Joseph Ratzinger, who led the Catholic Church as Pope Benedict XVI from 2005 to 2013, is a well-respected and published theologian. Much of his writing centers on the liturgy, and he has addressed the topic of music several times. His theological understanding of liturgical music and its application to the pipe organ together with its repertoire is the focus of this dissertation. The first two chapters deal with Ratzinger’s theological writings on the liturgy and sacred music as well as their significance for the pipe organ. Several themes emerge in his writings. These reveal Ratzinger’s understanding of the liturgy and are identified as characteristics of true liturgical music. Though he rarely speaks directly about the organ, these characteristics, namely, cosmos, logos, mystery, and history can be connected with both the instrument and its repertoire. In chapters three through five, select pieces from the masterworks of the Catholic organ tradition, Frescobaldi’s Fiori Musicali, Tournemire’s L’Orgue Mystique, and Langlais’ Livre Oecumenique, are analyzed and interpreted in light of Ratzinger’s theology. The organ has also been used as an accompanimental instrument and for improvisation in the liturgy. This is considered in chapters six and seven. In chapter eight, attention is given to the pipe organ itself, and the instrument is found to be a symbol of the same theological concepts Ratzinger associates with the liturgy. The last chapter provides a summary and indicates the implications of Ratzinger’s theology for the liturgical role of the pipe organ today. This comprehensive examination of Ratzinger’s theology of liturgical music and the pipe organ with its liturgical repertoire, which includes written compositions, accompaniment, and improvisation, reveals the relationship between them. The organ itself embodies Ratzinger’s themes of cosmos, logos, mystery, and history and is therefore the ideal liturgical instrument, indeed, the king of musical instruments. Through analysis, certain musical characteristics are discovered that can be said to exemplify elements of liturgical theology. Ultimately, Ratzinger’s liturgical theology assigns value to the historic role of the organ in the liturgy and illuminates the worth and relevance of the Church’s treasury of sacred organ music.

Melodram für Sprecher und Orgel, Musik: Matthias Drude (2005), Text: Dietrich Mendt; Informationen zum Komponisten: www.drude.info

Melodram für Sprecher und Orgel; Musik: Matthias Drude (2005); Text: Dietrich Mendt

This paper examines and provides the best model, degrees of preparation, and various steps the Diocese of Manchester can provide and encourage in order to resuscitate parish sacred music programs. In Chapter One, I provide the contextual framework needed in which to fully understand sacred music by first defining liturgy. I also examine the ancient/modern axiom of Lex orandi-Lex credendi-Lex vivendi by discussing the ways which worship shapes our beliefs and, in turn, how we live our lives. Since worship involves codified words, I discuss how the church safeguards her ritual texts and how the process of translations occurs from Latin into various vernacular languages, taking a moment to examine a few texts and compare translations. Because liturgy requires assembly participation, I conclude the chapter by detailing what active participation means and what it does not. Dedicated to sacred music, Chapter Two begins by defining sacred music and its associative qualities. I then move to discuss the attributes and polarity of Apollonian and Dionysian music. Next, I pivot to examine how sacred music serves as an important tool for evangelization. The chapter is concluded by rethinking the musician’s role as vocation versus employment and dissecting the role and function of the position Director of Music. Acknowledging the Church has a particular culture associated with it, Chapter Three traces the affect popular culture has on society and the widespread cultural deficit of attention to beauty. I trace the concept and components of the “culture of mediocrity” gripping the church and how best to reverse the trend. I then speak of the importance of richness found within liturgical texts and how human beings respond to beauty itself. Finally, I propose that parishes must establish a clear cultus Dei within their community in order to undertake authentic evangelization by providing an alternative to secular culture. Highlighting the reality that the path to resuscitate parish music programs, such as attaining both musically and liturgically competent musicians, is a complex situation involving multiple layers, Chapter Four begins with outlining various Diocesan responsibilities beginning with the Bishop, the Cathedral, Diocesan Office for Worship and Liturgical Commission, Diocesan Director of Music and the necessity for the Diocesan Office for Worship to collaborate with the Catholic Schools Office to cultivate a new generation of church musicians. The chapter ends with discussing the importance of continuing education and surveying both national and local structures, programs and initiatives for ministerial formation. Although our present time is complex and full of various seemingly insurmountable challenges, Chapter Five speaks of the unending hope for continued restoration within the liturgical and sacred music apostolate. Recapping some of the major themes found in the paper, I remind the reader that the journey towards total parish renewal is possibly for everyone and not just for a select few. The paper culminates in Chapter Six where I offer a strategic plan that supplies a model for the resuscitation of church music programs in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire. The paper concludes with several appendixes. Appendix A details various chant resources, Appendix B lists various choral resources applicable for smaller and medium-sized choirs, a comparison/contrast of the 1970 and 2010 English translations of the Latin text of the Exsultet are in Appendix C, and Appendix D offers a model course focused on the history of sacred music and of liturgical theology. / 2026-09-30

