The Newman Singers, a liturgical & concert group from the Newman Catholic Student Center in Iowa City, Iowa, have toured the country for the past fifteen years, building a reputation for leadership in contemporary liturgical & inspirational music. They have appeared at churches, schools, and conventions, presenting concerts, giving workshops on liturgical music, youth ministry and youth choirs, and leading congregations in liturgy. Their ten recorded collections of liturgical music, written by their founder and director, Joe Mattingly, are used in parishes, schools and institutions throughout the country. Their mission is to spread the gospel with spirit and music.
According to Fr. Virgil Funk, founder of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, \"The Newman Singers are a musical group who reflect the very best in American spirituality for young adults. They have sung at our national meeting and always reflect a deep prayerfulness as well as the enthusiasm of youth. Mattingly is one of the most successful musicians working with young adults in the United States.\"
Fr. Richard Fragomeni, professor of theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, says that \"The Newman Singers, under the able leadership of Joe Mattingly, are a rich example of what a choir can be in the renewed liturgy, as it helps an assembly to enter more deeply into full, active, and conscious participation.\"
The Director of the Newman Center, Fr. Ed Fitzpatrick, notes how vital music is to the faith life of young people: \"The Newman Singers get their strength and unity from their grounding at the Center. This enables them to minister through music to themselves, the Newman Center, and to all they encounter on their tours. Their commitment, enthusiasm, joy, and faith touches and deepens the faith of those who worship with them.\"
Throughout the past fifteen years the Newman Singers have led congregations and audiences across the country in worship, inspired them in concert, and enriched the faith life of all they have ministered to with their music. In the words of those who have heard them, \"The Newman Singers presentations are an experience that touch people to their very souls.\"
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