The Catholic Standard and Times

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• Eternally familiar: The sacred music of the Church
• Crispin: The Catholic funk band
• Ukrainian Catholic music: Joining the angels in song
• Going ‘UNDERGROUND’ to hear CATHOLIC MUSIC
• African-American Catholic music: An impassioned voice for Christ
• Bethany: More than a band, a ministry
• Local Gospel opera debuts on film
• Where two or more are gathered in His name, there is music

For more on the artists featured in these articles, visit:

The Catholic Music Network (Music samples)

The Archdiocesan Boy Choir
Crispin (Music samples)
The Innocence Mission (Music samples)
The Vatican III (Music samples)
Serenity of Life (Music samples)
Bethany
The Word — A Gospel Opera (Music samples)
Paul Harrigan (Music samples)
Janelle (Music samples)
Backyard Galaxy (Music samples)
Sarah Hart (Music samples)
Tony Melendez
Rachel Lampa
Rick Elias (Music samples)
Point 5 Covenant
Mars Ill

Eternally familiar: The sacred
music of the Church

By Susan Brinkmann
CS&T Correspondent

It is the music that has lifted hearts to God for 500 years: timeless Gregorian chants, great masterpieces such as the Ave Maria and the Panis Angelicus, the ecstatic Easter morning Alleluias, and the magical midnight melodies to the newborn King. Sung through the ages, each note echoes with the memories of a thousand liturgical years gone by, and resounds with the hope of a thousand more to come.

Somewhere, deep in the Catholic soul, that music remains eternally familiar.

“Many people don’t realize how familiar they are with Gregorian chant,” said Tom Windfelder, Director of the Archdiocesan Boy Choir. “‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ is Gregorian chant. Some settings of the Alleluia at Mass are Gregorian. The Salve Regina is Gregorian.”

Windfelder’s 70-plus member choir keeps the Church’s finest musical traditions alive by performing its most celebrated scores throughout the United States and Europe. Especially powerful are the choir’s performances of music that was composed for boys’ voices, and meant to be sung inside the magnificent old cathedrals of Europe.

“It’s what we call ‘the cathedral sound,’” Windfelder said. “These big cathedrals have all these different galleys and choir lofts, where the different choirs are all singing at the same time. It’s the original ‘surround sound,’ but from medieval times.”

The boys recently took their second Holy Week trip to Avila, Spain, where they sang the Sequence for the Easter Mass, Victimae Paschali Laudes, written by Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) who was the maestro de cappelo of the Vatican’s Collegium Germanicum. He is known for his Christmas motets such as O Magnun Mysterium and his signature Ave Maria. De Victoria’s Sequence is a song to Mary Magdalene, asking her what she saw on Easter morning.

“It’s a recounting of what it would have been like to talk to the eyewitnesses on that first Easter morning,” Windfelder said. “At the end, there are all these alleluias bouncing back and forth from the different choirs — it keeps rising and rising into this crescendo, until finally it’s one grand, glorious alleluia.

“This is what the people would have thrilled to in these cathedrals,” Windfelder added. “Some of the parents who were with us on Easter morning in Avila said it would go down as the most memorable and exciting Easter morning of their lives.”

In 2004, the choir recaptured that original “surround sound” on a CD titled “Cathedral Sounds,” which contains recordings of the Church’s most brilliant musical compositions: Panis Angelicus by Cesar Franck; Regina Coeli by Gregor Aichinger; Resonet in Laudibus, a 14th century German melody; and de Victoria’s Ave Maria. It also includes the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei from the Latin Mass and an antiphon to the Virgin Mary, entitled Tota Pulchra es Maria.

Most of the music the choir sings is either Gregorian chant or has chant threaded through it, Windfelder said.

“This is because a lot of the pieces we sing were written in the 14th or 15th century. The first break away from Gregorian chant was in these renaissance motets,” he said. “They were usually a cappella and based on the chant. They’re using the chant as the inspiration for the piece.”

Windfelder studied under the late Dr. Peter La Manna, who was the director of the Collegiate Choir and the original boy choir until his death in 1990. An original member of the Von Trapp Family Singers, La Manna had a doctorate in Gregorian chant.

“He would take us to Belgium to hear the monks of Solesmes, where Gregorian chant was done better than anywhere else in the world,” Windfelder said. “They were like the caretakers of Gregorian chant for the Vatican. If you look in the St. Gregory hymnal, every other chant came from Solesmes. Dr. La Manna would teach us the renaissance music, and show us how the music was based on chant, and how the same rules applied.”

La Manna knew that almost everyone in the collegiate choir was a prospective choir director or organist, thus he ensured that the Church’s finest musical tradition would carry on.

And it has in the Archdiocesan Boy Choir, under Windfelder’s leadership.
The boys, who range in age from 7 to 16, routinely sing music that is 400 or 500 years old.

How does one accomplish such a feat in an age of hip-hop and rap? With a lot of skill, Windfelder said, and some tactics learned from another master under whom he had the privilege of studying.

“I studied under Robert Page, who was the choral director at Temple University and director of the Mendelssohn Club in the 1970s. He had a knack for keeping the vitality, but with just enough humor, and a way of approaching things that it wasn’t hum-drum. It’s his tricks —his methods — that I use a lot of times with the boys.”

One of those tactics is teaching Latin to the boys phonetically first, to insure proper pronunciation, then reintroducing the correct Latin later. “It’s not as hard as people may think, because Mr. Tom writes out phonetic Latin — or whatever language we’re singing in — so we basically sing what we see on the page,” said Greg Hildritch, a 13-year-old choir member from Broomall. “It can be a little tricky, and we do a lot of practicing. You’d laugh if you came into a first rehearsal.”

But the method works, and it has enhanced the choir’s reputation, especially in Avila, where the boys drew standing-room-only crowds for their Holy Week singing in 2002 and 2005. Not only were the churches packed, but the boys were often asked to perform impromptu recitals on city sidewalks.

“My friend and I were walking down the street in Segovia, and one of the shopkeepers saw the choir symbol on one of our bags, so he asked us to sing,” Hildritch said. “We sang Cantate Domino, which translates as ‘Sing to the Lord.’ It’s sort of our theme song.”

