A concert with an OCP artist is not a passive experience, but, one in which the performer draws the audience into a shared experience of faith and music. The crux of life is often found at the intersection of our faith, and the challenges of daily living. Music provides us with an avenue to enter into the “realm of higher things” in our day-to-day life.

When might a concert be a good choice for your parish or event? Here are some ways that parishes, dioceses and organizations have used concerts:

• Concerts make wonderful events to elevate a special parish celebration. Perhaps your parish is approaching a milestone anniversary. Maybe you are celebrating the ordination of one of your parishioners. One parish planned a special concert event to celebrate their pastor's retirement after a long dedicated season with the parish.

• A concert can provide just the right energy and focus for a Saturday night event of a weekend conference. Conference organizers have shared that a Saturday night concert is the perfect way to shift the energy, yet keep the focus on the conference theme. Through the shared experience of an OCP concert, participants engage in the conference theme in a new way.

• Concerts are a great first evening of a three-night parish mission. They “break the ice” so to speak, with the parish and provide opportunity for parishioners to get to know the presenter.

• Concerts provide an opportunity for the whole parish to participate in the music program of the parish. A model that has been used successfully by a number of parishes: invite an OCP presenter for a whole-parish concert on a Friday night, followed by a workshop for parish musicians on Saturday morning.

• Some parishes have concerts as a kick-off for the youth and children’s programs that begin each fall. Those who work with youth know that music is important to them, thus, a concert can be the ideal way to reach out to the teenagers of parish communities.

• More and more parishes are interested in events that are multi-generational, intercultural or both. Many OCP performers have a great deal of experience with whole community events, creating concert experiences with something for everyone.

Music performed at an OCP concert is often found in OCP’s missals and hymnals. “That’s in our hymnal?” is a response often heard after the performance of a song. As music directors know, it can be difficult to teach congregations new music. However, after the experience of a concert with the composer, communities want to learn new music—they have heard the story of a song, heard it sung with faith and can now sing it with new-found faith.

Contact OCP to discuss how a concert might be the perfect event for your community.