St. Louis Jesuits
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Jesuits, a group of Catholic
composers who popularized a contemporary style of church music
through their compositions and recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. The group, made up of Jesuit
seminarians at St. Louis University, originally used acoustic guitars and pop
-style melodies and rhythms to set biblical and other religious texts to music sung in English as a result of the liturgical reforms initiated by Vatican II.
Without intent, a groundswell of popularity took place when students, seminarians and women religious took stenciled mimeographed copies of their new music back to their communities where it became known as music by "The St. Louis Jesuits".
Over time, Bob Dufford, S.J.
, John Foley, S.J.
, Tim Manion, Roc O'Connor, S.J., and Dan Schutte
, and their music became known as the St. Louis Jesuits. At the time, all were members of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order)
pursuing different vocations and graduate studies. Between 1975 and 1985 they recorded five collections of music that were published by North American Liturgy Resources. As they continued their studies and time permitted, they presented numerous workshops and presentations about liturgy and liturgical music at conferences throughout the United States and Canada. (Tim Manion later left the Jesuits but continued to collaborate until 1984.)
Their second recording, Earthen Vessels sold over one million albums. Their music became standard repertoire in Catholic parishes beginning with hymnals such as Glory and Praise. By the 1980s the music of the St. Louis Jesuits began to be widely used throughout English speaking Catholic parishes. Today, many of their more popular hymns continue to have wide use, finding their way into most Catholic and Protestant hymnal publications. Some hymns have eventually been translated into Chinese, French, German, Korean, Polish, Spanish and Vietnamese.
In 1980, all five members moved to Seattle, where they continued to study and compose new music under the direction of Kevin Waters
, S.J. at Seattle University
. Tim Manion left the group in 1984, to pursue other interests but later released a solo collection, There is a River. After their fifth album, The Steadfast Love, was recorded in 1985, the members began to release solo collections as the demands of their Jesuit vocations took them to different parts of the world. Dan Schutte left the Jesuit order in 1986, but like the others, continued to compose and publish solo collections of music.
In 2000, Dufford, Foley, O'Connor, and Schutte made a surprise appearance at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. This spurred them to write and record a collection of new music to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of their collaboration. This recording entitled Morning Light was released in 2005 along with an anniversary coffee table book titled, "The St. Louis Jesuits: Thirty Years" Oregon Catholic Press
2006. Tim Manion, who no longer is writing liturgical music, sang on the anniversary collection.
All five continue to make rare performances in conjunction with faith based charity events. Currently, they have no plans to record together. John Foley, S.J. is the Founder and Director of the Stroble Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University
. Dan Schutte continues to publish new music through Oregon Catholic Press
and is Composer-in-Residence at the University of San Francisco
.
Following the movement that began with the St. Louis Jesuits in the 1970s and 1980s,Marty Haugen
,a Protestant, together with David Haas
, became some of the most prolific composers of contemporary Catholic liturgical music. This outgrowth of the Saint Louis Jesuits is now both widely-used in the U.S. but not without dissent from traditionalists of all ages. One of the main criticisms is that the musical style is similar to that used for children's musicals, thus trivializing the reverence of the Holy Mass, as well as relying on already-dated folk-stylings of the 1970s and '80s, once popular with the baby-boomer generation, some of which is now nearing retirement.
This list includes honors received as a group. Individual members of the group have also received numerous honors and awards independently.
Today, they are among many musicians who compose Contemporary Catholic liturgical music
and many attribute their use of scripture and accessible melodies as the beginnings of this style of music. Dan Schutte continues to write new music that finds itself in many of the newer edition hynmals.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
composers who popularized a contemporary style of church music
Church music
Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
through their compositions and recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. The group, made up of Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
seminarians at St. Louis University, originally used acoustic guitars and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-style melodies and rhythms to set biblical and other religious texts to music sung in English as a result of the liturgical reforms initiated by Vatican II.
Without intent, a groundswell of popularity took place when students, seminarians and women religious took stenciled mimeographed copies of their new music back to their communities where it became known as music by "The St. Louis Jesuits".
History
Before finishing their studies and leaving St. Louis University, the seminarians decided to collect and make a recording of their music so it would be available to others. Some of the music was recorded in the basement of Fusz Memorial Chapel, the rest at a local studio. This first collection of 58 songs, some dating back as early as 1964, was called, Neither Silver nor Gold. Later, this recording was issued as a four-cassette/LP set in 1974 by North American Liturgy Resources. It has since been remastered into a two CD set by OCP Publications.Over time, Bob Dufford, S.J.
Bob Dufford
Robert J. Dufford, S. J. is a Jesuit priest, a former member of the St. Louis Jesuits musical group, and a composer of Catholic liturgical music...
, John Foley, S.J.
John Foley (musician)
John Foley, S. J. is an American composer of Catholic liturgical music and and a professor of liturgy at St. Louis University. Among his better known compositions are "One Bread, One Body" , "Earthen Vessels" , "Come to the Water" , "The Cry of the Poor" , "For You Are My God" , and the album...
, Tim Manion, Roc O'Connor, S.J., and Dan Schutte
Dan Schutte
Daniel L. Schutte is an American composer of Catholic liturgical music and a contemporary Christian songwriter best known for composing the hymn Here I Am, Lord .-Biography:...
, and their music became known as the St. Louis Jesuits. At the time, all were members of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order)
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
pursuing different vocations and graduate studies. Between 1975 and 1985 they recorded five collections of music that were published by North American Liturgy Resources. As they continued their studies and time permitted, they presented numerous workshops and presentations about liturgy and liturgical music at conferences throughout the United States and Canada. (Tim Manion later left the Jesuits but continued to collaborate until 1984.)