The choir members’ enthusiasm is not hard to understand, Windfelder said: “Even though the music is old, to them, it’s new.

“When you feed them the best stuff — when they’ve heard the masterpieces, the treasures of the Catholic church,” he said, “they want more of it.”

In fact, the boys are disappointed if a Lent goes by and they don't get the chance to sing Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, which was written specifically for boys’ voices when the composer was dying of tuberculosis.

“Pergolesi caught tuberculosis and was in a monastery because he had to be isolated from the world,” Windfelder said. "While he was there, dying, he wrote the Stabet Mater. He really had the feeling about death and dying and about eternal life waiting for him because of what was happening to him, which is why the music is so heartfelt, so engaging, so passionate.”

Fifteen-year-old Michael Zubert from Stowe thinks the music is simply amazing. “It’s wonderful to be singing something that has been sung for so many centuries by people of the same faith,” he said. “This music definitely strengthens and inspires many of us. Everybody I know has been touched by it.”

Including themselves. Eleven-year-old Jimmy Corcoran from Tacony knows he's doing something special when he sings the Church’s most beautiful music. “Our faith came from that language and knowing and understanding it helps us to know our faith better,” he said.

“Mr. Tom makes sure we understand every song we sing, what it means, who wrote it, and the whole history of it. Since I joined the choir, I understand my faith a lot more,” he said. “It’s brought me closer to God.”

Which is exactly what sacred music is intended to do.

For more information, visit www.archboychoir.org

Contact Susan Brinkmann at fiat723@aol.com or (215) 965-4615.

Crispin: The Catholic funk band

By NADIA POZO
CS&T Staff Writer

It’s unstoppable. Your feet start moving to the beat. Before you know it you’re engulfed by the electrifying energy, and you’re up out of your chair, jamming to the contagious grooves of Crispin, the Catholic funk band that promises to deliver “music fo’ yo’ soul.” And Crispin means it.

With such soulful originals as “Crispin” — a song about the patron saint of shoemakers — and revamped, old gospel favorites such as “When the Saints Go Marching In,” this band puts all the Catholic flavor in its original fusion of jazz, funk and rock-n-roll.

“We wanted to take back the role of music in culture,” explained Daniel diSilva, the band’s lead singer and manager. “Music was meant to glorify God.”

Although the band is made up of mostly non-Catholic musicians, its music is undeniably Catholic — and that means, according to diSilva, that it “introduces you to Jesus in the Eucharist,” and the beauty of the Catholic faith.

Originally, Crispin wasn’t meant to exist longer than one show, on one night — Dec. 8, 1998, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. But what diSilva didn’t count on was the overwhelming response the band would receive.

“We played some original music, and ‘funk-ified’ some of the praise and worship songs, making them listening pieces rather than sing-alongs,” diSilva said.

The very next day, he received several phone calls offering other venues, but there was a minor problem — there was no band.

DiSilva had pulled together some of the best talent in the secular music world to do the show. Having spent years as a professional musician, playing with top artists such as B.B. King, the Chieftains, and James Taylor, he had the best connections — but he wondered: Was it what God wanted?

He had sworn off the life of a musician, because, for him, it had been a life of sin — and that was a life he was no longer interested in living.

“I wanted to start living like ‘God was God, and I was his creation,’” diSilva said of the night he decided to abandon his successful music career.

To do that, he knew he needed to develop his relationship with Jesus more deeply. He went back to school and obtained his bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Dallas, and he learned the art of woodworking.

“I named each piece after a saint and then, while working on it, I prayed to that saint to help me change,” diSilva said. “I also prayed the rosary every day.”

His relationship with the Blessed Mother became so strong that he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Soon, he realized that the Blessed Mother didn’t want him to abandon his gift for music, but to use it, instead, for the glory of God.

After the success of his one-night band, he called the musicians together again, and Crispin has gone on to play hundreds of shows around the country for the past seven years.

The band is unique, in that diSilva sees its first purpose as a ministry to other musicians.

When he pulls secular musicians into the band, to experience a night of great jamming that is also edifying, diSilva said he knows they get to see another side of performing — one that doesn’t involve sex and alcohol. In fact, conversions within the band have happened over the years.

“It’s not about the band — but [about] having a deeper relationship with Jesus, and playing these songs. How can we not be transformed, and elevated to a deeper relationship with God?” diSilva said.

At the same time, the secular musicians bring their own gifts to the Catholic music world, namely their skills, which have raised the bar for Catholic music in general.

The band has included Keith Anderson, the saxophonist for Lenny Kravitz; Anderson appears on Crispin’s Christmas album, the “Crispin Live” CD, and the “Psalmba” CD.

It has also included Grammy-nominated Bernard Wright, who was the music director for Roberta Flack and is now on tour with Roy Hardgrove, a 2005 Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter and composer. Then there is Sean McCurley, one of the country’s most respected drummers, who also plays with Joe McBride and Kirk Whalum. And, Father Stan Fortuna, the Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, who is an internationally acclaimed musician.

Other artists have been Donald Hayes, the saxophone player for Stevie Wonder and the top-selling gospel artist Fred Hammond, and Bobby Sparks, the organ player for Hammond B3, who also plays with Kirk Franklin, the best-selling gospel artist of all time.

Crispin is breaking the stereotypes about Catholic music, and the band is able to do that because of the support of Catholics who contribute financially to its vision.

DiSilva believes that as long as Catholic artists “stay true to their calling, which is to make music that draws in the hearts of men, and then drops those hearts off before Christ,” they’re doing their part to counter the contemporary culture of death.

“I see the signs of springtime in the Church in the efforts of artists who are reclaiming the arts,” diSilva said. “Catholic philanthropists are beginning to embrace the real power of the arts to form the heart — especially music, movies, and the visual arts. When those art forms are done skillfully, and are informed by right theology and good apologetics, the potential is for real beauty.”

CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo can be reached at npozo@adphila.org or (215) 965-4614.

Ukrainian Catholic music:
Joining the angels in song

By Bob Steiner
Editorial Assistant

Good music can certainly enhance the church-going experience. But what if sacred song was more than supplemental — what if it composed the whole liturgy?

