1964 CMAA Organizational Meeting (photo courtesy Jeff Ostrowski)
In the summer of 1991, the first year of the CMAA Sacred Music Colloquium, I had been a Catholic for slightly over one year. I had procrastinated about entering the Church because of the dreadful liturgies with equally dreadful music that I had witnessed, but finally I resolved that this was not a reason to delay.
I happened to see a small newspaper clipping announcing a new conference on sacred music to be held at Christendom College. I don’t remember how I got the clipping; perhaps someone had sent it to me. In any case, it looked like a really interesting conference, but for various reasons I could not attend the very first Colloquium, and, in fact, I did not make it until 1994. Since then I have only missed twice.
What I found at the Colloquium was a group of fellow Catholics dedicated to goodness, truth, and beauty. I learned that there actually existed Catholic parishes where Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony were sung. It was such a comfort to meet other likeminded Catholics, and I treasure the friends I have made through the Colloquium. In those early days I had the privilege of getting to know the heroes of sacred music—Father Robert Skeris, Monsignor Richard Schuler, Dr. Theodore Marier, Maestro Paul Salamunovich, and Father Ralph March. These were the men who labored and fought through Vatican Council II and its aftermath.
2007 CMAA Board – Catholic University (photo courtesy Rosanne Sullivan)
As the years went on we were joined by Dr. William Mahrt and a host of other gifted and dedicated leaders in the world of Catholic sacred music. The first twelve Colloquia were held at Christendom College, followed by five years at Catholic University. The Colloquium expanded in size and moved several times to accommodate the growing numbers and the geographical distribution of the CMAA membership. In 2007, the last year we were at Catholic University, when the Colloquium registration was bursting with 144 attendees, it was decided to move to some other locations that could handle as many as 250 people. What a change from the early days, when attendance was typically about forty!
In the years that followed, we have been in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and Indianapolis. As the Colloquium grew, so too did the number of young people attending; it is truly wonderful to have so many of the younger generation enthusiastic for sacred music. Last summer, in Indianapolis, when I sat back and looked at my fellow Colloquium attendees, I saw the saints—joyful in persecution and striving ever upward to give glory to God through music.
2014 Colloquium, Indianapolis (photo courtesy Charles Cole)
I hope that you will consider donating to the CMAA Annual Fund. There are so many ways that your gift can further the cause of sacred music. Just visit the following link: https://musicasacra.com/about-cmaa/annual-fund/
Dr. Susan Treacy
Professor of Music, Ave Maria University
CMAA Board Member-at-large
