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It depends what kind of music you're talking about. Heavy metal music is often sinful, particularly music from the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, etc. Alot of it depends on the artist more than the genre. You could have a generally harm-less genre such as classical or whatever and have an insane person with satanic beliefs singing the song.

So music itself isn't sinful, it's the kind you listen to that determines whether or not it's sinful.

Quote from: Vladimir

Quote from: Catholic Samurai

Considering we've had organs in the Church for quite a while, and Chant even longer, I'd say yes.

Chant evidently falls within the use of vocal music to praise God.

I'm not referring to popular music either.

I'm  curious about what the Saints would have thought about the common practice of organists playing preludes/postludes for Mass. If they did not approve of liturgical musical extravegance (such as for weddings), what would they think of recreational music?

Someone told me that St.Alphonsus wasn't a big fan of the Polyphonic Mass on the grounds that it was too drawn out and overdone and took away too much attention from God, rather than inspiring the attendee to sentiments of piety.

Even then its arguable. Last All Soul's Day I heard a setting of the Requiem Aeternam that truly sounded divine. Palestrina's setting of Sicut Cervus (that many people will be hearing in the next weekend) brings tears to your eyes. Of course, some settings, while technically brilliant, fail to arouse any sentiment (except the admiration of a trained contrapunctalist perhaps).

For sake of this thread, I'm not interested in bringing modern rock/pop into the mix. I'm mainly concerned about what most people call classical music.

I'm really interested in what St. Alphonsus has to say if he ever wrote on music. I heard that he was a musical virtuoso himself.

EDIT: Its interesting that in the 17th century, many musicians theorized that music was the only earthly art that was present in Heaven.

Music is much, much more than sound. I've read that the planets and other natural objects vibrate in tones as well (see music of the spheres). Music in Oriental philosophy is even more important...