by David Cooley

Sacred music holds a central place in Catholic worship. An integral element of the liturgy, it elevates the soul toward God, fosters communal unity, and deepens the faithful’s encounter with divine mysteries. Rooted in Scripture and Church tradition, it beautifies prayer, promotes contemplation, and distinguishes itself from profane forms of music by its sacred purpose and artistic dignity.

Dr. Christopher Holman is passionate about the power of sacred music and thrilled to have a role in promoting it across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati through the formation of future priests. He is the current Director of Music, Assistant Professor of Music, and Director of the Sacred Music Institute at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology (MTSM). In many respects, he has been preparing for these roles since he was very young.

“The first post I had as a church musician was at a Methodist Church. They called my piano teacher … and asked, ‘Do you have any students who could play for us?’ I think they were expecting her to send an older student, and she sent 12-year-old me.”

Perceptive even at that young age, Dr. Holman noticed the profound effect music had on the congregation.

“That church was very close to closing, and at that point, they hadn’t had music for a year,” he said. “Once they started singing together as a community again, many who had not been to church for a long time started coming back. Seeing that transformation had a profound impact on me.”

Dr. Holman ended up playing every weekend at four churches—of different denominations—and found he enjoyed hearing the varied perspectives on the Gospel readings each week. That began his journey in and dedication to church music.

He earned five music degrees: a Doctorate of Philosophy in Music from the University of Oxford; a Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland (which he received while being a Frank Huntington Beebe Fellow); a Master of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Houston; and Bachelor of Music degrees in Organ and Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois.

With research interests in historical musicology, medieval liturgical practice, and historical performance practice, Dr. Holman has lectured at the University of Oxford, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and the Sorbonne in Paris. He has been a regular presenter at major international conferences, is an accomplished organist, won the Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition in 2010, then performed at many of the world’s top venues for organ recitals, including on the two oldest organs in the world, in Sion, Switzerland, and Rysum, Germany.

Before arriving at MTSM in July 2025, Dr. Holman served for three years as the Director of Music at St. Gertrude Church in Madeira, where he established a Sacred Music Series that brought world-class performers from around the country to St. Gertrude for concerts, meditations, and liturgies.

When not working, Dr. Holman enjoys spending time with his wife, Cynthia, an accomplished opera singer who has performed all over the world. Their immediate family consists of a basset hound, a cat, and two very large rabbits.

As he settles in at the seminary, Dr. Holman recognizes the importance of forming future priests.

“I see the formation of future priests as one of the most significant responsibilities of the Church today,” he said. “My vision is for the men to have a very broad grounding in music—basic skills in singing and basic knowledge of music, history, and how the Church plays a role in the patronage of the arts throughout history.”

Dr. Holman believes that what the future priests learn while in seminary will echo in the lives of the faithful, including their understanding of sacred music and the liturgy.

“On a practical level, the magisterial documents of the Church tell us a lot about sacred music and what is envisioned in the liturgy, and yet, what we see in many parishes is something that looks quite different from that,” he said. “I don’t make a value judgment on that being better or worse, it’s just that there is a disconnect, which is a part of reality. And so, what I’m particularly interested in is helping the men to recognize these differences, develop the skills to be good pastors, and help people pray through music in whatever form that looks like in their parish setting.”

For more information about the Sacred Music Institute at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology and the Music & Liturgy Series visit https://www.athenaeum.edu/sacred-music-institute/.