Non Musica Chordula, Sed Cor

The Apostle speaks rather of the song in the heart than of that which the lips utter. It is evident that all cannot sing with the voice, and even if one had musical skill there are many times and occasions in which he could not appropriately give it expression. It is also evident that the mere singing of the voice is nothing if the heart does not accompany it, at least in the ears of God and the Angels. We often ourselves speak of beautiful voices which render music exquisitely and with perfect technique, which yet to our thinking have no soul in them. We say we had much rather have less perfect execution and more sincerity of expression.

Some of you no doubt remember the story of the poor old monks in an obscure convent who used to make such bad work of singing the Magnificat at Vespers that all musically sensitive people would have been distracted by it. One evening a young brother from a distant convent came to the place and joined with the brethren in their Vesper hymn. His voice was so pure, so clear, so angelic as it seemed to them that all stopped to listen to him, and he alone sang through the Virgin's song. Then all the old monks thanked God for permitting them this once to have sent up to heaven such worthy music. That night the Angel of the Lord appeared to the venerable prior and said to him, "Why sang ye not our Lady's song to night?"

In amazement and perplexity the prior answered that indeed the Magnificat had been sung, and more beautifully than ever before. "Nay," said the Angel, "it never came up to heaven. So sweet and holy is the sound of the Vesper hymn when the brethren of this convent sing it as they are wont, the Angels of the Lord cease their own singing that they may hearken to the voices of men; but this night no sound of Magnificat came to our ears."

So the brethren learned that music is only beautiful in heaven when it comes from the heart, and for praising God the quality of man's voice is as nothing in comparison of the devotion of his spirit. Beautifully says St Augustine the same thing: Non vox sed votum non chordula musica sed cor Non cantans sed amans cantat in aure Dei. Which perhaps we may render:

Thus the mere sounds of our musical service are worth nothing with God save as they are accompanied by the deep devotion of the soul and the true melody of heaven is the sweet utterance of the love of the heart for its Lord.

- "With a song in the heart", and other sermons, preached in St. Ignatius' Church, New York, by the Rev. Arthur Ritchie, 1890