In an age when education is increasingly driven by data, test scores, and utilitarian goals, the role of music in forming the whole person has been largely neglected. Many schools treat music as an extracurricular activity rather than as a fundamental component of a well-rounded education. Catholic classical schools, however, have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to reclaim music’s rightful place in the curriculum. This work explores how the schola cantorum, Gregorian chant, and sacred polyphony can serve as powerful tools for both musical and spiritual formation, helping students develop not only technical musicianship but also a deeper understanding of their faith and humanity. 

In writing his Republic, Plato not only gifted civilization with one of the most valuable works of philosophy but also some of the first instructions on education. The precept at the heart of this work is this: without formational education, a society has no chance of being good, just, wise, and happy.[1] The best education is a liberal one, ordered towards the formation of the whole person through imitative and peripheral instruction in the classical liberal arts. These are the arts of language, as in grammar, rhetoric, and dialectics which make up the trivium, and the arts of number, as in arithmetic, music, geometry, and astrology which make up the quadrivium. 

The purpose of the liberal arts tradition is to help students apply themselves to various forms of experience and knowledge. In this way, the liberal arts are intended to prepare a person for whatever they do in life.[2] Classical liberal arts schools structure the course of their studies in ways that help teachers guide their students toward authentically experiencing reality. The educational experience one receives through a classical liberal arts program is comprehensive in the means and ends regarding the formation of the whole person. This formation of the whole person involves not only the formation of the intellect through natural philosophy but also the formation of virtue through moral philosophy. The purpose of education, therefore, is to form good people who have a propensity for the Good, True, and Beautiful. Most classical educators are aware of these principles. However, not every classical educator truly understands the part that music plays in the complete formation of the person. 

The earliest classicists considered music to have pride of place within the classical liberal arts education. The most notable were Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine of Hippo, and Boethius. The common belief of these thinkers was that music, through the elements of rhythm and harmony, imparted grace to the human soul. Aristotle specifically believed that instruction in music develops one’s intuition of first principles or basic assumptions that cannot be arrived at by other means.[3] In other words, music has a particularly unique role in developing human sensibilities. Furthermore, the development of musical knowledge, or musicianship, over the course of one’s life, can offer an infinite number of enrichments across every aspect of human experience, from the intellectual and the practical to the emotional and the moral. 

When the practice of music is undertaken in the context of the Christian life, these opportunities for encountering the Good, True, and Beautiful increase exponentially. The culmination of formation in music is a lifelong benefit: the enrichment of one’s relationship with God. The realization of this benefit can be grasped simply in the following substantiation. Humans were created by God as beings whose purpose is to know, love, and serve God. This can be achieved through natural reason by knowing God’s works and using His creation for good. Since music is a creation of God that reveals His truth, directing one’s attention to His order as it is exhibited in the music is one way a person can understand what God is communicating to them.[4] The Psalmist best demonstrates this principle, as the Psalms serve as musical expressions of every various human emotion and experience. With these intellectual, practical, emotional, moral, and spiritual ends in mind, the classical Christian music educator has a responsibility like no other. 

Despite this great responsibility, music education is seldom granted a pride of place in schools. As a subject, music must compete with other math, science, history, and language arts courses for time and resources. As the demand for impressive test scores and standardized data takes its toll on schools everywhere, it is becoming more and more common in American education for instruction in music to be reduced to an intermittent break from the other studies just a few hours out of the typical week. If this issue was not enough, many people view music either as an art form gifted to or attainable by only a select group of people (esoteric music) or simply as another way to be entertained (exoteric music).[5] This issue is further demonstrated in our society by the perceivably clear distinctions people make between those who are “musical” and those who are “non-musical.” Often and pointlessly, this distinction is not given to an individual by another but rather is the result of one’s own assessment. The solution to both issues (i.e. determining just how important music truly is in education) comes down to the nature of music and its relationship with the human person. 

