- The
Praise Band leads songs
in a contemporary rock/gospel vein. It’s high energy,
passion-based music. Why save all emotion and vigor for singing “We
are the Champions” at a Sox game? Why save the joyful singing for
the radio on a Friday night commute? Boldly bring your voice to
church and sing with others who have tried to live their faith
during the week.
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- The
band has lots of singers supported by piano, guitar, bass, drums,
percussion and sometimes blues harp or fiddle. We do mostly tunes
from a two volume collection from Oregon Catholic Press called
Spirit and Song. We play twice a month (in no particular
pattern) at the 10:30 mass.
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- It’s
hard to evaluate the success of any ministry but two comments about
the Praise Band have made me smile:
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- A
visitor from the Midwest came over to say hi while we were cleaning
up after mass. She said, “Thank you. You have proven that it is
possible to do music with a lot of energy and still be reverent.”
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- Seventy-five
year old Maria, whose husband died a year earlier, asked to have a
Sunday mass said in memory of her husband. She made sure the Praise
Band was scheduled to serve at that mass. After the mass was over,
she approached me and said, “The music was wonderful. Dan would
have loved it.” A mutual friend overheard the conversation and
chimed in, “I thought Dan didn’t like the Praise Band.” Maria
responded simply, “He does now!”
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- The
Praise Band has always been a work in progress. We listen. We
experiment. We throw out songs that don’t work. We pray.
Being involved with this ministry sets me free and I hope it does
the same for the people in the pews.
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- Sheila
Murphy, director
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