Music has always been central to the expression of my faith. Some of my earliest memories are related to music, and from primary school age onward, I have been involved in the musical aspects of Catholic liturgy. As a chorister, cantor, and pianist from the age of seven, I was privileged to be exposed to a wide range of music, musicians and musical performance contexts, including liturgies. Some of my closest lifelong friendships grew from the bond I shared with those with whom I made music.
Though I didn’t know it as a child, the attraction music held for me was on account of both its capacity to express beauty and the opportunity it provided for me even as a youngster to be a co-creator of beauty by participating in its artistic performance, especially in liturgy. Human beings are inherently drawn to what is beautiful, and while beauty in general calls to us and elicits a creative response from us, understanding that Beauty is an aspect of God (as are Love, Truth, and Mercy), can draw us into deeper relationship with him. St Thomas Aquinas explained that “the beautiful which is God, is the goal, the summit and cause of everything that exists” and “from the Beauty, being flows forth to enliven all things”.[1]
Because each of us is created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:27), we have both the capacity and the desire to be co-creators of beauty. Experiencing and creating beauty can provide us with a special mode of connection and an opportunity for encountering God in an artistic way. In the liturgy, God, who is beauty, calls us into His presence, and we can find ourselves responding to that call creatively. It has often been my experience that participating in creating beauty through music in liturgy constitutes one of the purest and most engaging ways of expressing and nourishing my faith and the faith of others.
My early love of and exposure to high-quality music of all sorts led me to study it intensively at university, but my early experience of beautiful music in liturgy also led to an increased interest in the flow and rhythms of the liturgy itself and how music contributes to its celebration. Hence, I was subsequently led to study theology and eventually to undertake Masters’ and doctoral degrees in liturgy. I never imagined that profound experiences of beauty through liturgical music in my early years would result in a career path integrating my love of music, my fascination with liturgy, and my faith. The opportunity to teach others about liturgy and liturgical music and how to celebrate it well, and the chance to research and publish on liturgy and liturgical music, has been and remains a fulfilling vocation.
The power of music as an evangelisational tool should not be underestimated. Exposing young people to engaging, beautiful music and involving those who have been gifted with musical talent in co-creating beautiful music, can provide a marvellous outlet both for their artistic expression and for their connection with God as they offer their musical gifts of praise in the context of liturgical celebrations. Training young singers as cantors and choristers, drawing in young instrumentalists as members of liturgical music ensembles and worship bands, encouraging young composers of liturgical music, embracing and mentoring young keyboardists as accompanists and organists in liturgy should be obvious ways to enable them not just to contribute their musical gifts to the benefit of parish and school liturgies, but also to enable them to strengthen their faith through co-creating the musically beautiful in God’s presence as they offer glory to God.
Parishes that flourish often have excellent liturgical music, and those that wish to grow would do well to invest in young musicians through training, apprenticeships and involvement so that they can grow up into a Church which treasures their presence and contribution. Finding their place as valued members of the team which enacts the liturgy is crucial to developing faith and a sense of belonging for young people in our schools and parishes. That was certainly my experience growing up.
For me, and for many others, it is not just being exposed to beautiful, worthy, engaging liturgical music being performed and led by adults in parishes, schools and festival contexts that inspires and strengthens young people’s faith, it is actually being invited to contribute to the creation of beautiful music in liturgy that makes a truly lasting impact on young people. Making room for, training, supporting, encouraging and demanding excellence from young liturgical musicians is what will secure their presence, participation, and longevity as members of the Church into the future.
Clare V. Johnson is Professor of Liturgical Studies and Sacramental Theology and Director of the ACU Centre for Liturgy at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne.
This article was originally published in the 2025 Season of Creation | Spring edition of the Catholic Outlook Magazine. You can read the digital version here or pick up a copy in your local parish.
[1] St Thomas Aquinas, In librum beati Dionysii de divinis nomenibus, ed. C. Pera (Rome: Marietti, 1950), Caput IV lectio V, paragraphs 353 and 349.
