Appreciative audience for church music maestro

A diverse group of parishioners interested in the increased use of singing in church came along to a recent church music workshop given by American expert Tom Kendzia.

Based in Rhode Island, Tom is well known in church music circles as a composer, arranger, producer, and performer. He has been a professional liturgical musician for more than 30 years.

"The idea was for me to sing some of my own music that they might be able to use for an upcoming event to sing together," he said at the event in Kilcullen's Parish Centre. "I've made an effort over the years to write music that will appeal to a wider audience, and the thing that I find most gratifying is seeing the church filled with different age groups, worshipping together and looking like it is having an effect on them."



Tom's interest in the music came from a variety of places. He was classically trained on the piano, played popular music by ear, and recalls that in his own parish as he was growing up there was 'terrific' choral music. "My high school had very contemporary music, so I was exposed to a real mix."

He says that in America for some time there has been acceptance of multicultural art forms, generating music that represents everyone rather than simply one kind of background. This has also translated into liturgical music.

"The idea of different masses framed by different kinds of music has kind of gone away in America, and now it is a case of having liturgies that give the best possible kinds of music from each culture over the course of the weekend. Instead of designating a particular mass as a choir mass, we try and have choirs singing at all the masses with a variety of music styles, classical, harmony, and contemporary."

He is aware of the reluctance of congregations to sing at Irish masses, but says a big effort is required to change this. "This is what happened in the United States, where the bishops across the board decided to make that effort. Priests were trained, in singing and how to do all the things necessary to encourage participation. I'm beginning to see good things happening here. But it can be difficult, getting people to realise that the liturgy changes, that it is going to be done in a new way."

The event was organised by pastoral worker Hannah Evans.