Their second recording, Earthen Vessels sold over one million albums. Their music became standard repertoire in Catholic parishes beginning with hymnals such as Glory and Praise. By the 1980s the music of the St. Louis Jesuits began to be widely used throughout English speaking Catholic parishes. Today, many of their more popular hymns continue to have wide use, finding their way into most Catholic and Protestant hymnal publications. Some hymns have eventually been translated into Chinese, French, German, Korean, Polish, Spanish and Vietnamese.
In 1980, all five members moved to Seattle, where they continued to study and compose new music under the direction of Kevin Waters
Kevin Waters
J. Kevin Waters S.J. is a Jesuit priest, composer, educator, and retired Academic Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.- Early life :...
, S.J. at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
. Tim Manion left the group in 1984, to pursue other interests but later released a solo collection, There is a River. After their fifth album, The Steadfast Love, was recorded in 1985, the members began to release solo collections as the demands of their Jesuit vocations took them to different parts of the world. Dan Schutte left the Jesuit order in 1986, but like the others, continued to compose and publish solo collections of music.
In 2000, Dufford, Foley, O'Connor, and Schutte made a surprise appearance at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. This spurred them to write and record a collection of new music to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of their collaboration. This recording entitled Morning Light was released in 2005 along with an anniversary coffee table book titled, "The St. Louis Jesuits: Thirty Years" Oregon Catholic Press
Oregon Catholic Press
OCP is an American liturgical publisher based in Portland, Oregon. The not-for-profit company publishes liturgical music, books, choral collections, hymnals, missals, and support materials for the Catholic Church...
2006. Tim Manion, who no longer is writing liturgical music, sang on the anniversary collection.
All five continue to make rare performances in conjunction with faith based charity events. Currently, they have no plans to record together. John Foley, S.J. is the Founder and Director of the Stroble Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
. Dan Schutte continues to publish new music through Oregon Catholic Press
Oregon Catholic Press
OCP is an American liturgical publisher based in Portland, Oregon. The not-for-profit company publishes liturgical music, books, choral collections, hymnals, missals, and support materials for the Catholic Church...
and is Composer-in-Residence at the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
.
Following the movement that began with the St. Louis Jesuits in the 1970s and 1980s,Marty Haugen
Marty Haugen
Marty Haugen, , is an American composer of liturgical music.-Biography:Marty Haugen was raised in the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota, and also writes contemporary hymns and liturgies for the Lutheran church despite being a member the United Church of Christ...
,a Protestant, together with David Haas
David Haas
David Edwin Haas, , is an American author and composer of Contemporary Catholic liturgical music. His most popular songs include "You Are Mine," "We Have Been Told," and "Now We Remain."...
, became some of the most prolific composers of contemporary Catholic liturgical music. This outgrowth of the Saint Louis Jesuits is now both widely-used in the U.S. but not without dissent from traditionalists of all ages. One of the main criticisms is that the musical style is similar to that used for children's musicals, thus trivializing the reverence of the Holy Mass, as well as relying on already-dated folk-stylings of the 1970s and '80s, once popular with the baby-boomer generation, some of which is now nearing retirement.
Recognition
- Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, University of ScrantonUniversity of ScrantonThe University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
, 1980. - Doctor of Music, Honoris Causa, Creighton UniversityCreighton UniversityCreighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
, 2006. - The Jubilate Deo Award, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, 2011.
- Numerous Grammy Nominations with The St. Louis Jesuits, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1980 and 2002.
- Alumni Merit Award, St. Louis University, 1981.
- Distinquished Alumni Award, Seattle University, 1983.
This list includes honors received as a group. Individual members of the group have also received numerous honors and awards independently.
Record albums
- Neither Silver Nor Gold (1974)
- Earthen Vessels (1975)
- A Dwelling Place (1976)
- Gentle Night: Music for Advent and Christmas (1977)
- Lord of Light (1981)
- The Steadfast Love (1985)
- Let Heaven Rejoice
- Lift Up Your Hearts
- May We Praise You
- Morning Light (2005)
Their music in contemporary Catholic culture
Many of the St. Louis Jesuits' compositions have become part of the standard repertoire for Catholics throughout the English speaking world. For many baby boomers, the St. Louis Jesuits' music was and continues to be a part of their journey of faith.Today, they are among many musicians who compose Contemporary Catholic liturgical music
Contemporary Catholic liturgical music
Contemporary Catholic liturgical music encompasses a comprehensive number of styles of music for Catholic liturgy that grew both before and after the reforms of Vatican II...
and many attribute their use of scripture and accessible melodies as the beginnings of this style of music. Dan Schutte continues to write new music that finds itself in many of the newer edition hynmals.
External links
- Dan Schutte
- www.ocp.org
- www.PilgrimMusic.com
- Roc O'Connor, SJ
- http://liturgy.slu.edu/CFL/index.html The Center for Liturgy at St. Louis University
Sources
- Gale, Mike. "The St. Louis Jesuit: Thirty Years" Oregon Catholic PressOregon Catholic PressOCP is an American liturgical publisher based in Portland, Oregon. The not-for-profit company publishes liturgical music, books, choral collections, hymnals, missals, and support materials for the Catholic Church...
2006 - McDermott, Jim. "Sing a New Song: Part 2, The St. Louis Jesuits: Earthen Vessels." AmericaAmerica (magazine)America is a national weekly magazine published by the American Jesuits that contains news and opinion about Catholicism and how it relates to American politics and cultural life....
, May 30, 2005. Online at http://www.americamagazine.org/gettext.cfm?textID=4216&issueID=533&letter=1. - St. Louis Jesuits music available from Oregon Catholic Press
- St. Louis Jesuits news on Dan Schutte's website