Music is intrinsically human, for humans are the species that “musics.”[6] Moreover, the action of music is just another form of cognition. Something intrinsically human cannot be considered exclusive nor considered an esoteric gift. Music is attainable and applicable to everybody. This does not consequently leave music as an exoteric form of entertainment alone. Instead, music is experienced in different degrees depending on one’s level of musicianship. 

David Elliott, a contemporary music philosopher, presents the following observation in support of this theory: 

In contrast to someone who is merely able to do something, the cognitive action abilities of the person who really knows how to do something renders the latter's perception of a given situation more acute and intense and incorporates into it meanings that give it depth…To know what to listen for in a musical composition requires what Dewey calls "readiness" on the part of the listener's cognitive action abilities…The one who knows something about the relation of the movements of the piano-player to the production of the music from the piano will hear something the mere layman does not perceive.[7] 

In this context, there are listeners who mostly benefit at the surface level and ready listeners who might experience the music at a deeper level. Since there are so many different levels of musicianship that could be present in this situation, the esoteric nature of this group of ready listeners is not exclusive, especially since developing musical ability is achievable by all. Here is a logical response to this demonstration: all people should experience real music in a social context, feel confident enough to learn more about music, and re-establish their identity as musical beings.[8] This should be the charge of all music educators everywhere. 

The sequential issue to consider next is the most effective way to engage students in music at a deeper level than entertainment. It has been made clear through different approaches that music should not only be experienced passively but acted upon in the fullest way achievable by a person. In principle, the act of musicing is taken at will and is a full, live “deployment” of the whole person.[9] Musicing in any case, from every echelon of performing or composing to conducting and listening at different levels of readiness, is a form of cognitive action. Elements of musical understanding from rhythm to harmony form a subconscious toolbox that becomes useful in other forms of musicing one partakes in. The musical knowledge one possesses becomes present in a measurable way over time through the action of music itself. These things are best learned by doing rather than by developing knowledge about music. Music education cannot be solely aesthetic. 

The charge of Catholic classical schools therefore is to provide opportunities for students to music actively with literature that inevitably draws them closer to God in the pursuit of the Good, True, and Beautiful. Fortunately, the Catholic Church’s heritage provides the solution: the schola cantorum. The schola is most suited to this endeavor for two reasons: 1) the traditional repertoire of a schola is always an authentic encounter with the Good, True, and Beautiful, and 2) the pedagogical applications of Gregorian chant and plainsong are numerous. 

The vast majority of students today are passive receivers of pop culture’s latest hits. Much of this music is pervaded by worldliness and vice at best and profanity and debauchery at worst. This issue is not unique to this age, as Plato also warned against improper and disorderly music’s ability to corrupt the soul and lead to moral decay.[10] Frequently, schools see this reality and attempt to counteract it with dull music appreciation courses. This is not to say that the study of Mozart’s sonatas and Haydn’s symphonies is an unwise pursuit. However, as previously stated, students must actively music with material that inevitably harmonizes their being. The Church has always directed its faithful to the following: Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony, modern sacred music, and hymns.[11] The extensive repertory of Gregorian chant was naturally developed by the Early Church and specially designed for the liturgy alone without any other purpose or profane influence. It is the most authentic encounter with that which is holy, possesses goodness of form, and is universal to all. Additionally, the various forms of polyphony of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, especially those whose melody and structure are inspired by a Gregorian chant, also provide incredibly sublime experiences for singer and listener. Many modern composers who rely heavily on the compositional styles of these masterworks of polyphony have created pieces intended for the liturgy and possessing great qualities of piety and devotion. The Appendix provides a list of suggested pieces for study. 

Within the past decade, Gregorian chant and plainsong have been rediscovered by some choral directors and music educators as invaluable sources for pedagogical application. This is suggested by the publication of two incredibly useful resources, the book Discovering Chant and the article “The Blueprint of Ensemble Musicianship Contained within Chant.” Professor James Jordan of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey wrote them both. In each, he encourages music educators and choral directors to use chant regularly either as part of a warm-up sequence or as the main source of repertoire. Jordan’s implementation of this practice provided significant growth in his ensembles’ musicianship. The most beneficial improvements that are naturally achieved through the singing of chant include building intuitive musical phrasing, developing music literacy, sharpening listening skills, and honing ensemble intonation.[12] These components of musical achievement all contribute to the greater development of musicianship, allowing singers to engage actively with the music they study and unleash the potential of music’s graces. 

