the Diocese of Savannah, prior to retirement had sound system problems which made it difficult for people to understand the spoken word. These churches ranged from an A-frame 1950’s building, St. Teresa’s in Albany, Georgia, to our Cathedral in Savannah, the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Augusta and St. Joseph Church in Macon. My last assigned church, St. Anne in Richmond Hill had a great sound system because of acoustic baffling that muted singing and the responses from the congregation either spoken or sung. But everyone could understand the words spoken from the sanctuary.
The article from Crux is about modern technology making the sound system at St. Peter’s Basilica the best it has been since Vatican II.
But that is the other aspect of the article which is liturgical. The technician compares the pre-Vatican II Mass to the post-Vatican II Mass at St. Peter’s. Prior to the revised Mass, the sounds that came from the altar were natural and understood because for the most part the Liturgy was sung. (He fails to recognize that the Roman Canon was spoken in a low voice and not intended to be heard in the nave.) But all the sung parts of the Mass were understood without elaborate sound systems.
The liturgical point is that the pre-Vatican II Mass that was meant to be audible to the congregation was sung, including the Scriptures at the sung Mass. Of course, I presume low Masses were also celebrated at the high altar which mean the readings were spoken as well as the other parts.
Today’s Mass is mostly spoken, especially the priest’s parts and certainly the liturgy of the Word. Thus good sound systems are needed.
I am fascinated by the technical aspects of St. Peter’s sound system and the comparison the technician makes between the two forms of the one Roman Rite celebrated in this great basilica (press title):
6 comments:
Very interesting! I noticed the same issue in our nave because of sound system installed some decades ago when this was a NO parish. The sound is out of phase on various parts of the church making it very difficult to understand the priest during the homily (zeugma alert). It was changed about a year ago, but is still tough to hear some priests according to how they speak.
What else would you expect from the current regime which glories in being sloppy?
Most classically styled churches need no sound system if the speaker will just speak up. Their design was/is functional for that purpose, as a "natural" amplifier. The Greeks amd Romans were quite adept at such before anyone dreamed of electronic amplification.
We have electronics only because of modern acoustically dead buildings, and because in older style churches the speakers wish only to use a conversational voice rather than a speaking voice, nor is anyone trained in oratory/speaking.
As for electronic techno "music" lacking any ability to play an actual instrument or even read music, that rates right there with using a sacred consecrated space for concerts and flower shows, and tourist destination, it profanes the sacred. House of prayer means house of prayer, not entertainment complex.
@Bob: You are spot on. We, too, have a new, state-of-the-art and very expensive sound system (The control panel rivals a NASA command center.) Alas, nothing has changed! Just speak up, damn it! Getting rid of the dirty, ugly wall-to-wall carpeting would make an enormous improvement. The ladies of the church wanted to put padding on all the pews (didn't happen). It's a lovely, old stone edifice and went decade after decade without amplification.
When I was a young man I sang solos from the balcony of a large basilica without a microphone and could be heard quite well on the far end of the basilica
Amazing that St. Peter's made it through 500+ years without the need of a sound expert.
Years ago, I attended a TLM at one of those massive, grand inner-city churches/cathedrals. Due to an accident and resulting detour, I arrived in time for the canon. The acoustics were such that Fr (with whom I am acquainted) was praying the canon soto-voce and I could still hear and understand what he was saying.
Again, several years back, I was invited help cantor Divine Liturgy by someone who is a professional, classically trained singer and chanter. I was flattered. In this old, grand Byzantine Church, Fr. was whispering at the alter and it was completely audible to me 50 yards away and, what 20 ft (at least) up.
Build these newer churches correctly and all this expensive quirky technology becomes secondary to the performance of the building itself.
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