Cantala and I had our first in person rehearsal in two years in February 2022. It felt like it had been both eons ago as well as just yesterday that we had been together. (Isn’t that a good indication of good friendships). What a time warp this pandemic has been for me. As I re enter the world of choral music and choral programming I feel I have many new ideas and perspectives.

As I was programming for the May concert with the Canadian Men’s Chorus, I initially turned to my pile of “to do sometime” pieces. These pieces have been given to me or inspired me in the past at a concert or through a recording. I initially was excited when I saw the options before me, but then noticed that everything in the pile was to the text “Ave Maria”. And if it wasn’t Ave Maria, it was Ave Verum or Alleluia.

Is it a concern that 1% of my choir attends church, and probably my audience too, but the majority of choral music is based on sacred text most of us do not understand? Cantala singers and choral lovers world wide have always loved sacred repertoire for its colorful, moving harmonies, so I am not about to turn away from the rich library of sacred music. However, I am wondering if it’s time to make the texts more relevant to my singers and my audience. Is this a radical idea?

What if we could come up with alternative words to the sacred text that has the same syllables, emphasis and feel, but that means something to our listeners today? Think about the richness this would add to our listeners.

Just to play with this idea, I brainstormed a list of word alternatives to the text “Ave Maria” that have the same syllable emphasis and consonant feel. The best equivalents of my options were:

Autumn majesty

Angel miracle (or Miracle Angel)

I realize that it is clear I am not a budding lyricist, but I am getting more and more convinced that I need to be looking for one so we can bring back meaning to the texts we are learning and performing.

It is a new beginning at this time in so many ways. So why not think outside the box and consider making sacred text more relevant for us today?

What do you think? I would really appreciate any ideas you have. Please share below in the comments.