The Recovering Choir Director

Basically, this is something that requires teaching from the clergy, and has to be nipped in the bud as it begins. At St. Andrew’s, the priest there, Fr. Alexei Smith, managed to stop it on one occasion, and forever thereafter, by speaking up as the applause was beginning. When the applause had stopped, and he had gotten the congregation’s attention, he said words to the effect of “Excuse me, but we are not the audience here; God is. Our applause is therefore inappropriate to the liturgy.”

Years ago I had a member of my choir whose family would start applauding at the end of Mass when the song finished (although by then most of the people were either gone or heading out the door because I don’t cut them short) and I told her to have them stop. Lately, however, people routinely applaud fiery homilies and the conclusion of the song at the end of Mass, and they also sometimes applaud songs during the Mass. I turn my back.

I still get embarrassed when people come up after Mass to thank me for the music. I just say, “Thank you. I hope you are singing.” I wish more would sing rather than listen.