Sponsored by the Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis
University
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To
the Assembled Composers Forum:
"Do not be discouraged.
You are the leaders in the Church. If you give up, the
whole Church will lose. The Whole Church is watching
the American
Church. Keep your pioneer spirit. If you really believe
that in ten years we will be a more liturgical, more biblical Church, it will
be so."
—Fr. Lucien Deiss
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In 1998 the Center established a national
academy of published composers of music for the Roman Catholic
liturgy.
According to Fr. John Foley, “Suddenly I realized that
composers of music for the Roman Catholic Mass did not know one
another. We passed by each other at conventions but that is quite
different from being colleagues and friends.”
Fr. Foley
sought advice from other composers and planned a time each year
when these colleagues could come together for rest and renewal.
Each January the Center plans and runs a three-day
convention—the Liturgical Composers Forum.
It is the only such annual gathering of published liturgical
composers
in the world.
Composers Forum in session during the 2002 meeting in St. Louis
Comments from composers:
A great experience . . . . Love getting to
know other composers whose music I too have used . . . . Humbling
to listen to the wisdom of those who have been there ahead of
me and all the “up and coming” . . . . the inter-generational
aspect is great. . . . The energy, the laughter, the concerns,
the horror stories, the fears, the triumphs, the dreams, the
visions . . . . Opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with composers
from other publishers . . . . Like the freedom to come and not
perform under a pressure situation . . . . Level playing-field
and mutual respect . . . . To associate a person/personality
with a musical sound. . . . We go back to our symphony of service,
but we are changed for the better!
Cyprian
Consiglio, Roc O'Connor, Paul Hillebrand, Barney Walker;
middle: John Foley;
right: Chrysogonus Waddel & Steve Warner
The Center for Liturgy proudly welcomes five generations
of published liturgical composers each year to the Liturgical
Composers Forum.
Formats of the sessions differ and
include participative panels, plenary sessions, papers, addresses
by experts from
the field and informal conversations.
A unique feature is
commentary by composers on as yet unpublished music that members
have written. Names are removed from the music so that there
can be complete candor in the remarks.
The Forum includes regular
prayer sessions and a Mass held in Saint Louis University's
College Church. A festive banquet on campus follows the Mass.
All of this, together with the companionship
of composers who are as a result now good friends, marks the
Forum as a highlight of the musical year.
Attendees
at the first annual Composers Forum, 1998, at Cupples House,
SLU
Attendees
since 1998: Vince Ambrosetti, Rino Angelini, Steve
Angrisano, David & Laura Ash, Tony Barr, John Becker,
Gael Berberick, Tom Booth, Grayson Warren Brown, Carol Browning,
James Chepponis, Gerard Chiusano, Katherine Chrishon, Cyprian
Consiglio,
Rory Cooney, Eleazar Cortés, Jaime Cortez, Randall
DeBruyn, Lucien Deiss, Bob Dufford, Phil and Susan Esserwein,
Bob Fabing, John Fergussen, Bobby Fisher, John Foley, Bruce
Forman, Mark Friedman, Rob Glover, Felix Goebel-Komala, Armida
Grajeda,
Ray Guiao, David Haas, Marty Haugen, Paul Hillebrand, Richard
Hillert, Alan Hommerding, Juliana Howard, Bob Hurd, Paul
Inwood, Steven Janco, Michael Joncas, Kevin Keil, Tom Kendzia,
Fergal King, Peter Kolar, Ronald Krisman, Carey Landry, Tom
Lawler, Ricky Manalo , James V. Marchionda, Dolores Martinez,
Joe Mattingly, Angus McDonell, Bob Moore, Ron Noecker, Francis
Patrick O’Brien, Roc O’Connor, Rev. Frank Quinn,
Mary Frances Reza, M.D. Ridge, Leon Roberts, Peter Rubalcava,
John Schiavone, Karen Schneider-Kirner, Dan Schutte, Timothy
R.
Smith, Tim & Julie
Smith, Scott Soper, Juan J. Sosa, Bill Tamblyn, Tom Tomaszek,
Suzanne Toolan, Al Valverde, Janet Vogt, Chrysogonus Waddell,
Barney Walker, Christopher Walker, Steve Warner, Martin Willett,
Rufino Zaragoza
Left:
Dr. Ben Asen speaks of Psalms; middle left: Gerry Chiusano;
middle right: David Haas; right: Tom Sparough and John Schiavoni
get into trouble in after dinner festivities.
Speakers
through the years have included
