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SACRED MUSIC
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Why Sacred Music?The Church has always relied on music as its primary voice of prayer. Over the centuries a rich tradition of liturgical music has been and continues to be developed. Sacred music, even outside of the context of the liturgy, plays an important role in the life of the Church as it speaks eloquently of the mystery of faith and lifts our hearts and minds to God.
The importance of music in biblical religion is shown very simply by the fact that the verb “to sing” is one of the most commonly used words in the Bible. It occurs 309 times in the Old Testament and 36 in the New Testament. When man comes into contact with God, mere speech is not enough. Areas of his existence are awakened that spontaneously turn into song.
Indeed, man’s own being is insufficient for what he has to express, and so he invites the whole of creation to become a song with him: “Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, 0 Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds” (Ps 57:8f.).
It goes without saying that the biblical and liturgical texts are the normative words from which liturgical music has to take its bearings. This does not rule out the continuing creation of “new songs,” but instead inspires them and assures them of a firm grounding in God’s love for mankind and His work of redemption.
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St. Pius X's music program is dedicated to the very best in the Catholic Church's musical patrimony, from Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony to choral masterworks of the modern era. Singers in the Cathedral Choirs strive to portray the truth of the Catholic faith through the beauty of music.
Clara Duray, Director of Music317-255-4534
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