Masters in Liturgy/Sacred Music: Recommendations?
  • BrLeo
    Posts: 6
    Hello all,

    I am a musician-in-training at a Benedictine monastery. Been learning the organ for about 15 months, and will likely become choirmaster at some point. I am looking at the possibility of pursuing a masters program in either Liturgy or Sacred Music, somewhere where I could gain competency in both fields. Have looked at places like Univ. St. Mary on the Lake, Univ. St. Thomas Houston, Catholic Univ. of America, St. Meinrad, St. John (Collegeville).

    Most music masters programs require a B.A. in music, which I don't have (I majored in English Lit.), so Liturgy is probably more feasible. I have an intermediate-advanced knowledge of theory/harmonization from several years of playing piano and singing with others, and have been learning the organ for the past 15 months; I have no formal education in music outside of that.

    I look forward reading your input -- Thank you very much!

  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,296
    Univ. of St. Mary of the Lake is the best place to study liturgy. You’ll probably have to seek private/alternate arrangements for music study, perhaps at Northwestern.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Brother Leo,

    Degrees in music are less likely to bring upon you heaps of scorn.
    The public worship of the Church can be studied, and should be better and more widely known than it is, so please construe my hesitation as a reluctance to endorse what most liturgy programs will teach you.

    I don't know the programs at any of these institutions, and I do know that while the theology department at Notre Dame (in South Bend) is wacky, other departments are not so, so the general reputation of an institution isn't necessarily a guide.
  • Patricia Cecilia
    Posts: 397
    Brother Leo,
    Before ruling out a master's in sacred music, I would suggest that you check with the institutions you are considering to see if certain competencies in music could substitute for the bachelor's degree (after all, an undergraduate BA in music is only approximately 1/3 hours in music requirements in most places, with general distribution requirements and electives [music and non-music] taking up the remaining credit hours; it's not the same as the BM which is a performance degree). You might be able to either satisfy the competencies in music enough to begin graduate study right away. Or you might be able to transfer your credits from your BA in English lit toward a BA in music, or toward satisfying the entrance-to-graduate-study competencies without the actual BA in music.

    On the other hand, if gaining competency in both music and liturgy is your goal, perhaps you do not need a master's degree, but directed study with someone(s) in sacred music.

    I am not familiar with the programs at the institutions you mention; my master's in music (sacred music and vocal performance) was earned many years ago at Duquesne University and their sacred music department has been quite active with CMAA, so perhaps you could check into their program.
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