Music as a Means of Evangelization

Thoughts on spiritual, sacred and liturgical music

Abstract

According to the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the sacred liturgy is the «primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit» (SC 14) and «the summit toward which the activity of the church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows.» (SC 10) In fact, Christian liturgy, is from its earliest beginnings, closely connected with song. Music was and is an important component of liturgical celebration. The purpose of Church liturgy is twofold, namely the glorification of God and the salvation of mankind. So too, music has these same dimensions. All forms of liturgical song are at the same time a form of liturgical worship of God and an ongoing fulfillment of the mystery of salvation. In musicological and liturgical literature following the Second Vatican Council we distinguish sacred music, spiritual music and liturgical music. Though we are dealing with forms of musical expression which are at first glance very similar, they all have different meanings which are often interchanged and are used to mean the same. Still, their meaning has, as we can see in the documents of the Church, evolved and matured progressively. The Instruction on Music in the Liturgy «Musica Sacra» issued in 1967 states that the concept of «sacred music» implies a particular «nature» and «purpose». It is primarily liturgical, that is, «endowed with a certain holy sincerity of form» This means that it must have a special predisposition – the possibility to be incorporated into a liturgical rite. Therefore, «sacred music» (musica sacra) has implications on the levels of both ecclesiology and evangelization.