The Curé of Ars
Saint John Vianney is “The Curé of Ars”. The word curé (pronounced CURE-ay) means parish priest, and Ars is a small French hamlet where he served his parish for 41 years.
Today, we’re living in a secular, “post-Christian” culture. Faithful Christians are called to spread the good news and defend the Truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. John Vianney had the same challenge. Like the holy Curé of Ars, we are called to defend the Church Jesus established in 33 AD!
One way to respond to that call is through the arts. That’s where Angelus Music comes in. Our motto is:
“Keeping Christ at the Center of Our Music!”
Curé of Ars Music Videos
Meet the Cast
Inside the Recording Studio
Testimonials
Saint John Vianney
In the aftermath of the French Revolution, piety and prayer were forbidden, and 1000 Catholic priests were martyred. A young farm boy, Jean-Marie Vianney, rose from obscurity to almost single-handedly restore Christianity and the Catholic Church in France! His story shows how he achieved the impossible as an underdog, overcoming countless obstacles to fulfill his ultimate destiny.
Dr. John W. Vitz has written an exciting, inspired musical based on the extraordinary life of this great saint! Angelus Music has a beautifully and professionally recorded CD thanks to the team at Studio 880 in Oakland, CA. We were blessed to have such an amazing cast of singers.
Using the studio recording and A.I. voiceovers for the characters, NOW you can enjoy the music, narration, dialogue, and action in Angelus Music’s musical presentation of “The Curé of Ars”!
Meet The Cast
James Locke
James was the perfect person to portray Saint John Vianney on the CD recording. He is a huge talent! His performance comes from his heart, and his voice is amazing. He even knows Latin–which is more than we can say for St. John Vianney!
Elizabeth Hunter Ashley
To this day, I am in awe of what Elizabeth contributed to “The Curé of Ars” recording at Studio 880. She played the role of Elise, betrothed to Cadet Vianney, the younger brother of John Vianney. Her energy was contagious, and she was enthusiastic, reliable, and fun to work with, but most of all, she was professional and a perfectionist. Elizabeth has a beautiful family. She is one of those blessed people who exemplify what it means to be a Child of God.
Eoin Harrington
Eoin (pronounced “Owen”) was in high gear pursuing his career as a performer/singer/songwriter. Even though his own CD, “Confess”, was about to be released, Eoin went out of his way to get to the studio at night to sing the role of Cadet Vianney. When he showed up, he was gold!
John Lucasey
The owner and chief engineer at Studio 880. John has always believed in my work. His performance on the CD as “The Grappin” (the devil) will scare the hell out of you! I have to say, if it were not for him, my music from “A Mass for Peace in the Third Millennium” and “The Curé of Ars” would never have seen the light of day. God Bless John Lucasey †††
John Kendall Bailey
“JKB” has been my right arm whenever I need a superhero. He conducted the orchestra and chorus on the “Mass for Peace in the Third Millennium” CD. For the “Curé of Ars” CD, after the soloists had recorded their tracks, John gathered his singers from Voices of Musica Sacra, and they sang their hearts out as The Angel Chorus.
Melissa Reese
Andrew Alcaraz
I met Andrew (age 12 at the time) during a voice lesson at the courtesy of Chad Runyon, his vocal coach. His voice was so pure and impeccable that I offered him the chance to sing on our CD. A few weeks later, Andrew’s father was kind enough to bring him into the studio after work, and Andrew stepped up like a pro and sang HOW CAN I KNOW? You have to hear this young man sing! He has the voice of a saint, for sure!
Joseph Hebert
The first time I saw Joe rehearse his choir at St. Augustine’s Church in Pleasanton, I knew that he was the one who could get the effect I needed for one of the large ensemble pieces in the play, THE JOURNEY OF A SOUL. This song requires more than just good voices; it is a major scene in the play! Joe worked his magic, and the singers delivered a great performance.
Carolyn Williams
Carolyn directed the St. Joan of Arc choir, who did an outstanding job with ANIMA CHRISTI (Soul of Christ). Among the members of the choir, I owe a special thank you to the brilliant Evan O’Dorney for his help with the choral arrangement of Anima Christi, and to Judy Linares for her piano accompaniment!
The Curé of Ars Videos
Here are many of the HIGHLIGHTS from the musical, “The Curé of Ars.”
When the video ends, push the escape (ESC) button to close the video window.
