Happy Octave of Easter!
Last week—that is, Holy Week 2024—a new smash hit conquered the classical billboard charts. The stunning piece of music is called Requiem for the Forgotten and was commissioned by none other than Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.
Composer Frank La Rocca, who works at the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship, says he’s been honored “to help Archbishop Cordileone achieve his prophetic vision.”
Here’s the requiem being performed at a recent Mass of the same name. Get your tissue box ready.
According to the National Catholic Register, Archbishop Cordileone attributed the success of the requiem to people’s hunger for beauty and “to experience the healing power of God in the classically Catholic sacred music tradition.”
That appears to be the truth, especially considering the recent boom sacred traditional music has seen in the mainstream. Take the Gregorian chant group Harpa Dei, for instance. The all-siblings choir started producing music recordings in 2011, and by now their YouTube channel has 484,000 subscribers.
Here’s the Te Deum for you, performed by Harpa Dei at the breathtakingly beautiful Zisterzienser Monastery in Birnau, Germany.
And last but not least, here is a beautiful, haunting chant of Psalm 51 by singer and composer Patrick Lenk:
If you like his stuff, there’s more at his YouTube channel.
Do you have a favorite piece of sacred Catholic music you want me to showcase on this blog? Just let me know in the comments!
God bless you!
Living Waters music and Mark LaJOIE can JOYfully FLOW with this!!!
Beautiful!