How is spirituality mediated through choral music?

In answering the question ‘how’ is spirituality mediated through choral music, I think it important to consider what spirituality is in the context of its influence on everyday society. Christian theology says that spirituality is “a quality or practice of the inner life of God before it is a human quality or practice” (http://exhumator.com/00-047-00_esoteric-religious-spiritual-christian-spirituality.html). It is because of shared ideas, perspectives, attitudes and themes – all of which can be influenced by the media in general and music as one specific example – that human conflicts can be mitigated and knowledge nurtured, enhancing the sense of self and broadening the power to amaze and engage. Spirituality in music is about stepping outside the ordinary, and the Christian Eucharistic acclamation ‘great is the mystery of faith’ lays weight to the spiritual connection between humankind and the other-worldly, something that has no boundary and affords breadth of expression and meaning. What makes choral music important is the way it is experienced in a spiritual sense, as reconciliation between God and humankind. To understand music in this way is to understand what it says about God. As popular culture appeals to a broad public, so spirituality reflects this sense of understanding and engagement, which helps change outlooks of more established disciplines and breaks down the barriers in response to the needs of society.

The origins of choral music are found in traditional music where group singing was widespread in traditional cultures. Choral music as a symbol with many meanings within the Christian faith is the key that lets the individual set the spiritual universe in motion and then sit back to watch and listen. It...

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... sung at the funeral of the Princess of Wales resounded worldwide in a shared sense of loss. In whatever style, music is the closest we come to expressing the inexpressible and often surpasses the limits that words cannot bridge and draws the participant closer to the spiritual sense of self-awareness as well as realising the intricacy and intimacy of shared experience and harmony with the other.

Works Cited

Sacks, S. (1999). The Connection between Spirituality and Songs. Retrieved from http://www.chiefrabbi.org/ReadArtical.aspx?id=1309

Macdonald, F. (2008). The Psalms and Spirituality: A study of meditative engagement with selected psalms amongst Edinburgh students. http://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/2615

Christian Spirituality. (2009). Retrieved from http://exhumator.com/00-047-00_esoteric-religious-spiritual-christian-spirituality.html