Music in the Liturgy—Diocesan Seminar

Bishop Leo O’Reilly will host a music seminar for all the priests and choir leaders in the diocese in the Pastoral Centre Chapel on Wednesday October 24th at 7.30pm. The seminar will focus on the important role of music in the liturgy, to encourage best practice and to promote active participation by all the faithful.

Paul Flynn, a composer of liturgical music living in Cavan, will provide the input on the night. As October marks the fiftieth anniversary of the start of Vatican II he will examine some of the council’s teaching on Sacred Music and with the musical accompaniment of Eileen Tackney he will take the participants through some simple pieces that could be incorporated into the repertoire of choirs. He will also focus on the parts that should be sung but are often overlooked such as the Allelluia, the Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen.

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, that emerged from Vatican II stated that “The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted … but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs” (114)