Sacred Music: Handmaiden of the Liturgy

The place of sacred music in the life of the church has an effective function and a lofty purpose. Its function is to be the handmaiden of the liturgy, making the sung prayers beautiful, solemn, and moving. The lofty purpose of sacred music, like the liturgy itself, was described most succinctly by Pope St. Pius X when he wrote that the purpose of sacred music is "the glory of God and the sanctification and edification of the faithful."