Many of Philadelphia’s Catholic choir singers and musicians will offer their talents in praise of God and expression of patriotism this summer.
The Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul will host events that showcase the diversity of sacred music, from the tradition of Gregorian chant to modern Gospel music, all within the universality of the Catholic faith.
The events begin with a concert by the joint Cathedral and Archdiocesan choirs, “Let Freedom Sing: Praise to the Lord” on Sunday, June 28 at 3 p.m.
They end with the final Mass and procession for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) on Sunday, July 5. That day’s Mass begins at 11 a.m., with a procession to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann immediately afterward.
Director of Cathedral Music Charlene Angelini says that the rector of the Cathedral Basilica, Father Dennis Gill, suggested the concert asa way to deliver faith-filled excitement about the city’s celebrations for the 250th birthday of the United States of America.
“I think at the very heart of it, and especially being in Philadelphia as a starting point, I considered the melting pot of amazing, beautiful people and the diversity of our city in order to compile what I think is a beautiful cross-section of music that is representative of different cultures and the various people who live in our city and our country in general, of course with things having a sacred element to them,” she said.
“Let Freedom Sing” will include songs that link the faith-filled and the patriotic, but will also include less-familiar but still-meaningful songs like “Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom,” which was written for the apostolic visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families in 2015.
The concert will also include sacred works by contemporary Black American composers Adolphus Hailstork, Florence Price, and Undine Smith-Moore.
Angelini said the works celebrate the 250th anniversary as well as the urgency for national unity.
That theme expands with the John Rutter work, “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace,” and other works that evoke both the Virgin Mary, to whom the United States has been consecrated multiple times, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which America will be consecrated on June 11.
“That’s the power of music because it’s able to express with colors and emotive, expressive elements what words alone cannot,” Angelini said. “We’re hoping to really inspire people to be hopeful about the future of our country and walking together.”
That theme of unity not only is expected to come through in the song selections during the July 5 Mass for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, but also through the unified tapestry of choirs and musicians Angelini has helped organize for the Mass that will be televised nationally on EWTN.
She is bringing together the Cathedral and Archdiocesan choirs, the Philadelphia Catholic Gospel Mass Choir, and Coral Hispana de Filadefía (Hispanic Choir of Philadelphia) for that Mass.
Angelini says that while each individual choir may present a particular song, the highlight will be when they share their talents together.
“It’s not a ‘battle of the bands,’ and it’s not like, ‘You go and then I go and then you go,’ tossing the baton around,” she said. “Every opportunity that we are together, we are trying even harder to make sure that everyone is singing many things together.”
The Mass on July 5 will include the combined choirs proclaiming a psalm within a musical setting by Philadelphia Catholic Gospel Mass Choir Director Tonya Taylor-Dorsey.
The opportunity to sing such a piece reflects Angelini’s goal of bringing together diverse voices to create diverse sounds, from the ancient to the modern, reflecting both the diversity and unity of America through different ways of praising God within the Catholic faith.
“The best part is getting everyone to sing everyone’s music together, especially the ordinary of the Mass which belongs to the people,” Angelini said.
She hopes that the Masses on July 3 and 4 will also include additional schola choirs to augment the musical experiences for those liturgies.
Tickets for “Let Freedom Sing: Praise to the Lord” cost between $15 and $35 and are available through this link.
The Cathedral Basilica’s music ministry will participate in NEP events including the 12:05 p.m. sung Masses on July 3 and 4, the 5:15 p.m. anticipated Mass on Saturday, July 4, and the 11 a.m. Mass and subsequent procession on Sunday, July 5.
All the liturgies are open to the public, but people should register for the Philadelphia NEP events through this link.
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