By Fr. Stephen Somerville

Theme: The Catholic Reconquest: Motives, Models, and Methods

Title: Restoring Liturgical Music

This talk explores the history and principles of Catholic liturgical music, arguing for a restoration of traditional forms like Gregorian chant. Father Somerville traces the Church's teachings on sacred music, citing various popes and Church Fathers who emphasized its importance for worship and its power to elevate the soul. He contrasts this with modern trends that, in his view, treat liturgical music as entertainment, which he defines as a "diversion from serious things." The speaker recounts the development of chant, its codification by popes like St. Gregory the Great, the historical challenges of abuses and the introduction of polyphony, and the 19th-century revival that culminated in the work of Pope St. Pius X. The overall message is a call to return to a form of music that is intrinsically sacred, universal, and an integral part of the prayer of the liturgy itself.

(From 2004 SBC Conference)

Also Available as MP3 or MP4