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Salt Lake City's Cathedral of the Madeleine presents traditional worship customs of Latin America at a celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Friday, Dec. 10.
The religious holiday commemorates the story of a peasant from the village of Tepeyac, Mexico, whose 1531 vision of the Virgin Mary became an important feature of Catholic worship in Mexico.
The cathedral's Hispanic Choir and instrumentalists will furnish music that blends traditions of the Old and New Worlds for the following festive events:
9:30 p.m. • Outdoor processional with traditional songs associated with Our Lady of Guadalupe
10 p.m. • Music vigil, featuring the Hispanic Choir and mariachi musicians
11 p.m. • Mass in Spanish featuring the Hispanic Choir
Midnight • Performance of Salt Lake Valley Aztec Drummers and Dancers and traditions "Mañanitas" ("Good Morning") sung to the Virgin.
The Hispanic Choir features 35 to 40 singers, with instrumentalists playing guitar, drums and mandolin, said Gregory Glenn, cathedral music director. Members come from Mexico and South America, and follow musical traditions passed from one generation to the next. Some of their music dates back to the period of Spanish colonization, and blends rhythms and melodies of New World indigenous music with music of Spain.
"As a cathedral, we are charged with maintaining the treasure of music, and this is a particularly fascinating period, when those cultures first came together," Glenn said.
Though the performers weren't formally trained, Glenn said they are "incredible natural musicians with great musicality" who were well-schooled in cultural traditions in their native villages.
Celia R. Baker —
Cathedral of the Madeleine concert
A musical program featuring the Cathedral's Hispanic Choir and instrumentalists will perform Friday, Dec. 10 at 10 p.m. at 331 E. South Temple, preceded by an outdoor processional at 9:30 p.m. The concert will be followed by a Spanish-language Mass.