For some Catholics, that’s the case. And it affords them an opportunity to enter into a whole other spiritual realm in worship.

“The entire liturgy is sung beginning to end,” said Father John Ciurpita, pastor of Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chester and SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Clifton Heights, as well as chairman of the Liturgical Commission for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. “The music is essential because when you look at the liturgy, it’s the idea that we’re taking our worship and uniting it with that of the angels.”

In the last and most mysterious book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, gloriously vivid imagery is used to describe the worship of angels in heaven. Those Catholics who belong to the Latin Rite will be familiar with the reference to this heavenly liturgy in the Eucharistic Prayer, in which the celebrant says, “with all choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise.”

The same holds true for the Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
“We even have one part of the liturgy at the Great Entrance, which is when the gifts of bread and wine are offered, a hymn that is sung at that point, referred to as the Cherubicon, which is ‘Let us who mystically represent the cherubim and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside all cares of this life,’” Father Ciurpita said. “It shows at that point that our worship is being united with that of the heavenly liturgy.”

The Ukrainian Catholic Church was fully united with Rome in 1596 and has the most members of any of the Eastern Catholic churches. Within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, one can find its traditions not only in parish churches, but likewise in schools such as St. Basil Academy and Manor College, both in Jenkintown, which were founded by the Byzantine Ukrainian Sisters of Saint Basil the Great.

And if the Divine Liturgy is the vehicle by which the earthly and heavenly liturgical union takes place, the singing, Father Ciurpita says, is the fuel that propels it forward.

“The only thing that is spoken is the sermon,” said Father Ciurpita. “[The Divine Liturgy] is sung as a dialogue, or as we would say, ‘congregational’ singing. There’s a cantor usually leading the people, and if you had a parish that was lucky enough to have a deacon, you’d have the deacon then doing the litanies (or petitions).”

But although music is a fundamental component in the Ukrainian Catholic Divine Liturgy, being of the Byzantine Rite, you will only hear one “instrument” being used.

“The music is completely a cappella,” said Father Ciurpita. “There’s no instrumentation used at all — no organs, no pianos, no guitars — nothing.”

Whereas one finds musical instruments being used for worship in the Book of Psalms, the description of the heavenly liturgy in Revelation focuses on the angels’ vocal praise.

“That’s why we don’t use instruments at all,” Father Ciurpita said. “We use our natural instruments, which are our voices. We speak to each other everyday. When we speak … in our worship to God, we raise it up. [The] music is just meant to raise everybody up out of this world. It’s meant to be very transcendent.”

And while an individual feels spiritually lifted by the music, the congregational nature of the songs serves to create a sense of communion that is one of the fundamental purposes of any Eucharistic celebration.

“Everybody in church is singing, so right from the beginning, you’re totally involved in the worship,” Father Ciurpita said. “The worship is totally communal. It’s not a cantor or choir singing and you’re passive as a member of the congregation. You’re singing right from the beginning and singing the whole thing. So it’s very much a communal worship.

“The litanies, where the deacon is making a petition and the people are responding, ‘Lord, have mercy,’ almost becomes in a way a mantra at times,” Father Ciurpita added. “The liturgy takes about an hour on Sunday, and … after a while, it takes you into a different place.”

A place where two liturgies — one earthly, one heavenly — become united in one worship. The whole experience in a way parallels the unity reflected in, as John Paul II said, the “two lungs” of the Church, where the Western and Eastern churches come together as one universal Catholic Church. As he wrote in Redemptoris Mater (“On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church”) those two lungs breathing together would “be the way for the pilgrim Church to sing and to live more perfectly her ‘Magnificat’” (34).

And as far as singing is concerned, the Ukrainian Church is certainly doing its part.

“The whole worship is so unique because you’re not having anything recited,” Father Ciurpita said. “The whole liturgy is completely sung, so it’s this total participation. The music … just becomes very natural. You just get caught up in it and you just go with it.”All the way to heaven.

Bob Steiner is the CS&T’s Editorial and Sports Assistant. E-mail him at rsteiner@adphila.org or call 215-587-3698.

Going ‘UNDERGROUND’ to hear CATHOLIC MUSIC

BY NADIA POZO
CS&T Staff Writer

It’s counter-cultural. It’s powerful and refreshing. And it’s what they’ve been looking for.

That’s how young adults describe the Catholic Underground — the largest young adult gathering in the tri-state area, which is drawing the best of Catholic music from all over the country.

What makes the Catholic Underground unique is the innovative way prayer, worship, music and fun are combined. An Underground meeting incorporates the arts with Eucharistic Adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation, for a powerful Catholic experience that attracts hundreds of individuals and families to its monthly gatherings.

“It’s what a good time is suppose to be,” said Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Brother Agostino Torres, the Catholic Underground’s master of ceremonies. “We’ll have Eucharistic Adoration and Latin chants, followed by a hip hop artist — and it works. It makes sense to people of our generation.”

He’s right. Sometimes as many as 500 young people attend the gathering, which is held on the first Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John the Baptist Church in Yonkers, New York.
Some devotees, including young families with their children, commute up to four hours to attend. Even older folks and a great number of religious participate.

“You can definitely sense the presence of God here,” said 30-year-old Jessica Panish of St. Augustine Parish in Philadelphia. “It’s very enriching spiritually, and there’s something for everyone.”

“I had a wonderful experience at the Catholic Underground, from hearing an awesome band to being in fellowship with other Catholics — and most importantly… beginning the night with adoring Christ in the Eucharist,” said one first-time attendee, Anne Marie Chiaravalloti of Holy Savior Parish in Norristown.

“Since I didn’t know what to expect prior to going to this event, it was a very humbling experience to walk into the basement of the church and see over 400 people on their knees praising and worshiping our Lord,” Chiaravalloti said. “I thought to myself how awesome it was to begin the night in such a reverent and holy manner, and how there is no better way to spend a Saturday night than to be in His presence. As intimate and personal as it is to go to adoration on my own, it takes on a whole new experience when [we are] surrounded with the community of Catholic believers, in what we call the Body of Christ.”

