Open up the Doors: Music in the Modern Church

Within the Judaeo-Christian tradition -with few exceptions- music has always been central to the performance of sacréd rites. The musical setting of liturgy has its roots in the earliest customs of the church and the practice has continued to evolve up to the present day. As the contemporary church in many Western societies grapples with the divisive issues of gay clergy or female ordination, just as divisive a schism appears to be in progress in the world of church music. On the traditiona...