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'I will sing the wondrous story' 1

The significance of sacred song


We sing because singing is an important, time-honoured element of ritual celebration.
From its earliest beginnings, the church has celebrated its faith in song 2, for, 'like word, gesture and action, singing is one of the basic, elementary forms of ritual expression' (Costa 1991 in Funk 1991 pp.68-69). Rooted in primitive practice, hymns and psalms remain today 'distinctive features of Christian life' (Jones & Jones 1983 pvii), having been developed over time to serve a myriad of different cultures and theological persuasions.

No longer mere 'idle spectators' 3, the whole assembly is called to become 'The Performing Audience' 4.
Contrary to the current (Western) cultural trend that dictates 'we listen silently while others perform' (Funk, 1991 p108); liturgy, of which music is an integral part, demands the assembly's participation in congregational song. As liturgy is the work of the people 5, congregational song - the music of the people - is the most important element of liturgical music 6. Theological shifts have reshaped liturgy, allowing the assembly to embrace its original calling as 'a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God' (1 Peter 2:9). Congregational song is the vehicle through which the assembly's individual encounters with Christ may be gathered up into a communal offering to God. Through singing together we truly become the body of Christ on earth.

    'The ecclesia is made manifest when, assembled at the sacrificial banquet, all actively participate in a communal experience, a personal experience, of Jesus as Redeemer and Lord. Liturgy is the source and summit of the activities of the church, its celebration a pastoral experience of the priesthood of all believers. Singing creates the experience, for song is celebration. Singing serves the assembly, enabling communitas, uniting minds and hearts' (Winter 1984 p.231).
Sacred music is liturgy, and is therefore sacramental 7.
This rather fundamental theological concept is virtually untouched in theological colleges, and is rarely articulated at parish level. Whether or not it is recognised as such, however, 'Christian ritual song joins the assembly with Christ, who is the source and the content of the song. The song of the assembly is an event of the presence of Christ' (Sacrosanctum Concilium 1963 article 16 in Joncas 1997 p48). It is Christ's presence within the assembly that allows the possibility of transformation through congregational song.

The transformational power of sacred song
'Song is important, not for itself, but for what it can accomplish. It is a tool of transformation, capable of effecting a conversion of the heart' (Winter 1984 p231). Although such transformation is possible, it is by no means automatic, requiring the submission of will on the part of the worshipper: '…chanted liturgical texts may cause a transformation in holiness in the worshipper who allows [my emphasis] these texts to be more that purely informational' (Joncas 1997 p34) In the case of hymns and worship songs (as opposed to liturgical texts) the quality of the text can have considerable bearing on its effectiveness. Nick Page, who has explored this particular dimension of sacred song in detail 8, writes,

    ' The truth is that, done right, hymns and worship songs touch people's hearts…Make the words right and they will write themselves on people's hearts. Make the words right and they will form part of people's lives. Make the words right and they will open people's eyes to the reality of God. Make the words right and, as they sing them, God will come home to people's hearts.' (Page 2004 p.112)
The catechistic nature of sacred song
Page's exhortations must be taken all the more seriously when considering that, for better or for worse 9, people will remember what they sing 10. Moreover, they will learn from and be shaped by what they sing. Indeed, 'people learn more theology from what they sing than from what they hear preached' (Bell 1996 in Maries et. al. 1996 p46). The potent combination of music and poetry makes hymns easily memorable, providing, 'a medium for God's Word, and a way in which our hearts and minds may become open to that Word' (Jones & Jones 1983 pvii). With hearts and minds duly open, understanding of the texts grows and deepens with repetition, so that songs learned in childhood can help young people 'to know, appreciate and memorize the truths of faith (Musica Sacrae Disciplina 1955 article 37 in Hayburn 1979 p350).

