The Best Book on Theological Foundation of Sacred Music
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    I just received an interesting call from someone looking for a book that explains sacred music from a theological point of view -- one that gives a solid foundation and avoids polemics about the current troubles. That seems easy enough. But as I thought about it, nothing actually came to mind. He, on his own, then suggested Ratzinger's Sing to the Lord. I immediately agreed that this is the best book along those lines. But then neither of us could think of anything else. Everything else I can think of is historical, legislative, or pedagogical. Can anyone think of anything else?

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  • This is an old post of Jeff T's that struck me. Anyone care to update it?
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy.
  • rollingrj
    Posts: 345
    There is also Romando Guardini's book of the same title, the inspiration behind Ratzinger's. While written in the early 20th. century, I find it to be as relevant now as then.
  • So far, the same answers, which is interesting...I just cracked open Spirit yesterday, and made a note about Guardini's.
  • I would also suggest Mannion' s Masterworks of God which I just picked up for the first time this summer. These are short essays on various liturgical topics, but there are a few fantastic essays on sacred music, particularly his "Musification of the Word" which is a breathtaking synthesis of Ratzinger's theology of sacred music. This short essay is a treasure.