Sweet harmonies of Missouri cloistered nuns are fruit of their faith
GOWER, Mo. – Tucked away off a rocky road in Gower in rural Missouri, a small community of cloistered nuns has just come out with a new Christmas album.
Chris Bray band rocks St. Anthony’s parish
BRAMPTON, ONT. – St. Anthony of Padua youth group hosted a charity concert on Sept. 23 with London-born worship singer Chris Bray to help mark the parish’s 40th anniversary.
GOWER, Mo. – Tucked away just off a rocky road is a small community of women who have chosen to retreat from the world and spend their days working in silence — except for when they are singing sacred music.
St. James youth rock for SickKids
Choir practices at St. James parish in Toronto have been especially exciting as the youth choir prepares for its biggest concert yet.
Pope Francis has his own pop album
God is calling us. Jesus is calling us. Now, Pope Francis is calling us, except this time he isn’t only using his words, he’s using music.
Catholic student wins Ottawa Bluesfest talent contest
Amateur singer, songwriter and guitarist Grace Lachance convinced those at this year's RBC Ottawa Bluesfest that she's the one worthy of becoming a professional musician.
Sounds of Sistine Chapel on Ontario church tour
If Michelangelo was listening to music while he worked on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, his playlist would probably sound something like Le studio de musique ancienne de Montréal’s Music from the Sistine Chapel concert.
The positives of radio
In a nation where violence is no stranger to its youth, a group of Salvadoran teenagers stand as a hope for their country’s future.
Long-dormant oratorio reborn in Toronto
TORONTO - The first and last time the Judith oratorio was heard by an audience was in 1888 in Birmingham, England. It was written by one of Britain’s best-loved composers of the time, Hubert Parry, and was well-received by the critics of the era. But then the work fell into obscurity.
Christian sounds in Canadian music awards spotlight
For Canadians, the award season is not over just yet.
After the Grammys, the Academy Awards and other high-profile American awards shows have come and gone, there is still the JUNO Awards, which air on CTV March 15 from Hamilton, Ont. The JUNOs honour Canadian musicians and recognizes their artistic and technical achievements in music over the past year.
The familial ties that bind
In the end, after 70, 80, 90 years on the planet, chances are the people you will have known best, longest and most thoroughly will be your brothers and sisters. They are the people who came with you into the world out of the same womb.
Filipino Catholic media already planning follow-up to papal visit
MANILA, Philippines - Long before Pope Francis left the Vatican for his January trip to Asia, Jesuit Father Emmanuel "Nono" Alfonso and his colleagues were already working on the "what's next" part of hosting a papal trip.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Eleven-year-old Jamin Diaz is finding that music and his participation in a symphony orchestra are giving him the chance to steer clear of violence that plagues his country.
Catholic music is a rocking success story
Under blue skies, dressed in black, stand the members of Christian band Darkness Divided. In the serenity of a forest clearing, the band members’ hands are stretched straight up, revealing streams of thick, dark blood pouring from wounds artificially created on their open palms. In the background, lyrics suggestive of Christ’s crucifixion are belted out supported by the severe guitar and drum sounds typical of a metalcore band. This is a scene from “The Hands that Bled,” a single off the band’s newly released album, Written in Blood.
Thou shalt not steal Church music
When I started my work in church music in 1976 in small-town Alberta, it really was the Wild West. We photocopied music and made Duo-Tang hymnals with words-only versions of copyrighted materials. We didn’t ask anyone for permission.