Today on Ministry Monday we return from our holiday break! Our first episode of 2025 features Steven Warner the founder and director emeritus of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, as well as founder of the Newman Vocare Ensemble. Like many pastoral musicians, the Holy Spirit clearly is working through Steve and his decades-long work in music and ministry. Steve is no stranger to the podcast: we spoke of his connection to Saint John Henry Newman while he taught at the Newman Centre for Faith and Reason in Dublin, and we also discussed the Catholic Church in Ireland on another episode. Today’s episode focuses on his most recent project, titled “The Contemplative Classroom.” If you know Steve’s music you know that many of his compositions are ostinato refrains within an accessible singing range for most singers. Steve has taken this idea and begun to make a curriculum for classrooms that cultivate healthy singing, mindfulness, and spirituality in a way that, I dare say, may not have ever been created quite like this. It’s a great start for this Catholic Schools week, and a great way to begin our podcast for the year.
Watch the Episode
SHOW NOTES
Bio: Steven C. Warner
Steve Warner (B.A. Religious Studies, St. Michael's College; M.A., Liturgical Studies, University of Notre Dame); Founder and Director Emeritus of the Notre Dame Folk Choir.
He joined ND’s Campus Ministry staff in 1979, continuing there for more than thirty-five years. By 2016 the Folk Choir, begun in 1980, had more than 60 singers and instrumentalists, their repertoire spanning all styles and languages.
Under his compositional guidance, ”Songs of the Notre Dame Folk Choir," began with World Library Publications of Chicago, IL, in 1990, with about 100 octavos published. The Mass of Charity and Love and Mass for Our Lady have become part of the national landscape.
In 2016 he became Associate Director of the Notre Dame-Newman Centre for Faith and Reason, at St. John Henry Newman’s University Church in Dublin. The choir he founded, the Newman Vocare Ensemble, released their first album with GIA Publications in 2020. Upon his departure, an endowment was created at Newman Church in his name for the continuation of liturgical excellence in Ireland.
About The Contemplative Classroom
At the Contemplative Classroom, our mission is to cultivate a peaceful and focused learning environment through the transformative power of music. We believe that music has the unique ability to inspire, catechize, and calm, helping students to connect more deeply with themselves and the world around them. We envision classrooms where students can find a sense of inner peace that radiates outward, fostering a more harmonious and compassionate world. (Source: www.contemplativeclassroom.org)
Learn more about The Contemplative Classroom and explore the free streaming recordings at www.contemplativeclassroom.org.
All content of this podcast is property of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.