Praise to the holiest
2000 voices to lead the singing at Cardinal Newman’s Beatification
Cardinal Newman himself was musically gifted. He enjoyed playing the violin, especially in chamber music. He admired the music of Beethoven, and the Masses of Haydn, Mozart and Cherubini. Yet he also knew how singing simple hymn tunes and chants could engage the faithful deeply in prayer. Newman’s balanced, sensible and inclusive approach to church music has been adopted in preparing for his Beatification. On 19th September, there will be moments when the congregation is engaged in prayer through attentive listening: the music of Monteverdi, Stanford, Byrd, Elgar and Haydn. Yet the people’s active participation in the sung prayer of the celebration will be enabled through popular hymnody (including, of course, Newman’s own texts – “Praise to the holiest” and “Firmly I believe and truly”) and there will be chants and refrains for all to sing.
Music is a sign of the heart’s joy and it is indeed with great joy and enthusiasm that some two thousand singers have begun to rehearse for this celebration.
It is right that the institutions founded by Cardinal Newman should have a prominent role in leading the music. The choirs of the Birmingham and Oxford Oratories will be joined by those of the Oratory School and the London Oratory School. Together with the choir of Saint Chad’s Cathedral, directed by David Saint, these groups will be at the core of the main body of singers.
Other singers participating come from one hundred and ten parishes and eighteen secondary schools within the Archdiocese. The Diocese of Leeds will add another five hundred children from their singing programme Well over a thousand of the singers will be aged under eighteen.
Cor ad cor loquitur. On the day, heart will speak to heart: the hearts of all assembled to the heart of Christ. In the unity of the Holy Spirit, and led by over two thousand singers, the sung prayer of all gathered will be consciously joined to the offering of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. That’s the aim of all involved in leading the music. The hard work of achieving it is taking place in rehearsals now.
The internationally acclaimed Scottish composer, James MacMillan, has been commissioned by the Bishops of Scotland, England and Wales to write a new Mass setting for the Papal celebrations in Glasgow and Coventry. Entitled Mass of Blessed John Henry Newman, it is a congregational setting of the new translation of the texts of the Mass.
James writes: "I was immensely proud to be asked to write a new Mass for the forthcoming Papal Visit. It has also been an honour and great pleasure to collaborate with Fr Peter Jones on this. His advice and help has been invaluable, considering his great experience in liturgical music. He has been a major encouragement to me." (Photo: Eric Richmond - Arena PAL)
Learning the new MacMillan Mass:
“It’s challenging but we like it!”
The Oratory School, Woodcote
Cardinal Newman founded the Oratory School in Birmingham with just nine pupils. Here, Julian McNamara – Head of Music of the present school – rehearses some of today’s pupils, who are all extremely pleased to be a part of this tremendous moment in the history of the Church and of the country.
Lee Ward, Director of Music, says: “The Schola is tremendously proud to have been selected to perform, together with the Colla Voce Singers (a choir of music graduates most of whom are former pupils of The London Oratory School) and St Chad's Choir, as a part of the core choir for the Beatification Mass for Cardinal John Henry Newman.'
Diocesan Schools are hard at work too:
Three generations of song
Maurice, an Old Philippian, was received into the Catholic Church in 1946 in Cardinal Newman's own study. He was later married at the Oratory Church where Helena was also baptised.
Links with Cardinal Newman and the Birmingham Oratory go back a long way in the family! Members of the family group are singing all four parts between them - bass, tenor, alto and soprano. It's a privilege for them to be able to take part together in this Beatification Mass
Pupils at Saint Edmund’s are excited by the opportunity to sing at Coventry. A pupil says: ‘My mom walked miles to see the Pope John Paul when he came to Coventry in 1982. I never thought I would have the opportunity to sing for the Pope.' 'What an amazing gig, singing for the Pope!' 'This is a chance in a lifetime, I'm not passing this one up.'