MUSICA SACRA. – A Belgian journal of religious music, founded in 1882 in Ghent by Fr J. Van Damme as the Bulletin de la Société de St Grégoire, with the subtitle Revue de chant d'église et de musique religieuse. It was later transferred to Namur and then to Mechelen, where its editorial office remains to this day. It is published under the direction of the Benedictine abbey of Mont-César in Leuven.
The official and predominant language had always been French; however, after its resumption following the Second World War (1946), Dutch was given precedence. Notable writers contributed to the journal with studies on sacred music in general, on sacred chant—both Gregorian and polyphonic—as well as on instruments, and in particular the organ, alongside articles on musical pedagogy, etc. Among these, worthy of special mention in the earlier phase (at Namur) are Cardinal Mercier, Fr De Santi, P. Wagner, D. Johner, etc., while from the beginning of the more recent phase (at Mechelen) other distinguished scholars appear, such as Gastoué, Tirabassi, E. Tinel, Vyvernann, Van Doorslaer, F. Closson, Van Nuffel, etc.
A monthly periodical, M. s., founded in 1940 and published in Pietropolis (Brazil) in the Portuguese language, contains articles on musical training in the vocal, organ and liturgical spheres.
Other journals bearing this name were founded by F. Witt in Regensburg (1868), by Abbot Amelli in Milan (1874) and by A. Kunc in Toulouse, but these are now defunct.
Luisa Cervelli.