Bebop blessings

For centuries, composers have set the sacred text of the Roman Catholic liturgy to music. In March, Richmond senior Benjamin Stalder joined their ranks with a modern take in Cannon Memorial Chapel.   

For his senior recital, the music and accounting major offered the premiere of “Jazz Mass.” The composition in six movements featured jazz piano, bass, drums, and two vocalists. It included the six sung texts of the Latin Mass ordinary, such as the Gloria. Each movement reflected a different style of jazz, performed by student musicians and vocalists from the music department.

“This upbeat and uplifting composition will be sure to have you tapping your toes the entire recital,” he wrote beforehand.

The ability to complete dual degrees in music and business in four years drew Stalder to UR. He has consistently found common themes in the two disciplines. During his junior year, he took a course on choral conducting and immediately saw through-lines with his business studies.

“We focus on the importance of leadership, directing and guiding an ensemble, how people react to input, and organizational behavior,” he said. “It all pairs very nicely.”

When Stalder was a child, his teachers discovered his extraordinary musical acumen. “My piano teacher would often remark that what I played sounded great, but it wasn’t what was on the page,” he said.

“Jazz Mass” is the newest of more than 20 pieces he has composed.