The Way of the Cross: A Passion Pilgrimage Through Song – Storytelling Through Song

The third virtual event in the Notre Dame Folk Choir’s The Way of the Cross series explored the reasoning behind using song as a way to understand one’s faith, specifically in the context of the Folk Choir’s Passion performance. This event was moderated by J.J. Wright, and he spoke with three other collaborators on the Passion project: Kim Belcher, Ike Sturm, and Meg Beuter. They justified the Folk Choir’s platform of song as a mechanism for telling the Passion story in a new way and discussed the development of the lyrics and music in depth. The event concluded with an opportunity for questions from viewers and answers from the panel.

Throughout the development process, the Folk Choir became more than a group of collegiate singers finding community through music about Christ. Developing the Passion led the Folk Choir to realize their group was bigger than its musical mission; Folk Choir became a faith support group and created a space to ask difficult questions about oneself and one’s personal faith experiences. What had always been a place to build relationships and find joy in music evolved into a space to deepen one’s relationship with God through the composition of music that is both personal and bigger than the individual. The creation process of the Folk Choir’s Passion involved both structured brainstorming, scripture analysis, and music writing, as well as improvisation. Having a foundation with a community rooted in understanding and interpersonal vulnerability opened the doors to more spiritual writing and a truly meaningful Passion story. 

Beyond improvisation, members of the writing team sought to understand the scripture they were analyzing on a deeper level and in the context of the early Church for whom it was written. Discovering that the Apostles were looking at old sacred texts through new lenses to understand the Passion and other events happening around them gave the Folk Choir motivation to understand the Scriptures we know well today through more modern, personal perspectives. The Folk Choir dove into even the most minor moments, recognizing how critical small moments, thoughts, and feelings can be part of a greater process toward something big like the Passion project. Beyond the written texts and the writing team’s own experiences, there are a multitude of things from which inspiration can be found, from music to moving water to anything else. By leaning into these sources for guidance in the writing process, members of the choir developed a better understanding of God, faith, and how the two play a role in individual lives. 

Additionally, the writing team reflected more broadly on the role that music plays in worship and the Church’s evolution. Many have said that singing is like praying twice, yearning for that deeper connection to God through the poetic words of song. The choir found this to be true as singing can slow down racing thoughts and help create a path toward solutions. While much of the content created for this performance was “lost” to the ether, all was retained in the souls of the Folk Choir. Representatives from the Folk Choir featured in this episode spoke enthusiastically about the vibrant journey that was necessary and greatly enjoyed reaching the final destination and the production of this new Passion. This slowness and time for collective reflection generated the sentiments of “behold” and “community” that shine through the completed Passion project. 

Visit the event page for more.