J.J. Wright

THE PASSION 

The University of Notre Dame Folk Choir, J.J. Wright

Double CD
UPC: 196852492787
$29.95
Available February 22, 2023 (Ash Wednesday)

Recorded in Jerusalem during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, The Passion invites listeners to follow in Jesus’s footsteps from Galilee to Golgotha. The 40-track album, produced by acclaimed singer/songwriter and three-time Grammy-award winning producer Joe Henry, immerses listeners in the experience of Jesus’s disciples on Holy Saturday as they grieve the loss of their friend. Over the course of  90 minutes of song and spoken word, the disciples take turns narrating the story, led by the character of Memory, who guides them through the events of Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

Creating The Passion required a renewed spiritual commitment from the Folk Choir to its mission of unifying hearts and minds through song. For two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, students collaborated with professional artists to compose the text and music, staging the work over a series of workshops and retreats designed to communally rediscover the mystery of Christ’s saving passion and death. This collective work of praise invites listeners to find themselves in the story and contemplate the experience of Christ’s Passion. 

CDs are available for purchase through the University of Notre Dame Bookstore and available digitally on all music streaming and download platforms.

J.J. Wright: Compositions, Conductor, Piano
Tristan Cooley: Texts, Lyricist
Ike Sturm: Bass, Compositions
Franky Rousseau: Guitar, Compositions
Aubrey Breen: Cello 
Dominic Mekky: Sound Design, Synthesizer
Joe Henry: Producer
Ryan Freeland: Recording and Mix Engineer
Randy Merrill: Mastering Engineer 
Recorded May 22-25, 2022 at the Jerusalem Music Center; Jerusalem, Israel