Contemporary Catholic Music: Origins, Harmonic Process, and the Leading-Refrain Form

Abstract

In 1962, the Second Ecumenical of the Vatican (known as Vatican II) began a series ofliturgical reforms that presently affect modern day Catholic worship. The Vatican II reforms ushered in a new sacred musical style known as Contemporary Catholic Music (CCM), which incorporates traditional/secular styles (e.g., gospel, folk, etc.). The present study provides the origins of CCM, analyzes the harmonic processes found within CCM using Harrisonian scale-degree theory, and details the harmonic and formal process of leading-refrain form.