Some audience members were moved to tears as the final chorus of “Dios de Amores” (“God of Love”) faded into the air in the Basilica Catolica Nuestra Señora de la Merced in Ecuador’s capital, Quito.
The hymn’s rarely heard traditional melody sounded like a long-lost friend’s familiar voice to many older Ecuadorians in the during a concert on a recent June afternoon during a concert in the basilica. It was performed by Concordia Christi Choir, made up of 29 volunteer singers from two Catholic parishes in Morris County, N.J., who were singing English and Spanish songs.
From June 22 to 28, the group performed concerts in seven churches in Quito, singing hymns and popular songs as musical ambassadors from the Paterson Diocese, N.J., to Ecuador. Members hail from St. Patrick Parish in Chatham, N.J., and Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J.
“We were privileged to see the emotional reaction of the Ecuadorian people at our concerts. We were tapping into the divine by reaching the people with spiritual music,” said choir member Kathy Abbott.
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Ecuadorian audiences became emotional about “Dios de Amores” and other hymns because Catholic parishes there lack sacred music at their Masses — in a county that previously had a rich tradition of liturgical music. Churches in the South American nation have stunning worship environments, but lack choir directors, playable organs, and pianos, because there are no funds for training or support.
“Those who would love to sing their faith do not have the opportunity,” said Hanson, who Maggie Hanson, the choir director at St. Patrick’s, who led the trip. She also noted that 80 percent of Ecuador is Catholic. “During our visit, we wanted to connect with the Ecuadorians as a part of our belief that we are all the family of God and that life should be celebrated together. The result was that some of our music revitalized some of the Ecuadorian musical history,” she said.
The choir’s tour was part of Harmonia Universalis International Choral Symphony Week, an event aimed at promoting choral music in Quito. They also sang U.S. pop hits such as “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” and tunes from the movie “Sister Act.” The singers also brought their music to the Ecuadorian Congress and Embassy.
“We created an experience of love, joy, and mutual understanding that has become a tidal wave of goodness that will bring positive change on a grand scale for years to come,” said choir member Dennis O’Brien. “We put the reality that ‘We are many parts and are all one body [of the Church]’ into creative action bearing endless fruit.”
The group made its final appearance at a gala concert in front of 700 people, accompanied by the symphony orchestra of Ecuador’s Franz Liszt Music Conservatory.
At that gala, the choir premiered two orchestral overtures by Segundo Luis Moreno (1882-1972). He was the great-grandfather of Lucia Vaca-Izurieta, an Ecuadorian-American and a member of the St. Patrick’s choir. She initiated efforts that led to the discovery of these long-lost and never-performed works in an archive in Philadelphia.
Lucia’s family connections also made the trip possible through Sophia Izurieta, her cousin and co-founder and director of the Franz Liszt Music Conservatory.
“The trip made me realize the Catholic Church is a naturally strong instrument for peace and prosperity in Latin America,” Abbott said. “The Church should strengthen its ties further to Latin America through U.S. Catholics knowing Ecuadorean and other Latin American Catholics, especially in this time of international discord.”
