'Let them hear' - The Divine Substance of Music: A Composer's Perspective on Writing Sacred Music in the 21st Century

In an interview with Thomas Huizenga (NPR Classical, 2014), Estonian composer Arvo Part exclaimed ‘For me, there is so much divine power and beauty in the substance of music that whoever has ears, let them hear…’ These words, echoing Christ’s own words (Mt 11:15), place great emphasis not only on hearing but also on understanding. In an age dominated by individualism, algorithms and increasing socio-economic disparity, artists have searched for new models of beauty, not least in the realm of sacred music. Composers like Part and John Tavener have drawn inspiration from Christian mysticism, while others like James MacMillan and Marco Frisina have turned to other manifestations of faith and incorporated elements from popular culture. However diverse their music is, they all share a common trait: an interest in spirituality in order to experience ‘divine power and beauty’. In this paper, Maltese composer Alex Vella Gregory will present his sacred works from a personal perspective, and put his works in a wider spiritual and cultural context. Vella Gregory’s musical works embrace a wide range of references that range from early music, the Western classical tradition, as well as Maltese traditions and popular culture. Using his reflective piano works such as the Piano Sonatas Nos 5-8 and the dramatic vocal works such as Vita Beatae Mariae Virgine, Vella Gregory outlines the various aesthetic concerns and compositional techniques present in his music and frames them in the discourse of ‘divine power and beauty’. This paper was published as part of Attard Glen – Camilleri Charló, Spirituality. In-between the Post-Traditional and the Post-Secular. Proceedings of the 3rd Spirituality Colloquium, 24–25 April 2025. Malta: Horizons, 2026.