Why sing?
We sing because singing is an important, time-honoured element of ritual celebration. No longer mere idle spectators, the assembly is called to become the performing audience. Music is liturgy and therefore sacramental, capable of instructing the mind and transforming the human spirit. Marie-Therese Winter helpfully distils all these ideas into one sentence - 'Song is an act of consecration' (Winter 1984 p230). It really is that simple - singing makes us holy.


End list references

  1. Bell, J. L. (1996) As Fire Exists By Burning, in Maries, A. et. al. (1996) Music in the Mission of the Church. Mildenhall: Decani
  2. Costa, E. (1991) Music at the Crossroads in Funk, V. (ed.) (1991) Sung Liturgy Toward 2000 A.D.. Washington D.C.: Pastoral Press
  3. Dix, G. (1945) The Shape of the Liturgy, 2nd ed., London: A&C Black
  4. Funk, V. (1991) The Future of Church Music in Funk. V. (ed.) (1991) Sung Liturgy Toward 2000 A.D.. Washington D.C.: Pastoral Press
  5. Hayburn, R.F. (1979) Papal Legislation on Sacred Music from 95A.D. to 1977A.D.. Collegeville: Liturgical Press
  6. Joncas, J.M. (1997) From Sacred Song to Ritual Music. Collegeville: Liturgical Press
  7. Jones, R.G & Jones, I.H. (1983) Preface in Hymns and Psalms (1983) London: Methodist House Publishing
  8. Winter, M.T. (1984) Why Sing? Towards a Theology of Catholic Church Music. Portland, Oregon: Pastoral Press




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  1. Rawley, F.H. (d.1952) I will sing the wondrous story in Fudge, R., Horrobin, P. & Leavers, G. (compilers) (1983) Mission Praise. London: Marshall Pickering, no.101, p152 Back to text
  2. Acts 16.25; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13; Philippians 2:6-11 (hymn fragment). Back to text
  3. Pope Pius XII noted that, '…hymns can be a powerful aid in keeping the faithful from attending the Holy Sacrifice like dumb and idle spectators' (Musicae Sacrae Disciplina 1955 article 64 in Hayburn 1979 p353). Back to text
  4. 'The Performing Audience' is the phrase used by Bernard Huijbers to describe the musical role of the Roman Catholic assembly post-Vatican II. See - Huijbers, B. (1974) The Performing Audience - Six and a Half Essay on Music and Song in Liturgy. Phoenix, Arizona: North American Liturgy Resources Back to text
  5. Liturgy is the work of the people. It is what the people do; the corporate act of worship (as opposed to individual devotions) - expressing worship to God. In his book, The Shape of the Liturgy, Gregory Dix defines liturgy as: 'the act of taking part in the solemn corporate worship of God by the 'priestly society' of Christians who are the 'body of Christ', the Church' (Dix 1945 p1). Back to text
  6. 'Music is the cement that welds people together. It means that the most important music in church is that which the congregation is expected to sing…what the people, the community can do together'. (Bell in Maries et. al. p36) Back to text
  7. 'Music is a gift from God, a vehicle of the sacra it is supposed to reveal to us. So described, it is a sacramental, and as such, is liturgy. In this sense, which fully reflects the spirit of Vatican II, musica sacra is musica liturgica. As liturgy, as sacramental, musica sacra has the capacity to gain "access to the stream of divine grace which flows from the paschal mystery," thereby sanctifying the events of daily life and effectively praising God (Sacrosanctum Concilium 61)' (Winter 1984 p204). Back to text
  8. Page, N. (2004) And Now Let's Move Into a Time of Nonsense - Why Worship Songs Are Failing the Church. Milton Keynes: Authentic Media Back to text
  9. D.H. Lawrence wrote:'…all those lovely poems woven deep into a man's consciousness are still not woven so deep in me as the rather banal Nonconformist hymns that penetrated through and through my childhood.'(Lawrence 1956 p6) Back to text
  10. 'This is one of the key facts we have to grasp: people will remember what they sing. Hymns and worship songs have a way of sticking in the memory when far grander verses fade away'. (Page 2004 p111-112) Back to text
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