Music as a Form of Expression in Catholic Christianity (AQA GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note

Use and value of music in Catholic worship

• Music is an important part of Catholic worship because it:

  • Unites people in praising God

  • Can be inspiring and help people in their worship

  • Helps people feel more involved in worship

  • Can make worship feel more joyful and uplifting

  • Can affect people’s emotions and make them feel more solemn

  • Increases the beauty of worship

• In the 1960s, the Second Vatican Council called music “a treasure of inestimable value” and said that it was the highest form of art to praise God

Different styles of music in the Catholic liturgy

• Liturgy means the practices and rituals that happen during Catholic worship

  • Several styles of music are used within the Catholic liturgy to express belief in God and to involve people more in the worship

• Psalms are hymns and poetry from the book of Psalms in the Old Testament

  • They praise and honour God

  • They are used every day in the Catholic liturgy as part of the Divine Office, a collection of prayers and readings that every priest, monk and nun must recite several times each day

  • They are used during Mass (between the first and second readings)

  • They are often set to music

  • They form the words of many popular hymns, such as ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’

• Plainchant is chanting that is not accompanied by music

  • It is an ancient form of music, sometimes called Gregorian chant after Pope Gregory

  • It is used by monks in monasteries to sing the Divine Office in Latin

  • Many people consider plainchant calming and soothing 

• Traditional hymns are a range of hymns that express important beliefs about God

  • Examples include Christmas carols, such as ‘Once in Royal David’s City’

  • They are sung by everyone at Mass, helping the whole congregation to feel involved in worship

  • Some are very old and have been used by generations of believers (they have stood the test of time)

  • In church, they are often accompanied by an organ 

• Contemporary worship songs are more modern songs that have been introduced to churches to help more people get involved in worship

  • They have been introduced since the 1960s, when the Second Vatican Council permitted people to have Mass in their own language (rather than Latin)

  • They are sung by everyone at Mass, helping the whole congregation to feel involved in worship

  • They are often accompanied by modern instruments, such as guitars, bass and drums

  • They are often more upbeat than traditional hymns 

  • Their modern style may appeal to more people, and their lyrics are often easier to understand in the modern world

Mass settings and Eucharistic Acclamations

• There are parts of the Catholic Mass that should be sung rather than said, and these parts are referred to as Mass settings

  • These include the ‘Gloria’, the ‘Alleluia’, the ‘Sanctus’ and the Eucharistic Acclamations

Gloria

• ‘Gloria’ is a hymn praising God’s glory and is used near the start of the Mass

• It begins “Glory to God in the highest heaven” (Luke 2:14) and is based on the hymn of the angels at the news of Jesus’s birth

• It is not used during solemn times of the Church year, such as Lent

Alleluia

• “Alleluia” is Hebrew for “praise God”, and the ‘Alleluia’ hymn praises God

• The ‘Alleluia’ is used during Mass just before the Gospel reading to greet the important words of Jesus that will follow

• It is also sung three times during the Easter Vigil to celebrate the good news of Jesus’s resurrection

• Like the ‘Gloria’, the ‘Alleluia’ is not used during Lent

Sanctus

• “Sanctus” is Latin for “holy”

• The ‘Sanctus’ is a hymn praising God’s holiness, and the word is repeated three times, just as the angels in the Temple did in Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 6:1–3)

• The ‘Sanctus’ is sung just before the Eucharistic prayer in the Mass

• It is not used during Lent

Eucharistic Acclamations

• The Eucharistic prayer is the part of the Mass when the priest gives thanks to God and blesses the bread and wine so that it becomes the body and blood of Jesus

• During the Eucharistic prayer, there are several acclamations, or responses

  • The Mystery of Faith is sung after the moment when the bread and wine have been consecrated to respond to the significance of Christ’s saving presence

  • The Doxology is the prayer response at the very end of the Eucharistic prayer, “Through him, with him, and in him”

  • The ‘Agnus Dei’ is the ‘Lamb of God’ prayer, said just before receiving Holy Communion

• Several styles of music are used for these Mass settings

  • Some are complex and sung only by a choir to reflect God’s glory and greatness

  • Some are simpler and are designed for everyone to join in so that everyone can be more involved in worship

  • Some are more modern to appeal to younger generations

  • Some are upbeat to praise God

  • Some are more solemn and reflective to give people a chance to think about the meaning of the words used and to feel peaceful