Our good friends at Os Justi Press (one of our absolute favorite Catholic publishers, btw), have printed a wonderful new book that readers should know about. It is entitled The Great Sacred Music Reform of Pope St. Pius X by Dr. Patrick John Brill. The book explains well the genesis, interpretation, and implementation of the motu proprio of Pius X. It would make a handy mandatory textbook for seminarians.
The motu proprio was the capstone of several decades of activity and study related to the subject of church music. The growing movement flourished chiefly in France and Germany with their primary objective the reform of sacred music. The chief thrust of the new papal document was to demand a holiness and artistic quality for all music used in the context of the liturgy. The style put forward as the best example, was Gregorian Chant.
The author, Dr. Brill, is a gifted composer and musicologist. He graduated from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. (where the great Monsignor R.J. Schuler taught music and theology for fifteen years in the decades before). As a teacher of music history, Dr. Brill is in a perfect position to comment on this important subject, discerned from his unique height and depth.
Dr. Brill's wisdom is a breath of fresh air. He is well versed in what is of the mind of the Church and the classical aesthetic principles of Western music, the same principles that have guided composers and church musicians through the ages. He is a clear and steady voice for the restoration of sacred music in the liturgy with all its many implications.
He writes:
"Any renaissance of Western classical music should include a restoration of Catholic sacred music, since it is the latter that gave birth to the former in the first place. Thus, those who are interested in preserving and fostering Western classical music will find much in this project that will be of value to their objectives."
Dr. Brill helps readers understand the motu proprio as a guiding light for our times. It was originally produced for all Catholics universally. Prior to this, similar instructions were limited to the Diocese of Rome and other dioceses under the local bishops and abbots.
Pius X's actions inaugurated a movement that would culminate in Vatican Council II, the first Council to extensively address the question of sacred music. Ironically, the Council so far has heralded the demise of sacred music. This was due, in part, to a false understanding of what was meant by Pius X when he addressed the question of actuosa participatio populi (the active internal participation of the faithful), an oft misunderstood subject, even among authorities on the subject who should know better.
A short and enjoyable read, the book is 142 pages. It can be read in a day or two. The author gives a detailed exposition of the thinking of Pius X on the reform he initiated at the start of his pontificate. He rightly identifies the importance of having a clear understanding of the principles -- crucial for the revival of the reform and the restoration of the best possible liturgical music.
The book is divided into two parts.
PART I: PRINCIPLES OF REFORM
CHAPTER 1: THE PRINCIPLES
CHAPTER 2: THE "INSTRUCTION ON SACRED MUSIC"
CHAPTER 3: CONTINUATION OF "THE INSTRUCTION OF SACRED MUSIC"
PART II: CANONICAL, HISTORICAL, AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS
CHAPTER 4: CANONICAL CONSIDERATIONS
CHAPTER 5: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REFORM
CHAPTER 6: A PLAN TO RESTORE TRUE CATHOLIC SACRED MUSIC
The highlights are many and include chapter 6 -- on the urgent need to restore correctly performed sacred music. The author identifies the need to remedy the current crisis, explaining that the task ahead will be difficult, but not impossible:
"Nevertheless, the best plan for restoring sacred music in the Church is to revive, as much as possible, the reform that Pope Pius X initiated in 1903, since this reform is like a great blueprint that contains all the important elements of a true and thorough restoration of Catholic liturgical music."
As a short study of the motu proprio, this book is a must read for clarity of understanding. We highly recommend this book for all Catholics. To purchase your copy, click HERE. To purchase bulk copies, please contact the publisher directly.
