What if a priest can't sing?

[RKO]

This is actually a good question, to me anyway. I was discussing the beauty and reverence of the DL with a friend of mine. We skipped through a couple videos featuring the DL, and he remarked at how great the singing was. He then asked me, "What if a priest is tone deaf?"

To me that is a good question because I have never been to an Orthodox DL in which the priest did not have a beautiful voice. I have been to many many, Catholic masses in which the priest couldn't sing, but tried to anyway.

Is vocal training part of the seminary? Or is this a special gift from God that all priests sing beautifully? Or have I just not yet heard the badly singing priests?

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Yes, at Holy Cross you take a vocal course each semester for 4 years to learn the tones and if your vocals themselves arent great, then you take singing lessons. But during your ordination, they implant a singing angel to accompany you (just in case). Basically, you are trained to be able to teach basic chanting at a parish.

 

[inconsequential]

Your sacrifice of worship becomes more sacrificial?

 

[Anhelyna]

This has brought back something a Deacon's wife said.

Pani commented after his Ordination -" Father could never sing - I didn't know how he was going to manage - but since he was ordained Deacon - he can sing - beautifully ! "

 

[ArmyMatt]

while there is vocal training at every seminary, and it certainly helps, if the priest is tone deaf then that is his (and possibly his congregation's) cross to bear.

Bp Thomas often brings up that on Mt Athos there was a monk who directed a choir for vespers, did not like their sound, so replaced everyone to sound "perfect." when he went to bed that night Christ appeared to him and asked why vespers was not served. the monk responded that it was. Christ replied that was not vespers, that was merely noise, because the choir director only wanted to sound impressive

 

[Shiranui117]

Even if our priests don't have the best singing voices, they'll still chant or sing on-key--it's better than nothing and meshes well with the choir. And if you have congregational singing, then a bad singing voice on anyone's part will be harder to notice.

 

[Mariya116]

It's nice if he can, but no big deal if he can't. For me it's worse if he can't pronounce words, is swallowing sounds - very distracting. Then I don't want to come back to his services.

 

[Knee V]

My first priest from Jacksonville, FL was (well, *is*) INCREDIBLY tone deaf.

 

[Kristos]

The only thing that matters is that he is giving his best - if that isn't very good compared to others, then deal with it.

 

[katherine2001]

The only thing that matters is that he is giving his best - if that isn't very good compared to others, then deal with it.

! I've had two priests that weren't the best singers but they were two of the best priests I've had the privilege of knowing. The second one is the most loving and best spiritual father I know--a very wise man who truly loves. When he was a young priest, an older priest told him that the most important job as a priest is to love your flock, and Fr. took that advice to heart and lived it.

 

[truefiction1]

It can make things challenging sometimes for a choir director.

 

[George95]

It might not be that pleasing to the ear, but surely to God it does not matter.

 

[buzuxi02]

The late priest at one of the parish's I used to attend had a speech impediment. It could probably be annoying as some the gospels he read could sound at times like they were being mumbled. His singing was still great though, and was an exceptional shepherd beloved by all.

 

[Kyprian]

I personally know a priest who sounds an awful lot like Willie Nelson. And while he's not a priest, I also know a reader who sounds exactly like Elvis. Picture the two together...just sayin'...

 

[MrJim]

I personally know a priest who sounds an awful lot like Willie Nelson. And while he's not a priest, I also know a reader who sounds exactly like Elvis. Picture the two together...just sayin'...

That would be, you know,

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

My priest is fairly off with the tones, and our deacon's voice crackles all over the place like you've never heard in your life. It makes me wince at times, but in the end, the liturgy is being sung I suppose. T'ain't pretty, but it gets the job done.

 

[GoingByzantine]

Our priest is an older man, his voice isn't always on key and sometimes he chants very very softly. It doesn't really bother me though, if anything it has a little character.

On a side note, I have been to a Ruthenian Catholic service where the priest was a great singer, but it felt like he was just going through the motions. So I still prefer my guy.