Acoustics in Catholic churches
I'm writing an amazing paper with a friend about acoustics for my architecture class, and I'd like to insert my Introduction here. Although I might end up publishing my paper later, I think the background given is important as a Catholic...and very interesting, at least for me. :) The paper goes into detail about comparing the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles and the Meyerson Symphony Concert Hall in Dallas. We're still in the process of editing, so it's not perfect, but it will be when it's finished. It's exciting! Here it is:
Sacred music enables the soul to transcend, since it not only praises the Lord with the lips but also repeats the sacred writings throughout all religions in general. Early Christians continued the Jewish tradition in which music was a means to pray and worship God (Cirillo, Navarro et al. 2009). St. Paul provides an example as he writes in his letter to the Ephesians, “address... one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart” (Eph 5:19).
The Catholic Church has long acknowledged the beauty of music, and it has expressed this knowledge in recent constitutions. The Church considers sacred music as the “more holy in proportion as it [is] more closely connected with the liturgical action” (Sacrosanctum Concilium), or even goes as far to note that “the musical tradition… is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art” (CCC 1154). St. Augustine enlightens the worshiper that “he who sings prays twice” (CCC 1156). The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that function of song and music are fulfilled according to three principal criteria: (1) beauty expressive of prayer; (2) the unanimous participation of the assembly at the designated moments; and (3) the solemn character of the celebration (CCC 1157).
Although there is a strong emphasis on praise through songs, the church “is not a place designed for music” (Navarro et al. 2009) alone because its central point is the celebration of the Eucharist, and all other things—the congregation of the assembly, the beauty of Gregorian chanting, the proclamation of the Word of God, the sound of the organ, etc.—are meant to encompass it. Because the Eucharist unites the congregation to “the heavenly liturgy” (CCC 1326), sacred music becomes a highly esteemed and decorative aspect in which the Church desires to nourish. Specifically, article 120 of Sacrosanctum Concilium mentions the wonderful splendor added by the pipe organ to the Church’s ceremonies that “powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.”
The Second Vatican Council in the 1960s provided a dramatic change in sacred Catholic architecture because the liturgy changed from Latin to the vernacular. This encouraged: (1) “active participation of the community to choral singing” and (2) “the need for good speech intelligibility” (Cirillo). Both aspects are a requirement for “good acoustics” in contemporary Catholic churches.
Another point to consider in the importance of acoustic studies is the connection of the Church to other secular buildings. Because the Church “has long been the place ceded for music,” it influenced music halls that made their appearance as separate entities in the eighteenth century (Navarro et al. 2009). It was not until the 20th century that great autoria or concert halls began to emerge in society, in which acoustics was the primary element. Navarro et al. also explains that “between the Odeon and the Auditorium, the church occupied the most privileged position of all the different building models as a place where music was born and temporarily harboured.”
This study focuses on the acoustical aspects of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California and the Meyerson Symphony Concert Hall in Dallas, Texas in order to identify various acoustic building technologies used to allow the audience to hear certain sounds. A summary will be given in order to answer “what do we need to hear?” in these two buildings in order to understand the correlation and influence between each other. The choice for these two buildings were made because they both (1) serve a large audience of almost 3,000 seating; (2) are in an urban setting; and (3) are contemporary buildings and thus reflect on the needs of today’s society for acoustics.
Sacred music enables the soul to transcend, since it not only praises the Lord with the lips but also repeats the sacred writings throughout all religions in general. Early Christians continued the Jewish tradition in which music was a means to pray and worship God (Cirillo, Navarro et al. 2009). St. Paul provides an example as he writes in his letter to the Ephesians, “address... one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart” (Eph 5:19).
The Catholic Church has long acknowledged the beauty of music, and it has expressed this knowledge in recent constitutions. The Church considers sacred music as the “more holy in proportion as it [is] more closely connected with the liturgical action” (Sacrosanctum Concilium), or even goes as far to note that “the musical tradition… is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art” (CCC 1154). St. Augustine enlightens the worshiper that “he who sings prays twice” (CCC 1156). The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that function of song and music are fulfilled according to three principal criteria: (1) beauty expressive of prayer; (2) the unanimous participation of the assembly at the designated moments; and (3) the solemn character of the celebration (CCC 1157).
Although there is a strong emphasis on praise through songs, the church “is not a place designed for music” (Navarro et al. 2009) alone because its central point is the celebration of the Eucharist, and all other things—the congregation of the assembly, the beauty of Gregorian chanting, the proclamation of the Word of God, the sound of the organ, etc.—are meant to encompass it. Because the Eucharist unites the congregation to “the heavenly liturgy” (CCC 1326), sacred music becomes a highly esteemed and decorative aspect in which the Church desires to nourish. Specifically, article 120 of Sacrosanctum Concilium mentions the wonderful splendor added by the pipe organ to the Church’s ceremonies that “powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.”
The Second Vatican Council in the 1960s provided a dramatic change in sacred Catholic architecture because the liturgy changed from Latin to the vernacular. This encouraged: (1) “active participation of the community to choral singing” and (2) “the need for good speech intelligibility” (Cirillo). Both aspects are a requirement for “good acoustics” in contemporary Catholic churches.
Another point to consider in the importance of acoustic studies is the connection of the Church to other secular buildings. Because the Church “has long been the place ceded for music,” it influenced music halls that made their appearance as separate entities in the eighteenth century (Navarro et al. 2009). It was not until the 20th century that great autoria or concert halls began to emerge in society, in which acoustics was the primary element. Navarro et al. also explains that “between the Odeon and the Auditorium, the church occupied the most privileged position of all the different building models as a place where music was born and temporarily harboured.”
This study focuses on the acoustical aspects of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California and the Meyerson Symphony Concert Hall in Dallas, Texas in order to identify various acoustic building technologies used to allow the audience to hear certain sounds. A summary will be given in order to answer “what do we need to hear?” in these two buildings in order to understand the correlation and influence between each other. The choice for these two buildings were made because they both (1) serve a large audience of almost 3,000 seating; (2) are in an urban setting; and (3) are contemporary buildings and thus reflect on the needs of today’s society for acoustics.
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| Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, CA |
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| Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX |
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