The Catholic Underground is one answer to Pope John Paul II’s call to a new evangelization. It was conceived by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

“The Gospel lives in conversation with culture, and if the Church holds back from the culture, the Gospel itself falls silent,” warned the late pope, who knew that lesson well from his own Polish experience. “Therefore, we must be fearless in crossing the threshold of the communication and information revolution now taking place.”

With those words in mind, and responding to the needs of the young people they serve, the CFRs began the Catholic Underground more than three years ago, after prayer and fasting.

“Culture is the air we breath,” explained Brother Christopher Paul Metzger, the catalyst for the gathering. “What the Catholic Underground is trying to do is form a resistance to the culture of death we live in, by creating a Catholic subculture.”

Following the late pope’s example of nonviolent resistance through culture that was exemplified in the underground Rhapsody Theater group he formed to keep the Catholic Polish culture alive during the Nazi occupation, the Catholic Underground provides a haven in which like-minded Catholic young people can come together to think, pray, speak and enjoy their Catholic faith and culture — centered, of course, on the Eucharist.

“We know that Eucharistic Adoration is key to the rejuvenation of Catholic Culture,” Brother Christopher said. “No matter how many times we tell people that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, they’re only going to understand that through spending time with Him in Eucharistic Adoration.”

The Catholic Underground draws people into adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with music and the Liturgy of the Hours, creating an intimate atmosphere of reverent worship.

The evening moves from one form of prayer to another, offering Catholic music and the visual arts.

But again, the evening confounds all the stereotypes: The music, poetry, film or drama that are offered are all on the cutting-edge of the arts, addressing contemporary culture but at the same time remaining faithful to the Gospel. And when it comes to selecting the artists who perform at a gathering, Pope John Paul II is again the measuring stick.

“The pope exhorted young people not to settle for mediocrity, telling them that inside every heart, we know we’re called to greatness.” Brother Christopher said. “What we don’t want is secular culture that’s painted over with Christian images. That’s not life-giving. It’s important to encounter Christ in the artist’s work, while speaking to the times we’re in.”

The goal is to encourage and inspire those who attend to be disciples of Christ first and foremost, Brother Christopher said.

Over the years, musicians such as Crispin, Rick Alias, Mars Ills and Father Stan Fortuna have shared their talents at The Catholic Underground, covering everything from jam band through funk, rock and hip hop to reggae.

The evenings have also showcased visual arts work of companies that include Grassroots Films and St. Michael’s Warriors, a Catholic hip hop dance company. The CFRs even have their own, in-house Catholic Underground band.

“In our culture, and within the Church, we have these preconceived ideas of what it means to be Catholic — as if it’s unimaginative and stale,” said Brother Christopher. “We reject that false image.”

That freshness most impressed 25-year-old Chris Spewock of St. Patrick Parish in Philadelphia.

Spewock said he appreciated that the praise and worship music at The Catholic Underground was reverent but contemporary, that the Blessed Sacrament was creatively but reverently displayed — and that “there were both CFRs and diocesan priests celebrating together.” Not to mention, he said, the “sheer quantity of young people attending. …

“I think the Holy Hour is a real draw, maybe more so than most people’s local Holy Hour, because it’s innovative,” said Spewock. He also believes that the authenticity of the CFRs attracts young people: “They seem to be sincerely alive in their faith and devoted to Christ and to their vows. And they’re joyful. They’re easy to admire and identify with.”

“The first time I went, I saw Crispin,” Panish said. “I went while having a dry spell in my prayer life, so it was awesome to be able to praise and worship like that through music. I bought the [Crispin] CD and visited their Web site to see when they’d be playing in Philadelphia. But the second time I went, I headed to confession. I had a powerful confession. It hit me more than anything else.”

The sacrament of reconciliation is offered in the upper church immediately after Eucharistic Adoration. Up to eight priests hear confessions, and sometimes there are as many as 200 people in line and the wait can take more than three-hours.

“As a community, we prayer together in front of the Eucharist — but then people have a more personal encounter with Christ through confession. And then they get to hang out and experience this burgeoning Catholic culture,” Brother Agostino said.

“The Church, in her history, has always been an innovator of culture,” he added. “Why not today? Why not now? There’s no reason why we can’t have an awesome Catholic culture. We’ve had it for the past 2000 years.”
It’s just a matter of renewing our culture — and the Catholic Underground is doing just that.

CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo can be reached at npozo@adphila.org or (215) 965-4614.

African-American Catholic music: An impassioned voice for Christ

By Bob Steiner
CS&T Editorial Assistant

The command of Psalm 33:3 is simple and direct: Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy!

In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, for those who know where to listen, there is a unique music, burning with the spiritual fire of the Catholic faith and giving voice to the meaning of that psalm. It is the liturgial music of African-American Catholics.

“It’s vibrant. It is alive,” says Darin Williams, Director of Religious Education at St. Raymond of Peñafort Parish. “It proclaims the Scripture [and] it’s our way of giving God total praise and adoration in our own, ethnic style.”

Williams, who has directed the Mass Choir for the archdiocesan Mass in honor of St. Martin de Porres held every November, said African-American liturgical music is a form of music that “talks directly to the senses, and allows the listener to be absorbed into the spirit of God … bringing about the good news of the Lord in a style of music that is uplifting and spiritualistic.”

To experience an African-American liturgy is to see the coming-together of a congregation, a community, and a people, who draw on their common history through song as a means of bringing themselves ever closer to God in Eucharistic celebration.

African-Americans make up just over three percent of the Catholics in the United States, yet their contributions to the Mass through music can hardly be overlooked given the emotional depth of their songs — a depth that cannot be fully measured outside the context of their ancestors’ horrific past.

“You have to go all the way back to the slavery days, when the spirituals were born out of bondage, grief, pain,” said Rita Stewart-Bostic, choir director at St. Ignatius of Loyola and Our Mother of Sorrows Parishes. “In an African-American church, we’re very expressive through our singing — our singing is our ministry.”

The expressiveness of that ministry manifests itself in the songs African-American Catholics sing today — songs, Williams says, that strive for an intimacy with the Lord.

