Memory, Mystery, and Melismas

Draw on centuries-old tradition of singing Psalms and Canticles in the Liturgy of the Hours to discover a conceptual framework for bringing your own experiences, ideas, and musical background into creative conversation with liturgy and prayer. Experience Rhythms of Faith—no musical experience required!

Listen in to a conversation between Kimberly Belcher ‘03 MA, ‘09 Ph.D., associate professor of theology, J. J. Wright ‘14 MSM, ‘17 DMA, Grammy® Award winner and Director of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, and Dr. Rebecca Maloy, Director of the Sacred Music Program at the University of Notre Dame. A renowned musicologist specializing in liturgical chant, Dr. Maloy shares how she first became fascinated by the mysterious world of “Old Hispanic” (also known as Mozarabic or Hispano-Mozarabic) chant. Drawing on her decades of scholarship, she explains how this ancient tradition—independent from Roman chant—wove together texts, melodies, and theology to foster Nicene Christianity on the Iberian Peninsula. Hear why, despite its elusive notation and origins, Old Hispanic chant provides a window into the power of liturgical music to shape both memory and belief. Dr. Maloy also reflects on Gregorian chant, the Carolingians’ project of “correctio,” and the creative tension between oral tradition and fixed musical forms. Finally, she offers insight into how her historical research directly informs her leadership of today’s Sacred Music Program—where new generations of conductors, composers, and performers carry forward the Church’s living musical heritage.