“The thing about music for Christmas is it’s hard to keep people from singing” when they know the words by heart, says Jeremy Helmes, chair of the board of directors of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, a group that supports musical liturgy.
To avoid the temptation to sing, some have discussed the possibility of picking lesser-known carols in lieu of more compulsively singable tunes like “Joy to the World,” he says. Other measures include skipping wind instruments and adding more services to spread worshipers out at a safe distance. Mr. Helmes’s parish in Cincinnati, for example, is holding four Christmas Eve Masses.
“It’s going to be a real slog for clergy and musicians,” he says. “It’ll be a joyful slog.”...
