Victoria Costa

MLITT IN SACRED MUSIC STUDENT

Hometown: Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Education: BA (Hons) Music and Global Studies, Providence College

Academic Interests
Prior to her current academic pursuits at the University of St Andrews, Victoria completed her undergraduate degree in music and global studies–a combination which led to her appointment as Director of Music at St. Mary of the Bay in Warren, Rhode Island. During her tenure, she experienced the profound impacts of music in worship and now seeks to discover music’s unique place in the spiritual life. Her interests include liturgical and Incarnational theology, music as contemplation and evangelization, the theological and socio-cultural contexts for the dissemination of sacred music, and the implications of modernity on spirituality.

Some of her favorite thinkers include Josef Pieper, David Fagerberg, Luis María Martínez, Innocent Smith O.P., Julian of Norwich, Shusaku Endō, T.S. Eliot, and Olivier Messiaen.

Other Interests
Victoria spends many a night composing liturgical music—from congregational hymnody to polyphony to contemporary chant. She also embraces Christian songwriting, having won the inaugural Catholic Song Contest in the Adult Contemporary category, and enjoys writing devotionals for both individual and corporate meditation. Most recently, her “Stations of the Living Water” was featured on Aleteia and Catholic Canada.

At the University, Victoria participates as a member of the Gregorian chant group, choir member and occasional accompanist in St James’ schola, and alto in St Leonard’s Chapel Choir. She also enjoys cooking for her friends, perusing hymnals, and making oddly specific references to Parks and Recreation.