Spirituality and Music

Updated: Apr 2

Interviews

Film Reviews and Commentaries

Itzhak:The humanity and artistry of Itzhak Perlman
Reviewed by John Anderson America
Journey to Bethlehem
Reviewed by Buchi Akpati The Catholic World Report
Three Chaplains
Reviewed by Kathryn Post Religion News Service
Nathan-ism
Reviewed by Linda Buchwald Jewish Telegraphic Agency
What Lucia Saw
Commentary by Independent Catholic News
Killers of the Flower Moon
Reviewed Father Peter Malon Independent Catholic News
Five Nights at Freddy's
Reviewed by Joseph Holmes Religion Unplugged
Tell Me Who I Am”
Commentary by Timothy Bishop, SJ The Jesuit Post
The Starling Girl
Commentary by Religion News Service
Sevap/Mitzvah
Reviewed by Shira Li Bartov Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Occupied City
Commentary by Shira Li Bartov Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Tiger 3
Commentary by MEMO
Christmas at the Nativity
by Pope Francis
Announcement by Vatican News

Book Reviews

The Life of Jesus
by Andrea Tornielli
Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism
A History of the Popes: From Peter to the Present
by John O’Malley. SJ
Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism
Mary’s Life Journey & Her Amazing Yes!
by Denise Mercado
Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism
Eucharistic Miracles
by Joan Carroll Cruz
Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism
Come Forth
by James Martin. S.J.
Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism
Disaffections, Reasons and Reflections on His Pontificate
by Sergio Rubín and Francesca Ambrogetti
Reviewed by Deacon Dominic Cerrato Our Sunday Visitor
Discovering St. Alphonsus Liguori
by Dan Burke
Reviewed by Casey Chalk The Catholic World Report
The Little Liar
by Mitch Albom
Reviewed by Andrew Lapin Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The Autumn Ghost
by Hannah Wunch
Commentary by David Oshinsky, PhD JAMA
Friends Now and Forever: A Story About the Holy Souls.
by Confraternity for Holy Souls and Susan Tassone,
Reviewed by Catholic Vote
Marty Glickman: The Life of an American Jewish Sports Legend
by Jeffrey Gurock
Reviewed by Jacob Gurvis Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Life, My Story Through History
by Fabio Marchese Ragona
Reviewed by Vatican News
Year of the Monkey
Reviewed by Sharon Mesmer Commonweal

Opera Reviews and Commentaries

Dialogues des Carmélites
Reviewed by Oussama Zahr The New York Times

Announcements

Marco Lo Russo best soundtrack award Angel Award Monaco International Film Festival
Reviewed by Sharon Mesmer Commonweal

