Books: Liturgy and Music
  • theloniouslopez
    Posts: 35
    Do you know any good books one can read about Liturgy and Music? I stubbled across "THE LITURGICAL MUSIC ANSWER BOOK" and made me wonder if anyone on here recommend any good books on the subject?
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 891
    Good...
    Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform -Anthony Ruff
    From Sacred Song to Ritual Music - Jan Michael Joncas

    Better...
    Why Catholics Can't Sing -Thomas Day
    Sing Like a Catholic -Jeffrey Tucker
    Liturgy and Music -Robin Leaver, Joyce Ann Zimmer, ed.
    Mass Confusion/Mass Revision James Akin

    Best...
    The Spirit of the Liturgy --Joseph Ratzinger
    The Musical Shape of the Liturgy --William Mahrt



    OK don't judge me. Just a little bit of humour with the Good, Better Best bit. All are worth reading. All are on my shelf (though I haven't read all of them cover to cover yet).

    In addition to books, of course there are all the official church documents on music and liturgy which should also be read. Most of which can be downloaded from the CMMA website.

    I'd be interested in knowing of other recommended titles as well.


    Thanked by 3theloniouslopez elaine60 Jenny
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    I have and've read (in most cases twice) each of Earl's fine list. TL, if I wanted to be "up to speed" practically as soon as possible I'd sequence them thusly:

    Preparation
    1.Sing Like a Catholic -Jeffrey Tucker
    2.Why Catholics Can't Sing -Thomas Day

    Philosophy
    3. The Spirit of the Liturgy --Joseph Ratzinger
    4.The Musical Shape of the Liturgy --William Mahrt

    Practicality
    5.Liturgy and Music -Robin Leaver, Joyce Ann Zimmer, ed.
    6. Mass Confusion/Mass Revision James Akin (deals w/ much more than music)

    Historical/Documentation
    7. From Sacred Song to Ritual Music - Jan Michael Joncas (before Ruff for brevity)
    8. Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform -Anthony Ruff (I still think this is a must-read, even tho' Ruff freely admits he doesn't recognize certain heirarchies as authoritative.)
    9. The Christian West and Its Singers: The First Thousand Years - Christopher Page

    On your bookmarked websites:
    From the Vatican:
    MP 1903 Tra le sollecitudine
    Musicam Sacram
    Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
    General Instruction on the Roman Missal (2010 ed.)
    Inestimabile Donum

    Reference:
    Roman Missal (OF) 2010
    Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite -Peter Elliott








    Thanked by 4CHGiffen theloniouslopez Earl_Grey Jenny
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Another great reference book is Peter Elliott's Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year

    A book I'd put under Melo's Philosophy category is Dom Saulnier's Gregorian Chant : A Guide to the History and Liturgy (Trans. Dr Mary Berry, published by Paraclete Press)

    There are also many wonderful articles in Sacred Music which can be viewed here: http://musicasacra.com/sacred-music/
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Earl_Grey theloniouslopez
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Susan Benofy's series of five articles, "Buried Treasure", on the Adoremus site, is a guided tour of the 20th-century music documents.
    Thanked by 3Earl_Grey theloniouslopez Jenny
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