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Sacred music glorifies
God, nourishes truth, beauty
By Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop Chaput delivered these welcoming remarks on Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, at a concert celebrating Dr. Horst Buchholz's 25 years of service to sacred music. His comments are adapted for publication here.
In writing about Christian worship, C.S. Lewis once said that Christ's words to Peter were "feed my sheep — not, try new experiments on my rats; or even, teach my performing dogs new tricks." He was being humorous, of course, but he was making a serious point.
Christian culture is organic. It's a living thing. In every generation, our faith interacts with new human experiences, so our culture changes and grows. But we can't treat our worship like a tool. We can't reprogram it like a computer or tinker with it like a car engine without wounding it. When we rewire our worship to fit this or that social agenda, it's no longer worship but a form of politics.
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At its best, Catholic culture should be an expression of beauty. It should grow like a living shoot out of the truth of God's revelation in Jesus Christ. And that means sacred music, like sacred art, has two purposes. The first is to give glory to God. The second is to feed us with truth and beauty, and in doing that, to turn us toward goodness. Music is powerful. Anyone who listens to great revolutionary anthems like the "Marseillaise" or the "International" quickly understands that. Music can turn us toward goodness, or it can lead us in very different directions. Which is why Shakespeare wrote in "The Merchant of Venice" that:
We should remember that. "Mark the music," because it reveals the soul of persons and cultures, just as surely as art, literature and architecture. Music is a window on who we are and what we believe. And because of its power, music not only reveals and expresses the soul; it also inspires and forms it. Now, all this may seem obvious. Unfortunately, finding gifted composers and musicians who combine great talent with a great understanding and love for the Church can be very difficult. So if I had to list the most important things we've accomplished in my four years as archbishop, it would be tough to choose. But convincing Dr. Horst Buchholz and his wife Dr. Cecilia Nam to serve the Church in northern Colorado with their musical talents would certainly be on the list. The concert today resumes our Cathedral Concert Series in a really spectacular way with Anton Bruckner's "Great Mass in F Minor." But it does more than that. It celebrates the fruitfulness of a 25-year vocation in sacred music that began when Dr. Buchholz was a high school student in his native Germany and continues today in Colorado. Dr. Buchholz has served as organist at Berlin's prestigious St. John Basilica. He holds degrees in Church music and conducting from Germany and the United States. He's worked with most of the major music institutions in the Denver area, including Opera Colorado, the Colorado Symphony, Central City Opera, the Boulder Philharmonic and the Denver Young Artist Orchestra. He now serves as director of music for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and music professor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Those who worship regularly at the cathedral know that Horst has done a simply wonderful job of renewing the music program there — and that renewal helps give life to the whole liturgical environment of the archdiocese. And on top of this, he still manages to maintain a professional career as a conductor. I'm very, very grateful for his service in Denver. I hope he'll inspire other young talent to follow in his footsteps. And I'd ask you this week to join me in congratulating him on an extraordinary 25-year witness of music in the service of faith.
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