PRESS RELEASE -
2003
Family of
ten singers blend voices
harmoniously in production of new CD
“Sensational”, “soulful”
and “inspiring” are the words
used by International
Music Producer and Composer,
Nunzio Mondia
and the Catholic Archbishop of Perth,
the Most Reverend Barry Hickey, to
describe “Sensus Sacrorum,” the new CD released this week.
“Sensus Sacrorum” means
“Sense of
Sacred Things” , or “Sense of the
Sacred” . This peaceful celebration of
the harmonious beauty of the Church's Latin
songs re-awakens an appreciation for the
sense of awe and wonderment that may so
often go missing in our spiritual and
devotional lives.
The
de Souza Family Choir, comprising 7 out of 8
children, ranging in age from 8 to 17,
caught the attention of the Catholic
Archbishop of Perth, the Most Reverend Barry
Hickey, who commented on the inspirational
“... way the young voices convey the
spiritual beauty of these classic Latin
hymns.”
Theresa,
their mother, herself from a musical family,
says that " I wanted to have a cassette
tape of the songs the children had learned,
to send to my mother in California, but I
never had the time to put it together for
her." But plans changed in magnitude
when music producer Alan Archer heard the de
Souza children sing in late 2003.
Archer remembers it well:
“As I was
listening I thought to myself, this is no
ordinary choir. Their harmonies, texture and
soulfulness were amazing.”
Theresa and her husband, Raymond, are
grateful to God for their children's love of
singing. They maintain that their being
home-schooled gave them the opportunity of
being together as a family and blending
their voices in song. They have taught their
children to sing from as early as their
pre-school years. They enjoy singing in
various languages and always find a new one
a challenge.
"Wherever they go, they just break
into song. Their love of Gregorian Chant has
played an important part in their
spiritual formation" , they say. They
hope the CD will inspire others to
appreciate the beauty of the Latin songs and
assist parents and their children to
discover or develop the sense of the sacred
in their lives.
Raymond explains:
"The sense of the
sacred is that sense of awe, of wonderment,
of peaceful admiration filled with love,
respect and honour, regarding something that
is, in itself, infinitely true, good
and beautiful: the presence of God among us.
And to teach children to discover and
maintain this sense of the sacred is a most
important element in Catholic
education. In fact, the Sense of the Sacred
is natural in children. All that parents and
teachers have to do is to prevent it from
being destroyed by television, peer pressure
and the like", he concludes.
Raymond and Theresa sing two songs with
their children in this amazing CD.
The
de Souza family is also grateful to Sister
Paula (nee Maureen Cream, of the Sisters of
Mercy in Perth) for her kind and generous
teaching of their children, which helped
develop their gifts. "I amazed at their
spontaneity, and how quickly they pick up
and remember the songs I teach them", she
said.
Net proceeds from the sale of this
not-for-profit CD contribute towards the
work of Emmaus Community and St Gabriel
Communications.
Emmaus Community provides long term
community housing for people who live with
mental illness.
Enquiries: Alan (Al) Archer
www.emmauscommunity.com.au
