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To rejoice is a choice that shouldn’t be overlooked; it’s a feeling that bubbles up from within, spreading warmth and light that expresses the heart’s deepest happiness and gratitude.

That’s exactly what Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust (BCCET) hoped to encapsulate with their very own Gaudete (which means rejoice).

The Multi-Academy Trust (which includes 30 schools across the North East) recently premiered its own Catholic Mass Setting, unveiling Gaudete for the first time at the Catholic Leaders and Clergy Conference at Newcastle Cathedral.

Over 12 months of hard work, determination, and dedication

The Mass Setting is the outstanding result of more than a year’s work with acclaimed composer Will Todd and BCCET, whose family of schools include 25 primary schools and five secondaries across East Durham, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “This achievement is so inspiring to hear, and we want to congratulate everybody involved in producing this heartfelt project.

“It’s always fantastic to see our schools and local communities working together, whatever the goal, but to have produced a Mass Setting that can be used by both the schools and the parishes… that really is brilliant.”

Eager pupils from five of the secondary schools sang in the choir at the event. The schools were:

• St Aidan’s Catholic Academy, Sunderland
• St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy, Sunderland
• St Bede’s Catholic School & Byron Sixth Form College
• Peterlee, St Joseph’s Catholic Academy, Hebburn
• St Wilfrid’s RC College, South Shields

Liz Boylan, BCCET Lead Chaplain, said: “Over the past year, we have been on a fantastic journey working with our schools and local communities writing a Mass Setting, inspired by them, that can be used by both our schools and our parishes.

“The Celebration of Mass is the summit and source of our faith. We wanted to create a Mass Setting that our pupils and our communities had the opportunity to contribute to so that it was both inclusive and familiar. We worked with acclaimed composer Will Todd and have the approval of the National Liturgy Office.

“All our schools and parishes will be given free access to the finished musical score to use any versions or parts they wish in their Mass Setting. Versions will be available via our Website.”

Upbeat and positive music to inspire pupils

Composer Will Todd worked with pupils from across the Trust’s schools and wrote the music for the Gaudete Mass.

Will said: “It’s been an amazing project to be part of. “I started off with listening to lots of ideas that a lot of the children had, inspired by religious texts, artwork, poems, bits of music, stained glass that they designed, which was incredibly Inspiring.

“Then I did a series of five workshops in the five secondary schools in the Trust and we wrote music together. Every school created a completely different piece of music which was another layer of inspiration for me.

“I was particularly pleased that one of the pieces of music that we created in a session at the schools ended up being used in the final Mass Setting.

“Finally, I listened to a lot of songs that the children said made them rejoice, because Gaudete means rejoice. I had playlists from primary schools right up to secondary schools. It was very upbeat and very positive music and that’s what I tried to do with the Gaudete. Hopefully, people will sing it for a long time.”

Excerpts of the Gaudete Mass were also shared in the Trust’s event ‘JOY in my Heart’ at Rainton Arena, Houghton-le-Spring on Thursday 23 November.

Versions of the Gaudete Mass Setting will be available to download after the official launch via the website at www.bccet.org.uk.

Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust is a Schools North East Partner Trust. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School Programme click here.

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