#I AM ALIVE SONG SUNG BY CHOIRS SERIES#

Through true agony and grief when He was crucified it reminds us that Jesus felt Out that through the song, they were able to more deeply understand that Jesus went For example, when the choir discussed “My God, My God,” a student pointed Music helps us to tune into these emotions and see the stories and the message inĪ new light. It can be easy to gloss over andįorget the very real emotions at the heart of the Word - and the emotions are high What this phrase gets at is you pay new attention and attribute new meaning to a phraseįrom a reading or a line of praise when it is sung. Augustine, 'To sing once is to pray twice.' I think Pertinent and comforting in the current times.Īs is often attributed to St. Though the readings and the songs were picked months ago, they somehow ring even more It keeps reminding me of other things in my life for which I can be grateful. It has been a challenging, but safe and encouraging harbor to return to and I am so thankful to still be able to make the music that I love with the people that It's been quite the learning curve with a much busier tech work thanīefore, but it is completely worth it once we get to Sunday night. Preparation these days looks like scanning in and compiling sheet music, practicingĪnd recording individual parts, sound mixing and compiling, and finally enjoying beingĪble to see each other's faces on Zoom, sing and play along to the recordings, and It is certainlyĭifferent from what we typically do – at first, we thought that we could just singĪt each other during a Zoom meeting, but we quickly realized that latency is an unfortunate Out new ideas and going back to the drawing board to try to get it right. This has all happened after a few weeks of brainstorming and students patiently testing The SLU Mass Choir traditionally performs at liturgies including Palm Sunday MassĪt St. Meaningful to our students and, hopefully, our larger church community, so that theyĬan continue connecting with this special outlet of prayer.” Help keep musical prayer alive in our hearts, even though it seems like it would beĮasy to let fall behind and to change and pivot to make this music accessible and Places right now, both physically and mentally. Or meeting people where they are,” she continued. “My favorite part of Jesuit spirituality is the concept of bringing God to the people, To help them tap into these beloved songs and celebrate Holy Week,” Iocca said. “It is dear to our hearts, and we wanted to share this music with the SLU community The choir members worked to launch their project in time for Holy Week 2020. What the songs and the readings mean to us,” Iocca explained. Where we listen to, sing and play along with the recorded music and we talk about Picked out for each Sunday, and then to spend Sunday evenings on a Zoom meeting together “We found that the best way to do this is spend our rehearsal time recording the music The social distancing required by state orders meant to turn the tide in the fightĪgainst the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Francis Xavier College Church, the University’s spiritual home, has been working to find a way to keep the musicĪnd community going, even though SLU community members can't meet in person due to SLU Mass Choir, which provides the music for the 9 p.m. There was once empty air, and it's empowering.” “but by making music, we bring form out of nothing, we bring beauty and meaning where “It's so easy to slip into feeling helpless and hopeless right now,” she continued, In defiance of that which would belittle you and upset you.” Like, but especially in the context of this new Mass Choir project, is an act of creation “For me, making music, whatever that looks I love,” Sally Iocca, choir director, said. “I am so thankful to still be able to make the music that I love with the people that

Mark the days of Holy Week, leading up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection

#I AM ALIVE SONG SUNG BY CHOIRS SERIES#

The series includes songs for Palm Sunday and for the celebrations that would typically The SLU Mass Choir has shifted from the choir room to Zoom meeting room to continue their musical camaraderie.Īs part of the change, the choir has prepared a video series of music for worship.

Student and alumni members of the Saint Louis University Mass Choir come together

I am alive song sung by choirs