“It is all about a feeling from within you that connects you with God,” he said. “The African-American experience is … interpersonal. It’s [about] a oneness, or a walk with God … saying how proud we are that we are black, and we are Catholic.

“It is also a way of telling a story — of passing down our traditions from generation to generation — because our music is our story and always has been our story,” he said.

That story, of a suffering people yearning for freedom, is also a story of that same people giving praise to the God who comforted them in their sorrow, and who would save them not only from sin, as He did all of humanity, but from the shackles of slavery.

Their story, and the traditions that are derived from it, are present every time an African-American Catholic community gathers for worship.

The Church has welcomed the incorporation of such traditions into the liturgy. As part of the Second Vatican Council in 1963, Pope Paul VI said, in Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy): “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community; rather does she respect and foster the genius and talents of the various races and peoples.
“Anything in these peoples’ way of life … she studies with sympathy and, if possible, preserves intact,” the pope said. “Sometimes in fact she admits such things into the liturgy itself.” (37)

As pastor of St. Raymond, Msgr. John F. O’Brien sees that dynamic unfold at every Mass.

African-American music, he says, “brings about a feeling — and not just an intellectual appreciation — of why someone is in church.” The music, he said, “is a major component in walking out [of church] knowing that our Lord ... [is] walking side by side” with the parishioners.

Msgr. O’Brien, who is white, has served African-American Catholics as a priest for nearly 40 years. From his perspective at the altar celebrating the Mass, the beauty of the songs being sung are as pleasing to the soul as they are to the ears.

“The choirs pray as well as sing,” he said. “We have three choirs [at St. Raymond]. Their purpose — and it’s a very conscious thing — [is] that they are praying while they’re singing, so that it blends completely in with the celebrant.”

Such “blending in” is important because, as Pope Pius X said in Tra Le Sollecitudini (Instruction on Sacred Music), the purpose of liturgical music “is to add greater efficacy to the text [of the Mass] in order that, through it, the faithful may be the more easily moved to devotion and better disposed for the reception of the fruits of grace belonging to the celebration of the most holy mysteries.”

Williams describes how that happens from the African-American perspective.

“The gathering hymn is just that — a gathering, in which we try to make sure that everybody has a full, conscious and active participation within the liturgy in which we will come in … singing praises to God, because we realize that it is Christ, Himself, who is leading us in this perfect worship,” he said.

“The psalm is always sung,” he added. “It may be sung in different rhythms — we may add an Afro-centric feel to the psalm — but yet it is the psalm of the day.

“In praising God with the Alleluia, we thank God that he has brought us this far in our journey to Him … [A]s a people, as a race, we’re still here,” Williams said.

Yes, still here — and still thanking God through music.

There is no one set musical form for praise in an African-American liturgy. Traditional hymns may often be heard resonating through African-American Catholic churches, along with the old spirituals and more modern compositions. Leafing through “Lead Me, Guide Me: The African-American Catholic Hymnal,” an individual finds a wide array of musical styles.

After all, as Stewart-Bostic explained matter-of-factly: “It doesn’t matter what you sing — it’s how you sing it.”

African-American liturgical music is not only one of many diverse ways to worship within the Church, but it is an example of diversity, in-and-of itself.

“It’s not only just gospel music,”Williams said. “We praise within the realm of all music. We adore the Latin [hymns] as much as we love the gospel. It shows a real sense of universality, and everyone being able to bring their gifts to the table.”

But, whatever the song being sung, and in whatever style, the feel is uniquely African-American.

So for any newcomers who might wonder what to expect, Msgr. O’Brien has some advice:“Come with an open mind. Your emotions are going to be touched. Your emotions are going to be affected by the praise.”

And that experience demonstrates how truly universal the Catholic faith is, Williams added.

“We have an awesome Church,” he said. “I can look at someone who’s Polish, and their tradition [and] look at someone who’s Italian, and their tradition … [and] realize the beauty of everyone’s tradition.

“That’s what makes us so universal, so unique, and so holistic at the same time,” Williams said, “And the African-American component to that is a really valid one.”

To that, all people can raise their voices, in a joyful Amen.

Bob Steiner is the CS&T’s Editorial and Sports Assistant. E-mail him at rsteiner@adphila.org or call 215-587-3698.

Concert of sacred music
African American Music: Past, Present, Glorious
Featuring the Clayton White Singers, under the direction of Dr. Clayton White.

Sunday, April 2, at 4 p.m. at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, Fairhill Avenue and Easton Road, Glenside.
Free will offering.

For more information, contact the Office for Black Catholics, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, (215) 587-3634.

Bethany: More than a band, a ministry

By NADIA POZO
CS&T Staff Writer

Twelve men and women from diverse backgrounds and ages make up Bethany — the powerful music ministry from St. Titus Church in Norristown.
Bethany’s style of praise-and-worship music has helped hundreds to pray more deeply, and to grow closer to Christ.

“Many times young people are drawn in by the music,” explained director and lead singer Gina Montalbano. “Some will be moved to go to confession, others realize that this type of worship is a form of prayer.”

Bethany began in 1996 as part of the Life Teen Program, encompassing five parishes in Norristown, under the guidance of Father Jim McGuinn.

The group was new, young and played upbeat contemporary music that really spoke to young people. Teens and adults from the parishes quickly embraced that style of worship music.

Five years ago, when Father McGuinn was reassigned outside of the cluster, the teen ministry was returned to the individual parishes and Bethany eventually found its home at St. Titus. It wasn’t until that happened that this music ministry found its official name.

“The parochial vicar at St. Titus, Monsignor Thomas Scanlon, was giving a homily about Jesus’ best friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus who lived in Bethany,” Montalbano explained. “When Jesus wanted to get some rest and rejuvenation, he would travel to Bethany to get away and spend some time there with his friends. After hearing this story, we discussed naming the group ‘Bethany’ and for the first time, everyone agreed.”

The name fits the group because, as Montalbano puts it, “when we’re together it’s like we’re away from the world.”

“We’re like a family,” Montalbano continued. “We’re ordinary people who work and have our own lives, but get to share the love of our faith and life’s hardships with each other.

