Music, that is the science or the sense of proper modulation, is likewise given by God’s generosity to mortals having rational souls in order to lead them to higher things.
St Augustine
Pānui
Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes
Laudate eum, omnes populi.
Whakapaingia te Ariki e ngā whenua o te ao
Whakapaingia ia e ngā iwi katoa.
Praise the Lord, all nations
Praise him, all you peoples.
E te iwi whakapono, brothers and sisters in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Tēnā koutou, greetings.
The New Zealand Sacred Music association welcomes you to our musical association. We are a Christian association dedicated to praising God by raising our voices in songs of praise and thanksgiving. We are a collective of music enthusiasts who appreciate and celebrate beautiful music from our rich Church whakapapa (genealogy) and tradition – plainchant, polyphony and modern composers.
Our passion is to promote music that lifts the mind, heart and soul of worshippers through the beauty of sacred Church music and chant. To make sacred music accessible to all people because it is a taonga (gift) from our tūpuna faith (ancestral faith).
Our association can provide formation with
⁃ Music and liturgy
⁃ Musical selection appropriate for feast days and liturgical calendar.
⁃ Musical education and support for choirs and music directors.
⁃ Musical technique and language.
Our association promotes sacred music by
⁃ Regular performances of music in concert and liturgical settings.
⁃ Sacred music symposiums and choral clinics.
⁃ Sacred music festivals and competitions open to churches and schools, large ensemble choirs and small chamber choirs.
⁃ Choral composition competitions foster new Church music talent.
We welcome all to our whānau as individual members, church choir or sacred music ensemble.
Our Mission
To Preserve
The primary mission of NZSMA is to preserve and safeguard the treasure of sacred music especially Gregorian Chant followed Sacred Polyphony and hymnody in New Zealand.
To Promote
NZSMA aims to promote genuine and authentic Sacred Music in parishes across New Zealand, so that through the beauty of sacred music hearts of the faithful can be lifted up.
To Support
NZSMA is here to support fellow musicians in the Catholic Church across New Zealand by organising workshops, singing sessions and our biannual Sacred Music Conference.
Our Logo
The Cross of Christ at the top and center reminds us that Christ is the top priority and the center of our life. As the Holy Apostle, St. Paul wrote, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14
The white part of the logo resemble the pipe organ “which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.” – Sacrosanctum Concilium 120
Five “holes” on each pipes resemble the five wounds of Christ on the Cross where His Precious Blood pours out to redeem us from our sins.
The blue parts resemble a harp. “It (the harp) was a symbol of the cross of Christ. It was the passion that was being sung, and it was this which subdued the spirit of the devil.” – St Nicetas of Remesiana
The hexagon sharp resemble the beehive. “The bee is more honored than other animals, not because it labors, but because it labors for others” – St John Chrysostom. The symbol of bees reminds us, church musicians, that we labors not for ourselves but for others.