This doctoral thesis investigates the dynamics of reform of liturgical sacred music - the so-called "Cecilian" period - which affected the European Catholic world from the end of the 19th century, and In Trentino it was characterized by an intense and peculiar dialogue between Germany - place of origin of the main inspirers of the reform - and Italy. The research was based on several aspects. The assumption on which this thesis is based is the knowledge of the diocesan music collections kept at the Vigilianum Diocesan Library, of which the candidate personally oversaw the cataloging. These are four musical collections that in total they cover a time span of almost two centuries (from the end of the 18th century to the mid-twentieth century) and testify to the nature and consistency of musical training in the ecclesiastical circles of Trentino, but also the dynamics and results of the Cecilian reform. Initially it was necessary to carry out a census of the sources - never dealt with before - which brought to light, on the one hand, the documents kept in the archives and libraries of Trentino concerning the activity of the Cecilian Society of Trentino, of the Musical Chapel of the Trento Cathedral, of the Local Cecilian societies and other institutions involved. On the other hand the correspondence relating to exchanges with the Trentino and Italian environment preserved in the Bischöfliches Zentralarchiv und Bischöfliche Zentralbibliothek Regensburg. Fundamental to the historical reconstruction of this reform was, moreover, the systematic analysis of the main newspapers of the time in the period in question, i.e. from 1889 to 1920, which made it possible to create a conspicuous archive of musical chronicles, of news of reception of the reform and performance of various kinds of music in Trentino. Finally, to complete this musicological thesis, some of the many passages of the sacred and liturgical popular tradition in use at the time were collected and transcribed. Part of this rich documentation has been collected in the second volume (documentary appendix) and in the third volume (musical appendix) that complete the dissertation. The actual treatment (volume I) approaches the research subject with a multidisciplinary look: the Cecilian reform itself, in fact, did not limit itself to reforming liturgical chant, sacred music and organ building, but in fact intertwined with the history of institutions, with school, theater and popular singing. The setting of the thesis takes into account the supranational dimension of the reform (introduction) with which the small local societies had to confront, and then deepen, with a reading from the particular to the general, the history of the Trentino Cecilian Society, one of the longest-lived Cecilian associations (chapter I), the specific areas of activity of the reformers from Trentino, namely Christian liturgical chant, polyphony and sacred music and organ building (chapter II). Chapter III explores some collateral areas with which the reform interacted and investigates more deeply the relationship with the German environment from an institutional, ideological point of view and about the spread of the repertoire. Finally, the closing epilogue outlines the subsequent outcomes of the reform in the first half of the twentieth century, which remains, however, a partially unexplored era, with possible traces for new research. / La presente tesi dottorale indaga le dinamiche di riforma della musica sacra liturgica – il cosiddetto periodo “ceciliano” – che interessò il mondo cattolico europeo a partire dalla fine del XIX secolo, e che in Trentino fu caratterizzato da un intenso e peculiare dialogo con la Germania – luogo di origine dei principali ispiratori della riforma – e con l’Italia. La ricerca che ha condotto alla stesura di questa dissertazione è stata varia e articolata su più fronti. Il presupposto su cui questa tesi si basa è la conoscenza delle collezioni musicali diocesane conservate presso la Biblioteca Diocesana Vigilianum, di cui la candidata ha curato personalmente il riordino e la catalogazione, tra il 2016 e il 2019: si tratta di quattro fondi musicali che complessivamente coprono un arco temporale di quasi due secoli (dalla fine del Settecento alla metà del Novecento) e che testimoniano la natura e la consistenza della formazione musicale negli ambienti ecclesiastici trentini, ma anche le dinamiche e gli esiti della riforma ceciliana. Inizialmente è stato necessario svolgere un censimento delle fonti – mai affrontato prima – che ha portato alla luce, da un lato i documenti conservati negli archivi e nelle biblioteche trentine inerenti l’attività della Società Ceciliana Trentina, della Cappella Musicale della Cattedrale di Trento, delle Società Ceciliane territoriali e di altre istituzioni coinvolte; dall’altro i carteggi relativi alle relazioni e agli scambi con l’ambiente trentino e italiano conservati nella Bischöfliches Zentralarchiv und Bischöfliche Zentralbibliothek Regensburg. Fondamentale ai fini della ricostruzione storica di questa riforma è stato, inoltre, lo spoglio sistematico dei principali giornali dell’epoca nel periodo interessato, ovvero dal 1889 al 1920, che ha consentito di creare un cospicuo archivio di cronache musicali, di notizie di recezione della riforma e di esecuzione di musica di vario genere nelle valli trentine. Infine, a completamento di questa tesi musicologica, si è raccolto e trascritto alcuni dei moltissimi brani della tradizione popolare sacra e liturgica in uso all’epoca. Parte di questa ricca documentazione è stata raccolta nel secondo volume (appendice documentaria) e nel terzo volume (appendice musicale) che corredano la dissertazione. La trattazione vera e propria (I volume) approccia la materia di ricerca con uno sguardo multidisciplinare: la riforma ceciliana stessa, infatti, non si limitò a riformare canto liturgico, musica sacra e organaria ma di fatto si intrecciò con la storia delle istituzioni, con la scuola, il teatro e il canto popolare. L’impostazione della tesi tiene conto della dimensione sovranazionale propria della riforma (introduzione) con cui le piccole Società locali dovettero confrontarsi, per poi approfondire, con una lettura dal particolare al generale, la storia della Società Ceciliana Trentina, una delle più longeve associazioni ceciliane (capitolo I), gli ambiti specifici di attività dei riformatori trentini, ovvero canto liturgico cristiano, polifonia e musica sacra e organaria (capitolo II). Nel capitolo III vengono approfonditi alcuni ambiti collaterali con cui la riforma interagì e indagato più a fondo il rapporto con l’ambiente tedesco dal punto di vista istituzionale, ideologico e circa la diffusione del repertorio. Infine nell’epilogo di chiusura si tratteggiano gli esiti successivi della riforma nella prima metà del XX secolo, che rimane, tuttavia, un’epoca in parte inesplorata, con possibili tracce per nuove ricerche.