It truly is a family affair. Montalbano is married to Russ Montalbano, the bass guitarists and her father is Charlie Vitelli, Bethany’s percussion, chimes and ‘sound man.’ Bob Kropp, who plays percussion, and his wife Johanna, a vocalist, joined Bethany several years ago because, as Johanna Kropp puts it, “the music at Mass helped me to focus on Christ and I wanted to be a part of that special type of praise. ”

But all the members see each other as family — that is, brothers and sisters in Christ. They include John McCarthy, guitarist and vocalist; Katie Boyle, vocalist and flutist; Katie Romano, vocalist; Ken Yoder, guitarist; Mike Picard, guitarist, and Patrick Walsh, vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player. For vocalist Anne Marie Chiaravalloti, who began with the group through her involvement in Life Teen, playing with Bethany has been a great joy.

“It’s that joy of knowing we’ve touched lives and have helped people deepen their relationship with Christ that keeps me here.”

She has continued to sing with Bethany over the past seven years because Bethany is “more than playing in a band. It’s a ministry. ”

Today, Bethany ministers music weekly at St. Titus Parish, leads Eucharistic Adoration at various churches, plays for Generation Life events, at retreats held at the Malvern Retreat House, and at conferences and weddings throughout the region.

Bethany member John Barrett says the focus isn’t how much the group does or where it plays, however.

“Our goal is not to perform, but to lead people in worship,” said Barrett, who was supposed to sit in on the keyboards for a single event. That was five years ago. “Our goal is to spread the Gospel through music.”

To learn more about Bethany or purchase its Christmas CD, visit www.bethanymusicministry.com.

CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo can be reached at npozo@adphila.org or (215) 965-4614.

Local Gospel opera debuts on film

By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer

A tie-dye clad Jesus, the Beatitudes sung in sign language, Christ’s Passion and Mary’s lullaby, and a hoe-down that addresses final judgment.

All this and more can be seen and heard in “The Word, A Gospel Opera,” a two-hour film produced by 35-year-old Bill Monaghan, a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Richboro, who depicts Jesus in the production.

“It’s a reinterpreted way of singing the message,” said Monaghan, who is also a teen music minister at three parishes, and a product of Catholic grade school and high school in the Archdiocese.

The recently-released motion picture version of Monaghan’s contemporary stage musical, which debuted in 1995, is based on the Gospels, psalms and other inspirational works.

“The Word” is comparable to “Godspell” or “Jesus Christ Superstar,” but includes a resurrection scene.

Featuring cast members ranging from high school and college-age students, adults and extras, the high-energy musical covers the story of salvation from the beginning of the Old Testament through Jesus’ teachings, death and resurrection.

The local production, shot in Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties, features Philadelphia as the New Jerusalem.

In “The Word,” numerous performers assemble for the number “Blessed and Happy,” which features the Beatitudes in sign language. Among the performers are individuals with special needs, as well as relatives and friends of the entire cast.

“The Word” is a mix of energetic and meditative songs. “It’s a constant rise and fall,” Monaghan said. “It’s very happy with a couple of serious moments, and then, all of a sudden, you’re in the Passion.”

The Stations of the Cross are acted out through music that features soulful wailing.

The character of Jesus is removed from the cross before a song titled, “Lullaby (Close Your Eyes).”

That scene in particular, Monaghan said, is very moving, especially for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

The resurrection scene has a dramatic beginning, “then turns into total joy,” Monaghan said.

There’s even a message about final judgment — set to a hoe-down. “You’re singing this cheerful tune, but if you listen to the words, you’re like, ‘Oh, I better watch out!’”

Monaghan said he is proud of the product and the cast who made it possible.

“I’m constantly humbled,” Monaghan added of his work, which promotes Jesus and His work. “It’s not … about me [but whatever Jesus wants me to do],” he said.

Monaghan, who is president of Monaghan Music LLC, is the teen music minister at the parishes of St. Vincent de Paul in Richboro, St. Andrew in Newtown and St. Joseph in Warrington. For the parish and school of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Southampton, he also served as a youth music minister for 10 years.

He graduated from Nativity of Our Lord School in Warminster in 1984 and Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster in 1988.

From the University of Scranton, he received a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in music in 1992.

In addition to numerous Catholic schools, Monaghan also works as a consultant for the Archdiocese, assisting primarily with music and faith-oriented programs for youth and young adults.

Monaghan said his interest in music began when he was a young boy; he recalled singing loudly in his church pew, hoping to win a prize.

Besides singing, Monaghan plays the piano, guitar, bass, drums, tin whistle and harmonica. He teaches music lessons and performs regularly with his bands, Celtic Pride, and Some Assembly Required. Celtic Pride includes traditional and modern Irish music; Some Assembly Required includes Monaghan’s music, as well as music of the Beatles, Billy Joel and Elvis, among others.

Other works in progress for Monaghan include a 9/11 In Memoriam album, as well as an album of psalms, specifically tailored to Sunday Mass.

And then there is “All That Your Heart May Desire,” a single he produced in honor of his late brother, Michael. A Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class, who was an aviation structural mechanic, 21-year-old Michael Monaghan was one of five Navy personnel killed in a helicopter crash in 1998 in California’s Sequoia National Forest while conducting a search and rescue training operation.

Bill Monaghan, his brother Jim, and their bands, annually conduct a memorial concert at Archbishop Wood High School in honor of Michael, a 1995 alumnus.

Proceeds from the annual concert, and from Monaghan’s single, “All That Your Heart May Desire,” are directed toward the scholarship fund.
“I love my brother,” he said. “I love being able to do this in his name.”

This year’s Michael S. Monaghan Memorial Scholarship Concert, featuring, “30 Shows in 30 minutes: A Tribute to Broadway” and “Songs Mike Liked,” is at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 8.

CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine can be reached at (215) 587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.

“The Word, A Gospel Opera,” will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 24-25, and at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 12 at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Southampton, and at 7 p.m. April 12 at St. Vincent de Paul in Richboro. There is no admission to the screenings; freewill offerings will be accepted.

