O MATTER HOW MANY times one scoops water into a plastic cup from the ocean, one can never drain the ocean. I can’t help thinking about this analogy when it comes to describing what happens at the Sacred Music Symposium. Where would I even begin? It’s a sacred music conference too colossal to describe. For example: (a) We explain how to choose repertoire; (b) We explain how to produce beautiful booklets (“order of worship”); (c) We let them conduct the whole group and give them pointers; (d) We provide lengthy booklets which explore various musical ‘themes’ in a splendid way; (e) We give them recommendations on working with volunteer choirs; (f) The lectures are memorable (and it’s not unusual for participants to weep during them); (g) etc.
As Time Passes • Over the next few months, we hope to release many audio recordings from Sacred Music Symposium 2025. On the other hand, no microphone is capable of reproducing the gorgeous and luscious sounds these 50 singers produced. Here’s a brief clip I recorded on my iPhone:
It Stands Alone • There’s just no other conference resembling this one. For example, participants were allowed to conduct the full choir at various times. Below is a brief iPhone clip of a participant randomly chosen to conduct a fabulous 6-Voice Mass by Father Cristóbal de Morales (d. 1553):
More To Come • If I can find time, I hope to share some of the poignant messages we receive from participants. Indeed, those who attended this year are already sending us such messages! For instance, the following comes from a participant who earned a doctorate (“DMA”) in choral conducting:
As one might expect from someone with a terminal degree, I have attended over the years countless conventions, conferences, and colloquia dedicated to the traditional music of the Catholic Church; in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Utah, Switzerland, Rome, and so forth—but your symposium was transcendent and unsurpassable. I was pondering why this was so … and came up with two preeminent reasons. I hope you don’t mind my sharing them. First of all, many conferences are basically ‘glorified rehearsals’ wherein precious little instruction is given. The kingpin of one such conference justified that approach by saying: “We show you, here, the paradigm.” It seems like a decent strategy in theory. Nevertheless, in practice I can affirm it’s a poor one. But at your conference, you unremittingly provide tips and helpful suggestions.
At other gatherings, we sing for Masses which are usually empty; we are literally singing to ourselves. But at your symposium, the Masses were overflowing. At your conference, we were allowing the People of God to experience this beauty. And isn’t that important? If we truly believe in the power of authentic church music, why hide it? I’m sure it was a bit ‘risky’ to allow us to sing at your parish Mass on Sunday, but the results were splendid. (If only you could have heard the comments after Mass; the people were flabbergasted, thrilled, moved, and speechless.) This really sets your gathering apart. To use the proverbial phrase, you “put your money where your mouth is.” Again, I ask: if we truly believe this music to be appropriate, powerful, sacred, and moving … why hide it?
Final Thoughts • I could not agree more! We have always made a conscious decision to share the THESAURUS MUSICAE SACRAE (the Church’s “precious treasury of sacred music”) with as many Catholics as we can. For instance, the photograph below shows the final Mass we sang during Sacred Music Symposium 2025:
