Liturgical music as a vocation

From DICI:

Benedict XVI recalls the vocation of liturgical music

Excerpt:

Then the Supreme Pontiff recalls the purpose of sacred music, which is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful:  “The fundamental criteria are respect for tradition, a sense of prayer, dignity, and beauty; full adherence to liturgical texts and expressions; the correct participation of the assembly and, therefore, a legitimate adaptation to particular cultures, at the same time maintaining the universality of language; the primacy of Gregorian chant … and the careful assessment of other expressive forms that make up the cultural patrimony of the Church, especially but not just polyphony; and the importance of the schola cantorum, particularly in cathedral churches.”

These are important criteria, the pope continues, “which should be considered attentively even today”.  Gregorian chant, the supreme model of sacred music, polyphony and the schola cantorum have wrongly been considered “as the expression of a concept befitting a past that should be forgotten and ignored, because they limited the freedom and creativity of individuals and communities.”  But the authentic subject of the liturgy is neither the individual nor the group, Benedict XVI recalled.  “It is primarily God’s action through the Church with its history, its rich tradition, and its creativity.”

“On the basis of these sure and lasting elements,” he concludes, “which are accompanied by centuries of experience, I encourage you to perform your service of professionally training students, so that they may acquire a serious, profound competence in the different disciplines of sacred music.”

HT: Kathy