Wolf howls join worship hymns in 'Missa Gaia' at Minnesota churches

Most church choirs are accompanied by organs, pianos and flutes. But the sounds of humpbacked whales? The howls of wolves? The chirping of rain forest birds? They were among the "voices" woven into a composition called "Missa Gaia" performed most spring seasons in Minnesota, including at St. Luke Presbyterian Church last week.

The homage to creation was written nearly 40 years ago, as religious groups were starting to embrace environmentalism. As the movement has surged, so has interest in liturgical music that reflects the Earth's beauty — and its fragility. The mass, written by Grammy Award winner Paul Winter, has been filling that need.

"This is a perfect fit for our church," said the Rev. Brennan Blue, pastor at St. Luke's in Minnetonka. "We celebrate the creative arts … and we also care deeply about environmental justice."

He added: "And what better time to perform it … as apple and cherry blossoms are bursting in Minnesota."

The "Missa Gaia" — which translates into "Earth Mass" — was commissioned by New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which now performs it every October on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi in a hugely popular celebration that includes thousands of people and their pets.

The piece often includes the spark of theater. At St. Luke, for example, the choir was accompanied by dancers who mimicked animal movements, a humpback whale puppet that "swam" down the aisles, and dancing children in wolf masks and bird costumes.

Likewise at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, where the mass is scheduled Saturday and Sunday, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre will join the performance.

"We thought we'd do it once, on Mother's Day 1981," said Winter, reached at his home in Connecticut. "It was well received, so on it went."

Winter said it was a time when the environmental movement was taking root, when the iconic images of Earth taken from the moon were infusing a growing belief in the unity of creation.

"The mission was to build a bridge between spirituality and ecology," Winter said.

The faithful walking into St. Luke's last Sunday were handed a church bulletin that revealed this was no ordinary worship service. It showed a photo of a howling wolf next to the lyrics for the Kyrie, a whale photo next to Sanctus and Benedictus, and the sweet face of a harp seal next to Agnus Dei. The photos reflected the animal "voices" interjected into these core elements of the Christian mass.

David Lohman, the church music director, addressed the crowd in the pews.

Soon, the chirping of birds began echoing across the room. Then came a slow drumbeat, representing Mother Nature's heart. The buzzing of bees joined in, and finally, the gentle notes of a flute.

The choir then launched into a 13th-century chant written by St. Thomas Aquinas.

Over the course of the next 50 minutes, the choir and musicians would perform pieces ranging from jazz to pop to African music. The "animal voices" were a small but impactful element, tying the lyrics to the natural world.

When the music ended, longtime church member Judy Gregg had tears in her eyes.

"It was very moving to me," said Gregg, who is active in the church's environmental justice work. "I didn't realize the depth of feelings. … And watching the children, their innocence, their trust, they are the ones we need to protect the Earth for."

"It is a natural progression for us," Davies said.

The "Missa Gaia" reflects the creativity and variety of contemporary music shaping the American church in recent decades, said Philip Brunelle, Minnesota's internationally known choral director and founder of VocalEssence. When it was written in the 1980s, composers were experimenting with new sounds ranging from synthesizers to global rhythms to the sounds of nature, he said.

"Lots of composers were trying to make it [liturgical music] more relevant to their congregations," Brunelle said.

Celebrating creation and nature have long been part of Christian hymns, he said. But as the environmental movement gained traction, that theme was expanded to not just praising creation but saving it.

It was concern about the fragility of the wolf population that prompted Winter to spend time in Minnesota in the early 1970s. Winter said he went to Ely to listen and learn about the wolves. Recordings of their howls became part of his 1980s piece "Wolf Eyes."

Pakiz believes the "Missa Gaia" is a musical reflection of Pope Francis' 2015 environmental encyclical, which laments the degradation of the Earth. Said Pakiz: "The pope says this is not extreme. We think so, too."

Mark Squire, music director at Hennepin Avenue Methodist, is now preparing for the June concerts. Said Squire: "Our feeling is the Earth is in real trouble right now. Why not use music to raise awareness and appreciation?"

Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511