A new Mass setting has ranked #1 in Billboard’s Traditional Classical Albums chart this month.
Released on March 15,Th, Frank La Rocca’s “Requiem for the Forgotten” immediately earned #2 in the chart during its first week of sales (the week of March 30). It re-entered the charts as #1 on the week of April 13, ranking above Bach renditions and even the “Beethoven for Three: Symphony” album featuring Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos, and Yo-Yo Ma!
What is it that makes this Mass so popular, and what does it say about sacred music’s role in modern society? We’ll unpack these questions to explore how sacred music changes lives and moves us toward encountering God.
A Mass Celebrating Forgotten Lives
I was blessed enough to attend the world premiere of “Requiem for the Forgotten” on March 15 at Church of the Epiphany in Miami, Florida. The Mass was celebrated by San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who commissioned the piece for the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship.
The “Requiem for the Forgotten” Mass prays for those who never received a funeral, including the homeless, victims of war, immigrants, and…
