The Sacred Music Institute of America is offering a series of lectures called Sacred Music Saturdays.
Information about the lecture this weekend:
“Gregorian Chant in the Liturgy” by Dr. William Mahrt
The word sacred means set aside, in this case reserved for the particular purpose of Divine Worship. Pope St. Pius X defined three characteristics of liturgical music, sacred, beautiful, and universal. Music is sacred which sets the texts prescribed by the liturgy, such as processional texts, scripture lessons, meditation chants, hymns of praise and petition and expression of belief.
Their musical style conveys the sense of the action which they accompany. Music is sacred which unites a diverse congregation in a unity joining their voices and lifting their hearts to a common purpose.
Sacred music must be beautiful, because it addresses almighty God, who is the ultimate Beauty. The beauty of sacred music creates an experience of the holiness of God, a foretaste of the Beatific Vision of God, which is the end of each human life. Sacred music thus has a transcendent purpose, which is expressed in transcendent styles. Sacred music is universal when it is received and understood by the body of worshipers as expressing the order and purpose in the liturgy, when it is experienced as being our own, when we sing it by heart, from our very own being.
Register now to receive lecture access and a link for a live Question & Answer session with Dr. Mahrt on Saturday, 21 November.
The Sacred Music Institute of America also offers other courses such as:
Chanting the Liturgy: Musical Enrichment for Priests and Deacons
As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting quality sacred music in every parish, the Sacred Music Institute of America LLC is excited to announce its new individualized training opportunities for priests and deacons. This program will provide flexible, personalized, and comprehensive training in chanting the liturgy from the basics of vocal production; it focuses on the celebrant’s chants in the Roman Missal. It is inspired by the thorough musical curriculum offered at the Pontifical College Josephinum, where the Institute’s founder, Dr. Jason Keefer, is Director and Assistant Professor of Sacred Music.
The Institute’s training opportunities for clergy include:
- Online seminars on vocal technique, reading Gregorian and modern notation, Church documents pertaining to music, clergy/musician collaboration, music selection and planning, and liturgical chant. Watch the lectures on your own schedule!
- One-on-one online vocal coaching with our experienced faculty of liturgical musicians. Work on vocal technique and presentation through exercises and study of specific chants. These sessions are fully customizable to your needs and abilities. Coaching is also available on more challenging repertoire such as the Gospel readings and the Exsultet. Five, ten, and fifteen lesson packages are available.
- Optional courses on the history of sacred music, music theory, and intensive Gregorian chant study.
While the Church’s documents on music in the liturgy place a strong emphasis on the role of the clergy in singing the liturgy, not every priest or deacon has the background or training to feel self-assured doing so. The Institute seeks to foster chanted Masses in parishes throughout the country by helping priests and deacons to improve their skills and confidence in chanting. This training is hand-tailored to your specific needs, flexible to accommodate your busy schedule, and private—you will work directly with your vocal coach and also have access to pre-recorded lectures by our dedicated and knowledgeable faculty.
To learn more about all of the Sacred Music Institute’s offerings, including monthly seminars and certification programs for music directors, organists, choir directors, and cantors, please visit https://www.sacredmusicinstitute.org/chanting-the-liturgy-priests-deacon or call 614.395.7783.
Charles Cole continued: “Through these recordings, the Schola seeks to bring to a wider audience the music which adorns the liturgies at the London Oratory. These motets have an important function within the liturgy and are not solely beautiful works of art to be appreciated in a removed context such as a museum or art gallery. Their sacred purpose, the way they are experienced by the boys who sing them, and the manner in which they are heard at the Oratory, are before all else within the liturgical context.”