Song is a sign of the heart’s joy and to quote an ancient saying, ‘those who sing well pray twice’. With these thoughts in mind, five rather stunned members of the Archdiocese of Birmingham Liturgy and Music Committee met over an impromptu Chinese buffet in mid-March. Their given task: the music for the Beatification of Cardinal Newman.

On reflection, no one at that preliminary meeting fully grasped the magnitude and complexity of the matter in hand. No one predicted the degree of labour and the vicissitude of the six-month journey ahead. Yet strengthened and sustained by the happiness, enthusiasm, commitment and the prayers of what would become a choir of well over two thousand faithful singers, the key organisers ploughed on.

At the core of the immense choir were musicians from institutions connected with Newman: The Birmingham, Oxford and Brompton Oratories; the Oratory School and the London Oratory School. Other singers came from the choir of Saint Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham; 119 diocesan parishes; 19 diocesan secondary schools, together with 500 young singers from the diocese of Leeds. Well over half the singers were aged under eighteen.

Heart speaks to heart. On the 19 of September, the choir enabled tens of thousands of pilgrims to pray in song; joyfully raising hearts and minds in praise and petition to the heart of Christ and the glory of God the Father. Through a thrilling, exciting and profoundly spiritual celebration, the choirs of heaven and earth met in Cofton Park.

I offer my sincere gratitude to all who helped to prepare and rehearse the music and in particular, I thank Mary Rouse, Alan Smith, Keith Ainsworth, Paul Wellicome and David Saint for their generous support.  As Archbishop Nichols said in interview, the whole celebration was a “class act”.

I myself had the privilege of meeting our Holy Father Pope Benedict very briefly after the Mass. He was delighted with the music and I pass on his appreciation to all who were involved. ■