»Music and song – bound so closely to the liturgy – are also a form of prayer, encouraging unity and integration among those who are praising God with their voices, an enrichment of sacred celebrations expressing the divine message in sounds, forms and cadences which make it more intelligible and suitable to the ears of men.
In the history of mankind, musical inspiration has sought to express – like the word, but perhaps more so – the deepest sentiments of the personality: joy, love, pain, anguish, doubt … and, in particular, prayer and praise before God, creator and Father.
Music is a universal language, capable of raising deep emotions and transmitting noble sentiments, of creating states of mind similiar to the fervour of the artist. Humanity needs the beauty of music, which interprets the spirit, relaxes the soul, raises the sensibility and helps to lift our gaze with the sentiment of joy.
Among the manifestations of the human spirit, music performs an elevated function, one that is unique and irreplaceable. When it is really beautiful and inspired, music speaks to us even more than the other arts of goodness, of peace, of sacred divine things.
Song is a marvellous thing, like music, because it allows voices to sing in harmony in order to create something beautiful. Music is a special art. It carries back to our meeting with God.
Music is the expression of faith and meditation; it is the manifestation of emotion and noble sentiments toward divine mystery. Music has always been a means of engaging and unifying the spirit with others in praise of the divine Creator and celebration of his mystery.
The language of music is a powerful and effective way for man to communicate his deepest and most profound personal emotions. It is a special form of expression in that it is universally understood, therefore facilitating the opening up of the spirit to dialogue and mutual understanding.«