By Fiona Dyball (National Liturgical Music Council) and Theresia Titus
Musicians from across the country have recently come together to Listen to the Spirit and Sing.
The 2019 Australian Pastoral Musicians Network (APMN) National Conference was held at the Catholic Leadership Centre in Melbourne from 1 to 3 October and supports the work of Catholic pastoral music ministries in liturgical, catechetical, youth ministry, school, hospital, prison, community, diocesan and parish settings.
Hosted in different states biennially and aligned with Australia’s Plenary Council 2021 theme, Listen to what the Spirit is saying, this year’s conference took Listen to the Spirit and Sing as the conference’s theme.
More than 330 participants from across Australia and New Zealand attended the conference, with theologian and composer Dr Tony Alonso and Diana Macalintal, cofounder of TeamRCIA, author and speaker on Catholic liturgy, music and the catechumenate, as keynote speakers.
Dr Alonso and Ms Macalintal are accomplished and widely published musicians, composers and liturgists, gifted communicators and empowering teachers who have worked extensively in youth ministry and parish communities in a range of multicultural settings from the United States.
Speaking to The eRecord, APMN Chairperson Michael Mangan said the conference was “a wonderful Spirit-filled gathering of pastoral musicians”.
“A sense of joy was present throughout the event as delegates had the opportunity to focus on the ministry which they all share and to learn together from a broad range of keynote presentations and breakout sessions,” Mr Mangan said.
“The early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and delegates report returning to their own parishes and schools with new energy and a commitment to nurturing the song of the communities they serve.”
Participants attended keynotes, workshops, showcases, and were offered over 45 dynamic breakout sessions, covering a wide range of topics and musical genres.
Dr Alonso and Ms Macalintal covered such topics as Becoming what we sing: liturgical reflections from the heart of Pope Francis; Liturgical participation: how we learn the true Christian Spirit; and Becoming leaders of sung prayer.
These were framed by beautiful Morning Prayer sessions, a commissioning ceremony, and a joyful conference Mass celebrated by Archbishop Peter Comensoli.
Sr Deirdre Browne IBVM and Roger Heagney OAM were honoured at the conference dinner for their outstanding service to liturgical music in Australia.
Four scholarships were also awarded for young pastoral musicians to further enhance their skills and training in Music Ministry.
The scholarships are named after Rev Dr Russell Hardiman and Rev Dr Bill Jordan, who were both dedicated to the renewal of the Church and liturgical music, as envisioned by Vatican ll.
Recipients of this year’s scholarships were Emma Fradd from Queensland, Patrick Shannon from Victoria, as well as Cecilia Jackson and Dominique Laban from New South Wales.
Having a special focus on supporting young people to take their place in the Church and to enhance their love of the liturgy and pastoral music through excellent training, another highlight of the conference was the Listening to Youth panel discussion.
The next APMN conference will be held in 2021 where the keynote speaker will be an internationally acclaimed pastoral musician, Bernadette Farrell who composed Christ, Be Our Light.
For more information and to sign up for 2019 conference notes and others, please visit www.apmn.org.au.