For information on how to bring the screening or the stage show of “The Word” to your parish, CCD class, Catholic school or university, or to purchase “The Word” in DVD or CD formats, contact Bill Monaghan by e-mail at thewordagospelopera @yahoo.com.

For further information about Monaghan’s bands and music, check out the Web sites www.monaghanmusic.com and www.thewordagospelopera.com.
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Where two or more are gathered
in His name, there is music

Compiled by
Nadia Pozo
CS&T Staff Writer

The quality and variety of available Catholic music is remarkable and surprising. Music is a powerful way to praise and glorify God, and surrounding ourselves with good, Catholic music invigorates and inspires us as a community of believers.

What follows is a sampler of Catholic music, showcasing genres to please every ear.

To discover new favorites, visit www.catholicmusicnetwork.com, a comprehensive, online Catholic music store.

Contemporary

Tony Melendez
Tony Melendez is famous for his performance in front of 6,000 young people at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 1987, in honor of Pope John Paul II. After Melendez performed the song “Never Be The Same,” the Pope surprised everybody by leaping off the stage, walking over to the platform where Melendez was playing, embracing him and kissing him on the forehead. Why was the pope so moved? As result of his mother’s use of the prescription drug Thalidimide, Melendez was born without arms. But he has gone on to become an accomplished guitar player, playing the instrument with his toes.

The pope said to Melendez: “Tony, Tony, Tony, you are a courageous young man, a very courageous young man. My wish for you is to bring hope to all of the people.”

That encounter and those words changed Melendez’s life forever. He has become internationally acclaimed, bringing a message of courage and hope to the world.

Melendez’ latest CD, “Hands in Heaven,” which he produced, is a musical look into the heart and soul of this most remarkable individual. The song “Hands in Heaven” is a tribute to people who have died; “Everybody Sing Alleluia” is an uplifting, Calypso praise-and-worship song, and “I Wish I Could Hold You,” is Tony’s tribute to his wife, Lynn.
To learn more about Tony Melendez and to purchase his music and autobiographical book, “A Gift of Hope,” visit his Web site: www.tonymelendez.com or call (417)598-0607 or (417)339-2282. Tony Melendez can be reached by e-mail at toepicker@aol.com.

Paul Harrigan
After years of performing at popular Hollywood nightclubs and living the lifestyle of a secular musician, Harrigan was filled with misery and emptiness. At a time when things couldn’t have seemed worse, he was invited to go on a pilgrimage to Medjugore [a Marian apparition site in Bosnia-Herzegovina that has not yet been approved by the Church]. In his pilgrimage, Harrigan discovered the reality of the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, through the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That experience led him to record his CD, “Thank You 2.”
To learn more about Paul Harrigan or purchase his CD, visit: www.paulharrigan.com.

Pop

Janelle
It seems as if it were yesterday that the Canadian Catholic singer Janelle sang for the late Pope John Paul II and nearly a million people at the 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto. She debuted her first solo album, “New Day,” at that WYD, and in April 2005 she released a new single, “Be Not Afraid — Open Wide Your Heart,” in honor of Pope John Paul II.
She is currently on tour with her husband, Jason Reinhart, and 3-year-old son, Eric, promoting her latest album, “Livin’ for Something.” The album, which explodes with intense pop-rock grooves and high energy vocals, has been nominated for the Canadian Music JUNO Award in the category of Best Contemporary Christian or Gospel Album of The Year.
To learn more about Janelle or purchase her CDs visit www.janelle.cc or call (780) 736-3606.

Rachel Lampa
After graduating from high school and moving to Nashville on her own to continue her music career, this exceptionally talented 19-year-old Catholic singer and songwriter recently released her latest self-titled CD. The album is an expression of the lessons God has taught her over the past whirlwind year. Her songs address a wide range of issues in diverse styles that range from pop-rock fusion to ska. Her music is soul-stirring, intended to lead listeners down God’s path.
To learn more about Rachel Lampa or purchase her CDs visit: www.rachaellampa.com, call (615) 301-8485 or e-mail her at: rachel@rachellampa.com.

Rock

Rick Elias
Christian music legend Rick Elias was a founding member of the “Rich Mullins and a Ragamuffin Band,” and produced and oversaw Rich Mullins’s final project, “The Jesus Record,” which won two Dove Awards. That album had two number-one songs: “My Deliverer” and “Nothing Is Beyond You.”
Elias went on to produce three solo albums, including the acclaimed “Blink,” and his most recent album, “Bootleg.” They are rooted in accoustic rock, and anchored by his blues-harmonica sound. His music has appeared in movie hits such as “That Thing You Do,” directed by Tom Hanks, and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” He sang before Pope John Paul II at the 2000 World Youth Day in Rome, and produced the 2000 WYD album. Today, Elias spends his time writing and producing music in Nashville, Tenn., and continues to perform throughout the U.S. and internationally.
To learn more about Rick Elias and purchase his CDs visit: www.rickelias.com.

Backyard Galaxy
This group includes a youth minister, a studio engineer, a college student and a pharmacist, who came together to become one of the most popular Catholic bands in the country. “Drive-Thru Jesus” is their latest CD, a tongue-in-cheek commentary on our ‘fast-food mentality’ and how it’s applied to God. Fusing pop melodies with a rock sound, “Drive-Thru Jesus” carries this message, wrapped up in fun music: Following God takes a lifetime, requires great courage and strength, and costs everything you have, but the banquet He offers is worth it.
To learn more about Backyard Galaxy and to purchase their CD visit: www.backyardgalaxy.com.

Rap

Point 5 Covenant
Known for their unforgettable, high-energy, live performances across the nation, Point 5 Covenant can get a hip-hop party started with a deeply spiritual Catholicism that inspires every beat. Following in the footsteps and vocal stylings of innovative hip-hop groups such as The Beastie Boys and The Black Eyed Peas, Kiel Werking (a.k.a. Moses The Black) and Flip Caderao (a.k.a. J The Primate) formed Point 5 Covenant in the fall of 2002, to put their Christian faith into action. With their brand new CD, “Listen, Learn,” Point 5 is translating the ministry of the Church into the language of the Millennial generation — rap music. Whether the listener is dancing to “Break Y’all,” hearing an ordained priest rap on “Axis,” or reflecting on the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary in “Sorrowful,” the musics speaks of the transformative power of Christ and the ministry of His holy Church.
To learn more about Point 5 Covenant and purchase the CD visit: www.point5covenant.com.

