Growing up in the US, I was exposed to Engish masses when I was around ten. Hearing the major differences in musical styles of different masses allows a person to truly love and understand the beauty of music within the Church. Different cultures also go into this music, which is brought out by the congregation. Hispanic-style mass music provides more of a home and community-style feeling to the masses, while English masses tend to provide a more regal and structured style to the Church. This is not to say that either version is bad, but just an analysis of different cultures and their effects on the Church.
Gregory Shemitz, A mariachi band plays music during a Spanish-language Mass marking the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Resurrection Church (Dec. 12, 2021, Farmingville, New York)
To speak first in Spanish style masses, as mentioned before, there is a homey feeling that comes from the music. In almost every experience I've had with Spanish masses, at the very basic, the choir consists of a guitar, tambourine, and singers. There are no attempts at layering the music with different parts and voices; while it may happen, it happens less often. Often they will have a stringed instrument or the rogue flute be added into the mix, allowing a unique flavor to the music. This may seem like a negative at first, but there is also a lack of vocal training as well within the choirs; this actually is a positive because there are so many different people who want to join the choir to sing for God; while they may not sound the prettiest, they are using everything they have for the Lord. Everything together brings this unique feel to the mass; everyone within the congregation is singing these songs since it is one chorus line that everyone is singing, and the guitar works as a drone in a sense since when verses of music are done, the guitar will continue to play until the music stops. I've had the experience of playing my church's choir with a violin; providing a new flavor to the music is great. Music within the choir is often sung without note references as well; people have a sheet with the song's words in front of them, then they figure out the rhythm and sound of the song together as they go. It is a unifying experience for all within the mass.
English Style mass music can appear to be the opposite of Spanish style, but that does not mean it does not have fruits from it either. Most English masses consist of a more average choir of different voices that are layered on each other to bring together the composer's intended harmony. Being in English masses brings this sense of unity, and age to the Church. The music has a structure; the choir sings their parts as written on them and doesn't out-sing other parts when it is not called for. While the feeling of Spanish masses is homey, this is regal; it makes the church feel like a 2,000-year-old tradition. It helps bring the feeling that this is a tradition handed to us by Jesus, and we must honor him with beauty and structure. While flutes and orchestras can be added, they are in different parts, not as one unifying chorus.
These masses help bring out the most of one's culture through the Church, allowing us to see God's unifying presence in our lives and the lives of others worldwide. A person should attend different masses to experience the different feelings and practices within them. That said, while music may differ among the different styles of masses, music allows the church to be brought together like no other.
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