"What Makes Music Sacred?" William Mahrt

A lecture by William Mahrt (Stanford University) given on October 18, 2012, at the University of Chicago. While it is easy to recognize traditional forms of sacred music, Gregorian chant, classical polyphony, organ music, choral music, and vernacular hymns, it is difficult to pinpoint what it is that makes music sacred. This lecture reflects upon the relation of the sacred and the beautiful in the liturgy, and considers what is meant by sacred, as distinguished from holy and place those things considered sacred in the context of their reception and intrinsic suitability.