General Spirituality and Music Articles and Commentaries

Amaranthine
by Katie Yoder Our Sunday Visitor
In Bosnia, gentile musicians work to preserve the country’s Sephardic Jewish tradition
by David I. Klein Religion News Service
Rediscovering) Ancient Chant: Artificial Intelligence Aids Catholic Tradition in EU-Funded Project
by Solène Tadié National Catholic Register
Floriani: Musical Missionaries for Sacred Music
by Julian Kwasniewski National Catholic Register
Thousands of Hours of Live Gregorian Chants Available in 1 App
by Solène Tadié National Catholic Register
‘OPChant’ on YouTube Brings Gregorian Chant to Modern Ears
by Solène Tadié National Catholic Register
Sacred Music Both Modern and Traditional
by Aureio Porfiri OnrPeter5
Andrea Bocelli wows fans with ‘Amazing Grace’ in Times Square
by Katie Yoder Our Sunday Visitor
Beyond birds and flames: Let's think of the Holy Spirit as jazz music
by Daniel P. Horan National Catholic Reporter
St. Paul's Choir School's latest album evokes peace of heaven
by Jacqueline Tetrault The Pilot
From quitting the priesthood in protest to pursuing a music career, tenor Finbar Wright rewilds his own path
by Ciara Dwyer Independent.ie
Music and faith need each other. Do we even care?
by Father Dorian Llywelyn, SJ Angelus
Mozart’s Musical Genius & His Catholicism
by Dave Armstrong Patheos Sacred Music & Art by USCCB
"Music brings me closer to God"
by Daniel Opus Dei
A Strange Case: The Clash’s drummer-turned-chiropractor on music, healing, and his return to Catholicism
by Thomas V. Mirus Catholic Culture
Rush drummer marched to his own beat of faith
by C.S. Morrisey B.C. Catholic
New Christian Music Generator Taking The Industry By Storm
by Matthew Distepano Patheos
Beyond CCM: Finding God in Secular Music
by Stephen G. Adubato Patheos
How to Make a Beautiful Hymn Less Beautiful
by Jonathan Aigner Patheos
Scared of a solemn hymn? Dropping Mahatma Gandhi's favorite hymn is another move by Narendra Modi to bury India's past
by John Dayal Religion News Service
Five years after his death, Leonard Cohen is more than ever a man for our times
by Marcia Pally Religion News Service/National Catholic Reporter
Leonard Cohen’s Holy and Broken Hallelujah
by Guest Contributor Patheos
God’s Plan by Drake
by David J. Inczauskis, S.J. The Jesuit Post
Pro-life Florida musician finds a way to evangelize using rap music
by Katie Camario Catholic News Service/The Pilot
A 1,000-year-old German boys choir is now accepting girls
by Bob Schmitz NPR WBEZ Chicago
Classical Jesuit Music
by Massimo Scapin One Peter Five
Muslim sheikh and Catholic priest join forces for São Paulo’s homeless
by Eduardo Campos Lima Crux
The Pious Mind of a Sacred Musician
by Massimo Scap One Peter 5
Leonard Cohen’s Songs of the Yom Kippur War
by Matti Friedman Tablet
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Piano Variations
by Jean-Pierre Sonnet, SJ La Civiltà Cattolica
We play for the living and the dead
by BBC
‘It’s heady stuff’: A omposer turns St. John Henry Newman’s much-loved words into music
by Luke Coppen The Catholic World Report
Beauty of concert Ave Maria drew woman to Catholic Church
by Agnieszka Ruc Catholic News Agency/The Catholic World Report
Musical Adventures in Beauty, Truth and Goodness
by K.V. Turley National Catholic Register
God in the Music of Damiana Natali
by Claudio Zonta SJ La Civiltà Cattolica
Dialogues of the Carmelites: A Reflection on Courage In the Face of Death
by Guest Writer Patheos
Pandemic solitude strengthened Harry Connick Jr.’s Catholic faith — and shaped his new album of hymns
by Maina Mwaura Religion News Service/America
Wow Priest Composes Music for Mass "Missa lucis" for Orchestra and Choir
by Jesus Caritas Est Catholic News World
Jesus Found Me off-Broadway in Row K
by Jake Braithwaite, SJ The Jesuit Post
Meet a Catholic Composer at the Cutting Edge, Mark Nowakowski is part of the musical ‘Catholic Renaissance’ underway.
by K.V. Turley National Catholic Register
Countercultural Catholic Composer Strikes Sacred Chord in Music. Sir James MacMillan, the foremost modern British composer and a forthright Catholic, says ‘music is the perfect art form to bring people together to see a better world.’
