Walk Together: A Lenten Reflection on Ten Spirituals

Lisa LaFleur Schillace, voice
and Dr. Wilfred Delphin, piano
with spiritual reflections by Walter Bonam

Musical arrangements from Deep River by Moses Hogan

Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 4:00 pm
Holy Name of Jesus Church
6367 St. Charles Avenue  

Presented by the Ignatian Volunteer Corps of New Orleans with support from The Jesuits of New Orleans & Holy Name of Jesus Church  

Join us as we listen to and reflect on the powerful poetry and moving music of ten spirituals including Give Me Jesus, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Were You There, and Let us Break Bread Together in musical settings by a New Orleans native and expert in American Spirituals. Walk as companions with our brothers and sisters in faith along a common spiritual journey through the crucifixion towards the promised land.

This event was live-streamed by Holy Name of Jesus Church. Click here to view the recording on Youtube.

Click here to view and download the program book including song lyrics. 

Walter Bonam will offer spiritual reflections.

In his involuntary retirement (due to archdiocesan belt-tightening), Walter has served as a board member for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and as a member of the Implementation Committee of the Office of Racial Harmony for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Bonam was previously Associate Director of Religious Education for Evangelization & the Catechumenate, a Catholic school program coordinator and principal, and a public high school English teacher. A gunshot inflicted during a 2011 armed robbery attempt at his home left him paralyzed from the chest down, with only limited use of his hands but also a heightened appreciation for the precious gift of life. Mr. Bonam holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Notre Dame Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Emory University. He was also blessed to be an original member of the Moses Hogan Chorale.

Dr. Aaron Mathews, pianist

[Dr. Wilfred Delphin was injured and unable to play for Walk Together; Dr. Aaron Mathews stepped in on very late notice to play piano for this event.]

Dr. Aaron Mathews is an assistant professor of piano and artist-in-residence at Xavier University. His former faculty positions were at Allen University and Viterbo University. Mathews has performed extensively as a soloist and collaborative pianist with vocalists, choral and chamber ensembles across the United States and abroad. In his lecture-recitals and workshops, he curates and analyzes an extensive list of Black classical composers and their piano works to heighten the awareness of Black cultures, pedagogical styles and techniques, and to expand the standard repertoire of classical music.

Mathews has also served as a liturgical musician for over 20 years and has composed several sacred choral and piano works, including his upcoming “Mass for Sister Thea Bowman.”  He currently serves as the Project Director for “A New Pentecost:  A Liturgical Music Planning Resource for Black Catholic Parishes,” sponsored by the Office of Black Catholics in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Mathews earned his D.M.A. in Piano Pedagogy from the University of South Carolina, his M.M. in Piano Pedagogy from Georgia State University, and his B.A. in Piano Performance from Morehouse College.

Lisa LaFleur Schillace, vocalist and director of IVC New Orleans

In addition to directing the Ignatian Volunteer Corps of New Orleans, Schillace is the cantor at Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church in downtown New Orleans where she sings Sunday morning masses and over fifty weddings each year. She studied voice at Loyola University of New Orleans and Indiana University and has performed leading roles with the New Orleans Opera Association and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

Moses Hogan, composer/arranger (1957-2003)

Born in New Orleans, Moses George Hogan was a pianist, conductor and arranger of international renown. A graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and Oberlin College in Ohio, Hogan’s many accomplishments as a concert pianist included winning the first place in the prestigious 28^th annual Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition in New York. Hogan’s contemporary settings of spirituals have become staples in the repertoires of high school, college, church, community, and professional choirs and have been revered by audiences and praised by critics worldwide. Hogan’s compositions, arrangements and recordings are available exclusively through Hal Leonard Corporation.