“Sacred Vs. Secular Music” • Fr. John C. Selner

EOPLE OFTEN ASK about the difference between SACRED and SECULAR music. Fr. John C. Selner, known for his work with the Society of Saint Gregory before the Second Vatican Council, attempted to provide an answer in this 1965 essay:

    * *  PDF Download • “Singing The New Songs” (1965)

This paragraph was particularly thought-provoking:

His writing style reminds me of Msgr. Francis P. Schmitt, who ran a “rival” publication—Caecilia Magazine. The “rivalry” ended when both organizations came together in 1965, forming the Church Music Association of America, and this essay appeared in the inaugural CMAA Journal.