Coming Soon from The Vigil Project
An Eight-Episode Documentary Film Series on the Gift of Music in the Life of Faith
CAST & FILM LOCATIONS
Matt Maher - a nine-time GRAMMY-nominated contemporary Christian music artist and a trailblazer for Catholic musical artists of today.
Bishop Robert Barron - Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, and acclaimed media host & theologian whose credits include the widely popular “Catholicism” film series.
Bishop Fernand Cheri - Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and one of the foremost archivists & experts of Gospel music in North America.
Fr. Colm Cahill - Priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Chaplain of The Vigil Project, and lover of Beauty whose depth of insight surpasses his age.
Michael Kurek - Composer Laureate for the state of Tennessee, celebrated modern classical composer, and author of the popular book The Sound of Beauty.
Guy Massey - British GRAMMY-winning mix engineer and producer whose credits include Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, and many more.
Liz Lev - US art historian, author, and transplant to Rome where she teaches at a handful of major universities and guides expert tours through the artistic treasures of the Eternal City.
Ben Batalla - a young, Catholic composer and performance pianist whose passion and work are already making a big impact in the Church.
Steffany Gretzinger - GRAMMY-nominated performer and songwriter who is inspiring a generation of song leaders who desire to praise God through song.
Steven Curtis Chapman - Five-time GRAMMY-winning artist with one of the most versatile catalogs of music in Contemporary Christian music, and an incredible story to tell of his own journey of faith.
Abbot Olivier-Marie Sarr | Benedictine Friars - Benedictine monk and Abbot of the Keur Moussa abbey in Senegal and professor of theology of liturgical inculturation, liturgical spirituality, and methodology at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Sant’Anselmo (Rome).
Manfred Honeck - Austrian GRAMMY-winning classical music maestro whose passion and world-renowned achievements conducting the major orchestras of the world are deeply rooted in his Catholic faith.
Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia - The “Nashville Dominicans,” as they’re often called, continue the teaching mission of St. Dominic while holding sung prayer (Liturgy of the Hours) as a key component of the life of their community.
Fr Tansi | Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - An evangelist and a friar whose deep African roots have inspired both his missionary work and his music.
Bob Rice - Professor and theologian at the Franciscan University of Steubenville who sees the need to foster the talents of young Catholic musicians.
Jackie Francois-Angel - Popular Catholic musician, speaker, author, and mom known for her work with Ascension Press and beyond.
Paul Jernberg - Acclaimed composer and conductor working through the Magnificat Institute to awaken the Catholic Church to the necessity of Sacred music in prayer and liturgy.
Eric Genuis - Seasoned composer and pianist whose ambition is to bring hope through music to those who are in need of it, from house concerts to prisons and everywhere in between.
Andy Irvine - An Irishman and a fixture in the Irish folk music scene who’s been around long enough to know how intertwined music and culture really are.
Fr. Andrew Merrick - Priest of the Diocese of Baton Rouge whose assignment on the campus of LSU makes him keenly aware of the need for excellence in music from outreach to Mass and all the moments in between.
Athenas - Widely popular Argentinian musical artist who’s traveled the globe bringing the light of the Gospel to many through song and leading for some of the biggest gatherings of Catholics in the world.
The Hillbilly Thomists - The unexpected folk band of Dominican friars traces their history back to a long line of leisure musicians in the order and derives their name from one of Flannery O’Connor’s pithier remarks.
Fr. Patrick Setto - A priest of the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas in whom the heritage of tradition is integrated with the modern demands of outreach and prayer.
Bill Donaghy - A man whose ocean of wonder and wisdom outweighs his lengthy list of professional accomplishments and credentials as a theologian and instructor at the Theology of the Body Institute.
Fred & Dinah Gretsch - The namesakes of one of the foremost instrument brands in the modern day, the Gretsches waste no time on accolades as they elevate the gift of music both inside and outside the Catholic Church.
Fr. Marco Frisina - Italian priest, award-winning Hollywood film composer, director of numerous Vatican choirs, and dear friend of St. Pope John Paul II
…and many more!
With interviews set in: Nashville, TN | New Orleans, LA | Baton Rouge, LA | Dallas, TX | Santa Barbara, CA | Angola, LA | Pittsburgh, PA | Philadelphia, PA | Cincinnati, OH | Savannah, GA | Detroit, MI | Boston, MA | Owensboro, KY | Dakar, Senegal | Galway, Ireland | London, UK | Normandy, France | Solesmes, France | Rome, Italy | Florence, Italy | Cortona, Italy
THE HEART OF THE PROJECT
Since 2016, The Vigil Project has traveled extensively across the US and beyond to pray and sing with parish communities. As we’ve entered communities around the globe, we’ve seen some common threads of experience and misunderstanding when it comes to music in the Church. It's hard for most Catholics to naturally extend the conversation about music in the practice of our faith beyond simply talking about music for Mass (an important conversation indeed, but far from the only one). There’s more to it than that. The gift of music is enormous, and it extends to every moment of our lives, inside and outside of Mass.
From the beginning, music has played a central role in the Church and in Christian prayer. From liturgy, to prayerful devotion, to all the moments of our Christian lives that are lived beyond the doors of the church building, music is a language that permeates the whole of our existence, raising our gaze to the Transcendent. The Church has long known this and historically patronized the arts for this reason. We believe that if the Church is going to become a people of prayer once again, we must rediscover the meaning of music.