Doctorate honoris causa award ceremony for Sir James MacMillan
academic
On 6 March 2026, in the Abbey Church, the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music awarded an honorary doctorate in Sacred Music to the renowned Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan, in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to contemporary sacred music.
During the ceremony, Sir James MacMillan delivered his lectio magistralis, reflecting on silence, faith, and the role of the composer in the modern age. Emphasizing the spiritual dimension of artistic creation, he spoke about the importance of silence in the life of a Catholic composer, stating: “Descend into silence and become an extension of it.”
Reflecting upon the ceremony, the composer said:
“Receiving the honorary doctorate in Sacred Music is a great honour for me and I’ve been reflecting on it since it all happened. I take pride in being associated with the activities and the reach of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, as well as with the hope that this place will bring for music and the liturgy. This is very important to me. [...] Saint Augustine had it right when he said that he who sings prays twice, and it’s there in our liturgy that when we sing, prayer is heightened. The prayer rises a notch, it becomes elevated. [...] So even the tiniest vocal phrase, any small contribution to the prayerful liturgies, transforms that liturgy into something even more sacred.”
The full text of his lectio magistralis, "Silence Listening to Silence"
