Contemporary Catholic Music

[GK]

I'm a musician. Music is important to me. I've spent the past howevermany years with "Christian Contemporary." I listen to a breadth of different types from Matt Redman to David Crowder Band to Kutless. I'm curious to know if there are any "Catholic" musicians/groups writing/singing/performing in a contemporary style (and, by contemporary, I mean really contemporary, not just the stuff we call contemporary that was only contemporary in 1977).

Please note, if you don't like this style of music, that's okay. You don't have to. You don't have to tell me you don't like it, either. We can still be friends.

A second note, I'm not talking about music during Mass here, nor do I intend such a discussion. I'm only thinking here about music to listen to on my own or with friends. I'm hoping to be introduced to artists to complement the music I'm already listening to and to share with friends.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

I was once good friends with Matt Maher, considered to be an up and coming star in the contemporary christian music scene. His albums (Welcome to Life and The End and the Beginning) are very Catholic. He is a music minister at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Mesa, AZ. There are some good songs on those two albums, my particular favorites (The End and the Beginning (different but awesome, it grows on you), Sophia, Set Me as a Seal, Love Has Come, and Your Love is Extravagant). When I was at Franciscan, he came to give a concert, and the whole campus fell in love with his music. He's great in live concert.

http://www.spiritandsong.com/artists/mattmaher/discography

Another good artist, who has won many awards in the christian scene is Tom Booth (another music minister at St. Timothy Catholic Church), he has quite a few albums out. He was really good friends with the late Rich Mullins, and co-wrote some songs with him.

http://www.spiritandsong.com/artists/tombooth/discography

I think all of the artists at spirit and song are Catholic, but I don't know much about them.

This post is probably shocking coming from me, but hey I think contemporary christian music has its place.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Matt Maher | Biography

MATT MAHER has become one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed Catholic artists in the country.







Since the 2002 release of his first CD, The End and the Beginning, the rise of Matt and his music has been remarkable. At World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, Matt’s “Litany of the Saints” was sung at the official Papal Evening Prayer, with the Holy Father singing the lyrical prayer along with 700,000 young pilgrims from around the world. Matt’s songs “Just Like You” and “Love Has Come” were recorded by Christian artist Kathy Troccoli for her album The Heart of Me, which received a Grammy nomination for 2002 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year.







In October 2003, he received the Unity Award for “Best New Artist of the Year” from the United Catholic Music and Video Association. Matt’s music has received glowing reviews from major Catholic and Christian music publications. He has become a popular performer at youth ministry conferences and rallies, with fans dancing and singing along.







And yet, in spite of the temptation to let all this acclaim go to his head, Matt manages to keep everything in proper perspective. He still leads the music ministry every Sunday night at St. Timothy’s with his friend and mentor, Tom Booth. In fact, Matt was unable to personally accept his Unity Award at the ceremony in Bloomingdale, Ohio, because of his parish commitment.







One only has to look at Matt’s lyrics to understand the depth of his love and dedication to Jesus and the church: “I want to be holy just like you . . . .” “Love has come to show the way . . . .” “My God is powerful, is so faithful, is wonderful to me . . . .” “Jesus I surrender my life to you . . . .” Of his debut CD’s title song, Matt says “We are an ‘end people.’ Most of us spend our lives stuck at the end. For some the end means death, or graduation, or changing careers. We look at it all with finality. God looks at the end and says, ‘No, that’s the beginning.’ With God, death is life.”





Now, with the release of his highly anticipated sophomore CD, Welcome to Life, Matt Maher explores the wonders and challenges of this life that God calls us to. How blessed are we to have a grounded believer like Matt as he welcomes us to walk with him in his ministry to all God’s people, young and old, around the world.

 

[GK]

Listening to Maher and liking it... I knew there had to be some good stuff out there if I could just get pointed in the right direction. Now to listen to the others.

I know this might be pushing it, but do you know any groups that, well, rock? (That's not a putdown to Maher, at all! I enjoy this style, and am looking for louder stuff, as well.)