by K.V. Turley National Catholic Register
Pope Benedict XVI Praises ‘Glorious Music’ of Bach in Festival Message
by Catholic News Agency/National Catholic Register
Priest hopes being in spotlight at Groban concert can inspire good
by Gabriella Patti Crux
Music performance allows contemplation on sex abuse crisis
by Sarah Salvadore The Catholic Reporter
In Iceland, composer and Polish Carmelite sisters turn saints' poetry into music
by Zita Ballinger Fletcher Global Sisters Report
In ‘Broken Silence,’ a composer brings a note of hope to the church’s sex abuse crisis
by Maggi Van Dorn America
Vespers for the Feast of the Transfiguration
by J. Wright Reviewed by Carl E. Olson The Catholic World Report
Pope Francis sings the praises of Gregorian chantz
by Deacon Greg Kandra Patheos
Singer-songwriter trades in secular success to share his faith in music
by Blanca Morales Crux
Q & A with Sr. Linnet Antony, bringing people to God through music
by Philip Mathew Global Sisters Report
Il Volo: Hear the moving Ave Maria that they sang at the WYD in Panama
by Aleteia
Catholic composer to debut arrangement dedicated to his mentor
by Dan Russo Catholic News Service/Crux
Yo-Yo Ma Wants Bach to Save the World
by Zachary Wolf The New York Times
Leonard Cohen’s Holy and Broken Hallelujah
by Alisa Ungar-Sargon Patheos
From Punk Rock to Faith: “Christ Has Changed My Life”
by Deborah Castellano Lubov Zerit
God’s Plan by Drake
by David Inczauskis. SJThe Jesuit Post
The Enduring Catholic Imagination of Bruce Springsteen
by Brian P. Conniff America
"Be Not Afraid”: The song that eases the biggest transitions in and out of life"
by Coleen Dulle America
To find God’s revelation, one can turn to music
by Terrance Klein America
“Be Not Afraid”: The song that eases the biggest transitions in and out of life
by Colleen Dulle America
God’s Plan by Drake
by David Inczauskis. SJ The Jesuit Post
Andrea Bocelli wows fans with ‘Amazing Grace’ in Times Square
by Katie Yoder Our Sunday Visitor
Sacred Music Both Modern and Traditional
by Aurelio Porfiri OnrPeter5
China: New church built by community efforts
by Fr Dan Troy Independent Catholic News
Beyond birds and flames: Let's think of the Holy Spirit as jazz music
by Daniel P. Horan National Catholic Reporter
St. Paul's Choir School's latest album evokes peace of heaven
by Jacqueline Tetrault The Pilot
From quitting the priesthood in protest to pursuing a music career, tenor Finbar Wright rewilds his own path
by Ciara Dwyer Independent.ie
Music and faith need each other. Do we even care?
by Father Dorian Llywelyn, SJ Angelus
Mozart’s Musical Genius & His Catholicism
by Dave Armstrong Patheos
Sacred Music & Art by USCCB
"Music brings me closer to God"
by Daniel Opus Dei
A Strange Case: The Clash’s drummer-turned-chiropractor on music, healing, and his return to Catholicism
by Thomas V. Mirus Catholic Culture
Rush drummer marched to his own beat of faith
by C.S. Morrisey B.C. Catholic
New Christian Music Generator Taking The Industry By Storm
by Matthew Distepano Patheos
Beyond CCM: Finding God in Secular Music
by Stephen G. Adubato Patheos
How to Make a Beautiful Hymn Less Beautiful
by Jonathan Aigner Patheos
Scared of a solemn hymn? Dropping Mahatma Gandhi's favorite hymn is another move
by Narendra Modi to bury India's past
bylJohn Dayal Religion News Service
Five years after his death, Leonard Cohen is more than ever a man for our times
by Marcia Pally Religion News Service/National Catholic Reporter
Leonard Cohen’s Holy and Broken Hallelujah
by Guest Contributor Patheos
God’s Plan by Drake
by David J. Inczauskis, S.J. The Jesuit Post
Pro-life Florida musician finds a way to evangelize using rap music
by Katie Camario Catholic News Service/The Pilot
A 1,000-year-old German boys choir is now accepting girls
by Bob Schmitz NPR WBEZ Chicago
Classical Jesuit Music
by Massimo Scapin One Peter Five
Muslim sheikh and Catholic priest join forces for São Paulo’s homeless
by Eduardo Campos Lima Crux
The Pious Mind of a Sacred Musician
by Massimo Scap One Peter 5
Leonard Cohen’s Songs of the Yom Kippur War
by Matti Friedman Tablet
Bronx rapper becomes US youngest bishop
by CathNews New Zealand
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Piano Variations
