RBC choir's melodious contribution
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
The acoustics were fantastic, the venue spectacular and the chance to raise their voices in sacred song for hundreds of their fellow Catholic school cohorts, not to mention Bishop O’Connell, clergy and educators from around the diocese, was just awesome.
According to their director, Shawn T. Mack, that was the general reaction from the choristers of Red Bank Catholic High School. The choir members were among the students from a number of schools around the diocese participating in the second annual Catholic Schools Mass March 19 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, hosted by the diocesan Office of Catholic Education.
Under the direction of Shawn T. Mack, the choir led the assembly in singing of familiar liturgical hymns including “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” and the resounding “God We Praise You.” Two solemn mediation pieces that the choir sang after Holy Communion were “Ave Verum Corpus” in Latin and “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.”
Days after the Mass, Mack said the students, who rehearsed for the Catholic Schools Mass for two months, were still talking about the experience. “Obviously, when you have the opportunity to sing in a building like the cathedral with fantastic acoustics and when the primary function of our choir is liturgical, you can’t help but be moved,” said Mack.
“It was an honor for them and they loved being with the other schools,” he said. “They had a great time.”
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The acoustics were fantastic, the venue spectacular and the chance to raise their voices in sacred song for hundreds of their fellow Catholic school cohorts, not to mention Bishop O’Connell, clergy and educators from around the diocese, was just awesome.
According to their director, Shawn T. Mack, that was the general reaction from the choristers of Red Bank Catholic High School. The choir members were among the students from a number of schools around the diocese participating in the second annual Catholic Schools Mass March 19 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, hosted by the diocesan Office of Catholic Education.
Under the direction of Shawn T. Mack, the choir led the assembly in singing of familiar liturgical hymns including “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” and the resounding “God We Praise You.” Two solemn mediation pieces that the choir sang after Holy Communion were “Ave Verum Corpus” in Latin and “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.”
Days after the Mass, Mack said the students, who rehearsed for the Catholic Schools Mass for two months, were still talking about the experience. “Obviously, when you have the opportunity to sing in a building like the cathedral with fantastic acoustics and when the primary function of our choir is liturgical, you can’t help but be moved,” said Mack.
“It was an honor for them and they loved being with the other schools,” he said. “They had a great time.”
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