And no, your response didn't shock me one bit. I know there are many out there who appreciate this style of music who just don't appreciate it during Mass. I can respect that.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

http://www.myspace.com/mattmahermusic

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

I hear Scarecrow and Tinman are good, they're also at spirit and song.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

If you listen to Sophia, keep in mind that Sophia is another name for Wisdom, that's what he meant in writing that song. So translate Sophia everytime to Wisdom.

It's not about a girl, although he did write it after breaking up with a girlfriend.

 

[GK]

If you listen to Sophia, keep in mind that Sophia is another name for Wisdom, that's what he meant in writing that song. So translate Sophia everytime to Wisdom.

It's not about a girl, although he did write it after breaking up with a girlfriend.

I wrote some of my best works in a similar situation. Not that the songs had anythign to do with her, of course...

 

[GK]

enjoying the spirit and song website. love that they offer radio stations. don't love that it's in a windows format, instead of a more accessible format.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

enjoying the spirit and song website. love that they offer radio stations. don't love that it's in a windows format, instead of a more accessible format.

Have you checked out Scarecrow and Tinman, is that what you are looking for?

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Also if you didn't listen to "The End and the Beginning," song by Matt Maher, definitely listen to it. It's probably the hardest song Matt has so far, and probably the only song you'll ever that starts off like this:

Traaaanssuubstaantiaaatioonnnn!!!!!

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Here is a song by Tom Booth, Matt Maher, and Fr. Stan Fortuna about Pope John Paul II.

http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox/songs/67064

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

I used to listen to this beautiful song repeatedly, it is titled "My Lady," by Tom Booth.

http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox/songs/51829

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

This is Mother Teresa's "Fragrance Prayer" put to song by Tom Booth shortly after her death.

http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox/songs/59445

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Also, these two songs are good by Tom Booth:

http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox/songs/59624

and

http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox/songs/51193
This song was the theme song for a Steubenville West conference I went to my senior year of high school. The voice you hear speaking in the song is Pope John Paul II.

 

[Filia Mariae]

Judd & Maggie's music is not explcitly Catholic, but they are devout Catholics and their music contains many Catholic themes.

www.juddandmaggie.com

Daniel DeSilva's band, Crispin, is a Catholic funk band.

www.crispinmusic.org

Bob Lesnefsky, aka Righteous B, does Catholic rap and some praise and worship:

www.righteousb.com

 

[anawim]

I'm a musician. Music is important to me. I've spent the past howevermany years with "Christian Contemporary." I listen to a breadth of different types from Matt Redman to David Crowder Band to Kutless. I'm curious to know if there are any "Catholic" musicians/groups writing/singing/performing in a contemporary style (and, by contemporary, I mean really contemporary, not just the stuff we call contemporary that was only contemporary in 1977).

Please note, if you don't like this style of music, that's okay. You don't have to. You don't have to tell me you don't like it, either. We can still be friends.

A second note, I'm not talking about music during Mass here, nor do I intend such a discussion. I'm only thinking here about music to listen to on my own or with friends. I'm hoping to be introduced to artists to complement the music I'm already listening to and to share with friends.

My favorite performer is Jim Cowan. He also writes hymns, but his own stuff pales in comparison to when he performs other peoples music. He used to do the music ministry at the summer conferences in Steubenville. This past summer he chose to tour. His home parish in somewhere near Pittsburgh.

 

[DJ B.K.]

Try:

www.myspace.com/catholicmusic

or

www.phatmass.com

Lot's of different variety on those 2 sites.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Daniel DeSilva's band, Crispin, is a Catholic funk band.

www.crispinmusic.org

Oh yeah, I used to be a big fan of Crispin.

 

[GK]

Alright. Picked up both of Maher's albums available through iTunes and a guy named Ben Walther. Didn't get Tom Booth—nothing against him, just not the type of stuff I normally listen to. I've been checking out the other sites and listening to a few things. Unfortunately, I buy most all my music through iTunes and can't find all of them, there.