May you rest in peace, Signor Pavarotti.Wow! That ran chills up my spine – literally!
Not necessarily. Traditionally, religious and sacred music is always sung with the music in our hands or on the music stand. It differentiates it from being a performance to being a prayer, in a way. I know many sacred/religious works by heart, but will always use my music whenever I “perform” it. Many times, I’ll glance down at the music and not actually really be reading it since I do know it by heart, especially because sometimes reading it can get in the way of what we are saying or praying. It really depends, though. The other thing, too, is that because the music is there in front of you, you can’t help but look at it.