The Natural Power of Music
Religions September 26, 2023 Claudio Campesato
Amalarius of Metz, an early medieval author, argued that liturgical music and singing produce a physical and emotional effect that goes beyond simply evoking emotions. In his work Liber Officialis, he described how listening to music creates a “spiritual state” of nakedness of the heart, making a person receptive to tears and sensitive to God’s voice. This represents a shift from the earlier patristic idea of compunction (penthos), where tears in prayer were linked to sorrow for sins and liturgical music was seen as an obstacle. For Amalarius, music’s natural power (vis) moves a person to a receptive state that prepares the soul to welcome the Word of God, leading to conversion and fruitful listening.