Notre Dame Folk Choir premieres ‘The Passion’

The University of Notre Dame Folk Choir is heading to the East Coast in March to premiere “The Passion.”

“The Passion” is a newly composed musical ritualization of Christ’s Passion. Emerging from a collaborative process between students in the Folk Choir and professional artists, the piece combines Scripture drawn from all four Gospels with original poetry, all set to newly composed music.

Since its founding 40 years ago, the Notre Dame Folk Choir has been committed to creating new music for liturgical worship and finding common ground between sacred and secular music. The 50-person ensemble serves the Notre Dame community, including the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, as one of its principal liturgical choirs. It has toured across four continents and released eight studio albums. Led by Grammy Award-winner J.J. Wright and joined by guitarist Franky Rousseau and bassist Ike Sturm, “The Passion” will be premiered during the East Coast tour and will culminate in a pilgrimage and recording in the Holy Land in May. 

Additionally, Villanova University Clergy Sexual Abuse Task Force will host a webinar featuring Wright and discussing “The Passion” at 7 p.m. EST Monday (Feb. 21). The webinar, titled “Beholding the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis Through Collaborative Creativity and the Passion,” is open to all; visit the link for more information.

The Folk Choir will also share more about its production journey through a live virtual series with ThinkND, Notre Dame’s open access digital learning community, titled “The Way of the Cross: A Passion Pilgrimage Through Song.” The first session will be March 1 (Tuesday). Register to join here.  

For a full list of tour dates and locations, visit folkchoir.nd.edu/events/.

All concerts are free and open to the public. No advanced reservations are needed. The choir will adhere to all local COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions. This tour is made possible in part through a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.