The importance of music in classical education cannot be overstated. Despite this, music education is often not given the priority it deserves. It is the charge of music educators to build programs that engage students with the most authentic repertoire and experiences. Doing so will inevitably result in a heightened appreciation for the sublime in creation and in turn bolster piety and devotion. This has been made abundantly clear in my own experience by the numerous occasions in which students have pleaded for more music like the Frisina Anima Christi, the Lauridsen O Magnum Mysterium, and the Garau Ego Sum Pastor Bonus. These students know how to recognize beauty because they have had the chance to music actively with these pieces and allowed them to inform their sensibilities. Satisfy your students’ longing for beauty and truth by providing them with the best encounter with music our heritage can offer. 

Appendix

Gregorian Chants for Study 

Sacred Chants from Pope Paul VI’s letter, Jubilate Deo Missa Jubilate Deo 

Adoro Te Devote 

O Salutaris Hostia 

Laudate (Psalm 116) 

Tantum Ergo 

Parce Domine 

Da Pacem 

Ubi Caritas 

Veni Creator Spiritus 

Regina Coeli 

Salve Regina (simple and solemn) 

Ave Maris Stella 

Tu Es Petrus 

Magnificat 

Te Deum (simple and solemn) 

Other Suggested Chants 

Lauda Sion, Corpus Christ Sequence 

Dies Irae, Mass for the Dead Sequence 

Adoremus in Aeternum 

Conditor Alme Siderum 

Corde Natus Ex Parentis 

O Filii et Filiae 

Medieval and Renaissance Polyphony for Study 

Latin 

Adoramus Te Christe, Orlande de Lassus (1532-1594) 

Ave Maria, Jacob Arcadelt (1505-1568) 

Ave Verum Corpus, William Byrd (1540-1623) 

Gaudete, Gaudete, Christus Est Natus, traditional 

Non nobis, Domine, Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) 

O Esca Viatorum, Heinrich Isaac (1450-1517) 

O Magnum Mysterium, Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) 

Sicut Cervus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) 

All Praise to Thee, My God This Night, a.k.a The Tallis Canon, Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) 

If Ye Love Me, Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) 

I Have Longed for Thy Saving Health, William Byrd (1540-1623) 

Modern and Contemporary Polyphony for Study

Latin Anima Christi, Marco Frisina (b. 1954) 

Ave Maria (Angelus Domini), Franz Biebl (1906-2001) 

Ave Verum Corpus, Edward Elgar (1857-1934) 

Ego Sum Pastor Bonus, Mariano Garau (b. 1952) 

Magnificat VIII Toni, Ciro Grassi (1868-1952) 

O Magnum Mysterium, Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943) 

Ubi Caritas, Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) 

A Spotless Rose, Herbert Howells (1892-1983) 

O Taste and See, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) 

Sing My Soul, Ned Rorem (1923-2022) 

The Glory of the Father, Egil Hovland (1924-2013) 

Works Cited 

Editors, The. “De Musica Sacra et Sacra Liturgia - Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy.” Adoremus (blog), September 3, 1958. https://adoremus.org/1958/09/instruction-on-sacred-music/. 

Elliott, David J. “Music as Knowledge.” Journal of Aesthetic Education 25, no. 3 (1991): 21–40. https://doi.org/10.2307/3332993. 

Jain, Ravi, Kevin Clark, and foreword by Peter Kreeft. The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education. 2021st edition. Classical Academic Press, 2021. 

Jordan, James. Discovering Chant. Edited by James Whitbourn. G I A Pubns, 2014. 

“Plato The Republic (Cambridge, Tom Griffith).Pdf.” Accessed January 24, 2025. https://ia802802.us.archive.org/20/items/PlatoTheRepublicCambridgeTomGriffith/Plato%20The%20Republic%20(Cambridge%2C%20Tom%20Griffith).pdf.