Mars Ills
If you love The Roots, Jurassic 5 or Run DMC, you’re going to love this spiritually-minded Atlanta duo: Greg “manCHILD” Owens, vocals, and Nate “Dust” Corrona, DJ and producer. Mars Ill embodies a thriving hip-hop underground that doesn’t bend to commercial compromise and has a bold Christian message: True freedom isn’t found in how much we own, but in how much we give. That delicate attack on worldly forces endears Mars Ill’s “Backbreakanomics” and “Pro-Pain” albums to the listener.
To learn more about Mars Ill and purchase the CDs visit: www.marsill.com.

Folk

Sarah Hart
With her sweet, compelling voice, Sarah Hart helps her listeners discover God in their daily lives. Her lively, contemporary blend of folk, pop and rock welcomes and delights listeners from every age and background. Currently, Hart is working on a new Christmas album.
To learn more about Sarah Hart and to purchase her CDs visit: www.sarahhartmusic.com.

The Innocence Mission
This trio from Lancaster, Pa., is a delight to listen to — providing an island of calm with such albums as “Christ is My Hope,” a recording of traditional hymns and folk songs as well as three original songs. The arrangements are simple but deep, even prayerful. The hauntingly beautiful voice of Karen Peris is spectacular. All profits from the sale of the album are being donated to hunger-relief charities.
To learn more about Innocence Mission and to purchase the CD visit: www.theinnocencemission.com or write to The innocence mission, 1653 Lititz Pike, #244, Lancaster, Pa., 17601.

Gregorian Chant

Benedictine Monks of Clervaux
Set time aside for meditation, contemplation and Gregorian chant by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice and Saint-Maur in Clervaux, France. Their album “Salve Regina” gives homage to the Blessed Mother in this traditional form of prayer that helps the soul soar. They are surprise bestsellers in the mainstream music market.
To purchase “Salve Regina” visit www.catholicmusicnetwork.com and click on Traditional. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the link or call (256) 352-5045.

Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
The Spanish monks also provide the peace of mind so sorely needed today through their recorded chants on “Soul of Chant,” which features five different traditional Masses.
To purchase “Soul of Chant” visit www.catholicmusicnetwork.com and click on Traditional. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the link or call (256) 352-5045.

Preteen

Faith Alive
Who better to speak to the youth than a group of teen singers who are on fire for God and the Catholic faith? This British group is called Faith Alive and consists of lead singer Lauren Lewis, with Daniella Redmond and sisters Therese and Susie Robertson. Their first CD, a limited edition release titled, “From One Generation to the Next,” is sure to get your preteen’s attention.
The group draws on pop, folk, rock and gospel to give its original music a modern, upbeat feel. Faith Alive provide much needed positive role models for the preteens.
To purchase “From Our Generation to the Next” visit www.catholicmusicnetwork.com and type Faith Alive in the search bar to the upper righthand corner or call (256) 352-5045.

Children

Dogma Dogs
Welcome to the zany world of The Dogma Dogs, five cartoon dogs who have a band and evangelize in the faith. Their rockin’ first CD, “Songs of Catholicism for Kids,” contains songs about Church history, the Ten Commandments, Scripture, the order of the Mass, and more. An innovative tool to teach you child, this CD belongs in every Catholic household.
To purchase “Songs of Catholicism for Kids” visit www.catholicmusicnetwork.com and click on Children. Go to the second page and scoll down to the link or call (256) 352-5045.

The Rennas
This talented couple, with an extensive music background, has dedicated its second CD to teaching fundamental aspects of the Catholic faith to preschoolers up to 3rd grade. Their children and friends helped with, “Kids Sing For Jesus (Catholic Songs for Little Ones),” which has plenty of fun and catchy tunes that will even get parents singing along. Songs such as “Good Morning, Jesus,” “Jump Up, Get Down,” and “Thank You, Jesus,” are upbeat, energetic tunes that invite children to play while praising God. “Angel of God” and “Hail Mary (Echo Song)” are ideal for teaching these prayers to little ones. The “Catechism Rap” is a favorite that presents solid doctrine in a catchy song that even 3-year- olds remember.
To purchase “Kids Sing For Jesus ” visit www.catholicmusicnetwork.com and click on Children. Go to the second page and scoll down to the link or call (256) 352-5045.

Jazz Instrumental

The Vatican III
It’s not often that the terms “Church music” and “lounge lizard” intersect, but that’s exactly what you’ll find on The Vatican III’s album, “The Spirit is a Groovin.’” The seeds of Vatican III were sown in the Catholic music ministry when four musicians found that applying the jazz and lounge idiom to Church music was fun and humorous. But it became a hit when the group played for a friend’s priestly ordination reception and the guests, including bishops, loved it. Now Vatican III will be the first to go “wherever there’s a hotel lobby, airport lounge, or bishops’ conference in need of a mother of a groove.”
To learn more about Vatican III and purchase its CD visit www.thevaticaniii.com.

Meditation

Serenity of Life
Inspired by “The Passion of the Christ,” Serenity of Life’s album, “Absolution,” takes listeners to a place of peace and tranquility — a tough order in this busy, noisy world. But the songs will soon lure you in and help you understand that it’s in the quiet of the heart that God waits.
To learn more about Serenity of Life or purchase “Absolution” visit www.serenityoflife.com.

Maria Miceli
A Canadian of Italian decent, Maria Miceli uses her classically trained voice to praise God with wonderful operatic talent. In her album, “Channel of Peace,” she takes listeners to a place of quiet and contemplation, providing inspiration for the soul. For every purchase, Miceli donates half of the proceeds to help the “poorest of the poor.”
To purchase “Channel of Peace” visit www.catholicmusicnetwork.com and click on Traditional. Go to page 3 and scroll midway for the link or call (256) 352 -5045.