by Jean-Pierre Sonnet, SJ La Civiltà Cattolica
We play for the living and the dead
by BBC
‘It’s heady stuff’: A composer turns St. John Henry Newman’s much-loved words into music
by Luke Coppen The Catholic World Report
Beauty of concert Ave Maria drew woman to Catholic Church
by Agnieszka Ruc Catholic News Agency/The Catholic World Report
Musical Adventures in Beauty, Truth and Goodness
by K.V. Turley National Catholic Register
God in the Music of Damiana Natali
by Claudio Zonta SJ La Civiltà Cattolica
Dialogues of the Carmelites: A Reflection on Courage In the Face of Death
by Guest Writer Patheos
Pandemic solitude strengthened Harry Connick Jr.’s Catholic faith — and shaped his new album of hymns
by Maina Mwaura Religion News Service/America
Wow Priest Composes Music for Mass "Missa lucis" for Orchestra and Choir
by Jesus Caritas Est Catholic News World
Jesus Found Me off-Broadway in Row K
by Jake Braithwaite, SJ The Jesuit Post
How Billie Holiday’s religious childhood shaped her legacy
by Heather King The Crux/Angelus
Meet a Catholic Composer at the Cutting Edge, Mark Nowakowski is part of the musical ‘Catholic Renaissance’ underway.
by K.V. Turley National Catholic Register
Countercultural Catholic Composer Strikes Sacred Chord in Music.Sir James MacMillan, the foremost modern British composer and a forthright Catholic, says ‘music is the perfect art form to bring people together to see a better world.’
by K.V. Turley Natiopnal Catholic Register
Pope Benedict XVI Praises ‘Glorious Music’ of Bach in Festival Message
by Catholic News Agency/National Catholic Register
Band of Religious Sisters Evangelize Through Music During Pandemic
by New Evangelization Television (NET)
Priest hopes being in spotlight at Groban concert can inspire good
by Gabriella Patti Crux
Music performance allows contemplation on sex abuse crisis
by Sarah Salvadore The Catholic Reporter
In Iceland, composer and Polish Carmelite sisters turn saints' poetry into music
by Zita Ballinger Fletcher Global Sisters Report
The melody Paul Simon borrowed from Bach
by J-P Mauro Aleteia
In ‘Broken Silence,’ a composer brings a note of hope to the church’s sex abuse crisis
by Maggi Van Dorn America
Borno Brothers ‘Band’ Together for Haiti
by Andrew Pugliese The Tablet
Vespers for the Feast of the Transfiguration
by J.J. Wright
Reviewed by Carl E. Olson The Catholic World Report
Pope Francis sings the praises of Gregorian chantz
by Deacon Greg Kandra Patheos
She was buried in a mudslide that killed her father and brother. Singing has been her salvation
by Catherine Saillant The Los Angeles Times
Singer-songwriter trades in secular success to share his faith in music
by Blanca Morales Crux
Q & A with Sr. Linnet Antony, bringing people to God through music
by Philip Mathew Global Sisters Report
Italian composer fears church music in crisis
by UCANews Reporter
Il Volo: Hear the moving Ave Maria that they sang at the WYD in Panama
by Aleteia
Catholic composer to debut arrangement dedicated to his mentor
by Dan Russo Catholic News Service/Crux
Yo-Yo Ma Wants Bach to Save the World
by Zachary Woolfe The New York Times
Leonard Cohen’s Holy and Broken Hallelujah
by Alisa Ungar-Sargon Patheos
From Punk Rock to Faith: “Christ Has Changed My Life”
by Deborah Castellano Lubov Zerit
God’s Plan by Drake
by David Inczauskis, SJ The Jesuit Post
David Bowie: Rock’s enigmatic shape-shifter
by Rob Weinert-Kendt America
The Enduring Catholic Imagination of Bruce Springsteen
by Brian P. Conniff America
"Be Not Afraid”: The song that eases the biggest transitions in and out of life"
by Coleen Dulle America
To find God’s revelation, one can turn to music
by Terrance Klein America
“Be Not Afraid”: The song that eases the biggest transitions in and out of life
by Colleen Dulle America
God’s Plan by Drake
by David Inczauskis, SJ The Jesuit Post

Videos

Ave Maria - Marco Lo Russo Coro Voces del Mar OEPV Made in Italy concert Teatro Vallarta Mexico 2018

To God's Ear: Music and Song of the Jewish Liturgy

Gregorian Chant - Liturgy of St Anthony

Henry Purcell - Christ is made the sure foundation

Gregorian Chants For The Mother Of Jesus | Sacred Choir In Honor Of Mary

Immaculate Mary | Ave Ave Maria | Lourdes Hymn | Emmaus Music