“Music depends on its many centuries of organic development to inspire and engage its listeners. Without such a tradition, its ability to inspire is impoverished and ceases to be a window to the Divine…”
David Adam Smith // Composer
Sacred music is a threshold to the Divine.
Since the 7th century, sacred music has held a central place in the Catholic liturgy.
Sacred music serves as a powerful vehicle for prayer, worship, and connection with the Divine. Early forms of sacred music, such as Gregorian chant with its simple unadorned melodies, were designed to elevate the soul and draw the congregation into deeper contemplation of God. Chant’s modal structure and close relation to the Latin language complements the solemnity of the liturgical rites, creating a transcendent atmosphere that unites the faithful in a shared spiritual experience.
As the liturgy evolved, sacred music expanded to include more complex forms, particularly during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, when polyphony and intricate choral arrangements flourished. Composers like Byrd, Palestrina, and Victoria masterfully wove together multiple vocal lines, adding a rich harmonic depth to their music. Their compositions respected the primacy of the liturgical text, ensuring that the music always served the liturgy rather than overshadowing it. This period marks one of the heights of sacred music in Roman Catholic worship, reflecting the Church’s belief that music is not only an aesthetic offering but a form of prayer in itself.
David Adam Smith
A modern-day composer with a deep commitment to sacred music, David Adam Smith (DAS) has devoted his life to renewing and elevating the timeless art of sacred music. Trained under renowned mentors at the Manhattan School of Music, David’s compositions are rooted in the timeless beauty of traditional liturgical music. From Mass settings and motets to concert works for organ, his works reflect both his devotion to the Catholic faith, which he embraced at age 24, and his lifelong passion for music in general.
“What I propose is a new Renaissance in sacred music: drawing from the past, creating a new sacred repertoire that is greater in wealth of beauty, and richer in musical language than all that has come before us.”
Painted by Tom Torak
“As a composer, my deepest commitment is to renew the Catholic music tradition by creating a repertory of Mass settings and motets that strive to elevate one’s soul to God. Thereby, through sacred music, we can transcend all the banal noise of this world, in all its forms and instead, intimately encounter the Divine being of God Himself.”
David Adam Smith // Composer
Canticum Verborum
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Getting Started
If you’re new to DAS Works, and what’s being offered at this website, here’s an overview and some guidance to help you get started. First, the website offers recordings and PDF scores of the composer’s music. The audio is available via streaming membership or as downloadable audio files in mp3,…
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Recordings, Scores of Motets, and Mass Settings
SUNG HOLY MASS IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PRAYER THAT THE CHURCH OFFERS. RENEW AND EXPAND YOUR LOVE FOR SACRED MUSIC THROUGH THE MUSIC OF DAVID ADAM SMITH, FEATURING MOTETS, MASS SETTINGS, RECORDINGS, AND MORE.
Audio Recordings
Mass Settings
PDF Music Scores
CDs
Sacred Songs
Printed Volumes
“The main impression is of being taken back in time hundreds of years with really amazing voices, to a meditative place. There are bits that really make me sit up and say ‘Wow’, like track 13 [In mari miserie]. I love it. Thank you so much.”
Lloyd Maier // Delaware Musician
Featured Recordings
Voice with Piano
Organ
Alto / Tenor / Bass
Alto / Tenor / Bass
Tenor / Bass