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This dissertation seeks to examine the historical context of Franz Lizt’s oratorio Christus and explore its obscurity. Chapter 1 makes note of the much greater familiarity of other choral works of the Romantic period, and observes critics’ and scholars’ recognition (or lack thereof) of Liszt’s religiosity. Chapter 2 discusses Liszt’s father Adam, his religious and musical experiences, and his influence on the young Franz. Chapter 3 explores Liszt’s early adulthood in Paris, particularly with respect to his intellectual growth. Special attention is given to François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand and the Abbé Félicité de Lamennais, and the latter’s papal condemnation. After Chapter 4 briefly chronicles Liszt’s artistic achievements in Weimar and its ramifications for the rest of his work, Chapter 5 examines theological trends in the nineteenth century, as exemplified by David Friedrich Strauss, and the Catholic Church’s rejection of such novelties. The writings of Charles Rosen aid in decribing the possible musical ramifications of modern theology. Chapter 6 takes stock of the movements for renewal in Catholic music, especially the work of Prosper Gueranger and his fellow Benedictine monks of Solesmes, France, and of the Society of Saint Cecilia in Germany. Liszt’s interest in these movements, and in the style then in use in the Sistine Chapel, also receive comment. Chapter 7 analyzes Christus itself, and explains it as a synthesis of the styles then in use by Catholic composers of the era. Chapter 8 concludes with musings on the state of Catholic music, suggestions on how that field could be improved, and Christus’s future. / Music Composition / Accompanied by one .pdf score: Denarius: Two movements for Orchestra.

This dissertation is an ethnography of an African American sacred music tradition – the trombone worship bands of the United House of Prayer for All People (UHOP) – that examines the ways in which musical aesthetics mediate racial and economic marginality and religious authority. Musical worship featuring these “shout bands,” involves UHOP members in an embodied performance of religious discourse, including actualizing the boundaries of sanctified interiority, confirming the charismatic authority of the organization’s sacralized leader, and constituting the independence and sovereignty of the UHOP Kingdom. The project is animated by a central question: given continuities in repertoire, performance practice, and theology between UHOP shout bands and other Black gospel practices, why is musical worship at the UHOP organized around the trombone rather than the human voice? The dissertation answers this question dialectically by showing how shout band music-making offers solutions to the ethical and theological issues members face, while UHOP theological discourse capitalizes on the sensory affordances of musical practice. The opening chapter introduces the role of the shout band in the context of UHOP worship services, framing musical practice as the enactment of sacred divisions of space and subjectivity. This chapter also depicts the feedback loop between worship practice and scriptural interpretation by introducing UHOP-specific idioms of Biblical literalism and re-enactment. Chapter two dilates on the connections between musical microsocialities and forms of authority through an analysis of the “figure of call-and-response” as a medium for the bishop’s charismatic authority. In the final chapter, I survey a variety of UHOP state-mimetic forms – that is, forms appropriated from the symbolic repertoire of the United States government – as points of entry into the ways that members actualize a shared notion of “freedom.”