The Recovering Choir Director

Rich Leonardi alerts us to the USCCB’s printed edition of Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship. While the document was originally issued on November 14 of last year, and a PDF version is available from the website of the conference’s Committee on Divine Worship, their edition may be had for $9.95.

Rich reminds us:

It’s worth remembering that (1) this document was not sent to Rome for recognitio — meaning it has no authority whatsoever over the liturgy — and (2) the Apostolic See, i.e., the Pope, is the regulator of the liturgy.

Therefore, it may be better to print out and read the liturgical documents that have authority over the music of the liturgy:

• Sacrosanctum Concilium - especially Chapter 6, which is dedicated to the topic of sacred music
• Musicam Sacram
• General Instruction of the Roman Missal - especially those parts that pertain to music

Liturgical musicians would do well to get familiar with the songbooks officially sanctioned by the Roman Rite:

• Graduale Romanum
• Graduale Simplex

And the faithful, after almost a generation, really ought to be taught the minimum repertoire of sacred music that Rome asks of them:

• Jubilate Deo
• Voluntati obsequens