Update: With Katrina now behind us, and many prayers answered, I am happy to report that we have only just completed the replacement of our musical instruments, computers and recording equipment. Planning has begun for our next CD project(s). One of them will be a Christmas collection, but with little time remaining before Christmas 2007, my goal is to release it next year. Concurrently, we are planning a new faith-based collection, and this time I'm going to let God control our time-line. Juan and I were proud of our hands-on approach to nearly every aspect of our "Amazing Graces" project, right up to the point that pre-mixes were ready for the recording studio guru to "tweak" and master and CD inserts on appropriate templates for submission to the manufacturing facility. Inevitable delays caused me to express my anxiety and frustration one day at church. Father's "priestly" encouragement was to assure me, "... that it will all happen in God's good time." That was one of "those moments" for me. I also heard very clearly what Father did not say, that it really wasn't up to me if I am working for Him; and, when the project is ready to be heard, He will speed it on its way. Having said all that, and now being on the front end of new and exciting things, we would love to hear from you if you have a favorite hymn (however obscure) that we may consider. In the meantime, just please know how grateful we are for your loyal support and prayers.

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Recently, a question was presented to me by e-mail, the subject "The Purpose of Music Ministry," that I would like to share:
          "Ms Quinton
          I ran across your web page in search of an answer or an opinion of the "Purpose of Music Ministry"; particularly in the Catholic Church. Your response will be appreciated."

This was my response:
          
           "Hi (name omitted),
           I have had to give a lot of thought and prayer to why I do what I do. It's not about me; it's about sharing my faith in God and my love for Jesus Christ. The stated goal on my music webpage is ' to promote Christianity and interact with people of faith through their personal family events.'
           The best explanation I can offer for what that means is to quote from a thank you note received from the family of a deceased person for whose funeral I had sung only days before. It said simply that God had given me a beautiful gift shared with their family and their departed loved one, and ended with: ' Thank you for letting God use you.' It is such a privilege to give honor to God through my music, and touching that family in that way was priceless. Add to that the joy shared with families of infants being baptized, and couples promising to share their lives until death parts them, and surely you get the idea.
           I can only pray that God will continue to use me to bring His message to people who need to hear it, whether in joy or sorrow. Being Catholic permits me an in-depth knowledge of liturgies in which I participate, and the excitement of being in the midst of the faith-sharing Renew movement. Being Christian expands the circle of people whom I can touch, God-willing. There is really nothing more I can say... except thank you for asking.
          God bless!
          Beryl"

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As Grizabella moves into adult cathood, we're not sure if she thinks she's human, feline or canine, but her loving nature and flexible athletic prowess demonstrate her uniquenesss. She jumps to catch favorite toys (among those a prickly pipe cleaner).

She fetches on request, and approaches us in the cutest way with her little face turned sideways (like a human) to kiss. Her favorite resting posture is on her back, like we sleep, and she follows my husband Juan around the house in obvious adoration. She has definitely made herself part of the family, permitting us to live with her in "her" house.

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We are now in our second year of membership with the St. Jude the Apostle parish 11:30 a.m. choir (with Juan providing both percussion and vocals).

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Exciting news to share:
          Our music video "Following Christ" was selected, and my husband Juan and I are participating artists in the Digifestival dot Net 2007 Festival. Voting for the "Audience Winner" is via the internet at http://www.digifestival.net/2007/music.php . This is the page where the music participants are listed, and we are easy to locate at the sixth position on the list. The video streaming and the voting functionality was activated on August 15th and closes on SEPTEMBER 15th. Should you have any difficulty accessing the music page, please go to http://www.digifestival.net and click on "Music" (near the top of the page, under text which reads "The Festival is now open!!!!!") where you will find the listing of participants with stamp-size photos and titles of songs. Again, we are the sixth participant on this listing.
          The Festival will have its final screening in Florence, Italy during the Festival of Creativity from October 25th through the 28th. We have no possibility of attending, but it is such an honor to have our faith-based music video in this event.
          Without playing each video from the list, I can't be sure, but "Following Christ" may actually be the only video in the Christian Music genre. Thank you for taking the time to vote, and we hope that you will vote for "Following Christ."
God bless!
Beryl
www.berylquinton.com
"We who sing pray twice."

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We now have a very comprehensive "MySpace" page at www.myspace.com/berylquinton

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Meet Grizabella
After 12 years with our big 25-lb. furry son (the “Ninja”), and losing him within weeks after Katrina, we weren’t really anxious to consider replacing him. However, a few months went by; and, when one of our friends found this adorable little female kitten wandering around her property near Kentwood, she called and suggested that we come and meet the little 7-8 week old. It was love at first sight, and she now calls our Baton Rouge home hers. Juan came up with the name, and it suits her very well. Anyone who has seen “Cats” knows about the “Glamour Cat” who was chosen by Deuteronomy to live a new Jellicle life. Well, I’ll tell anyone that our Grizabella appreciates every waking moment, much as you might imagine the “Cats” character might have when she awoke to her new life. She is curious and happy, and lots of fun to have around. Of course, like any other new kitten, she is testing her limits in the household, but we are rapidly adjusting to each other. We will never forget our Ninja and there will never be another like him, but we love our new little furry daughter, and welcome Grizabella into our lives.

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KATRINA, August 29, 2005:

Please pray for everyone affected by Hurricane Katrina, especially my sister-in-law Barbara Caruso who suffered a fatal heart attack weeks after the storm, and my "other mother" Audrey Toncrey who passed away while being moved from a nursing home to another location. I thank God for lives spared and for our safety, but our home was only about a mile from the 17th Street Canal levee breach (where the helicopters were dropping huge sandbags to plug the hole). Sadly, the water was about two feet over the roof for more than two weeks, so everything was destroyed. It is my firm belief that our little 12-year-old furry son -- our beloved tabby "Ninja" -- saved our lives. We were prepared and planning to ride out the storm, but my husband Juan warned me of the possibility that Ninja might have to be put in the attic should it become necessary to leave suddenly in our inflatable Zodiac. When the opportunity arose on Sunday evening to move to a police staging area in the Central Business District (my husband being a Captain with the New Orleans Police Department), the deciding factor was that we could take Ninja with us. He remained with us during the storm and for more than two weeks afterwards, everywhere we went. Tragically, the prolonged stress and our inability to take him back to the only home he had ever known -- an indoor cat all of his life -- affected his liver. The Veterinarian in Baton Rouge, where Ninja and I had established a temporary residence, thought that he had an 80-90% chance of survival, but he didn't make it. Ninja always thought he was a person, so my prayer is that God will let him into our "people heaven" and let him stay with my daughter Cheryn and my Mom and Dad and Juan's Dad awaiting our arrival. Juan is still performing his duties in New Orleans, so he could surely use a few extra prayers. Thank you, Jesus, for using our "baby" to show us the way out of harm. We can only hope that you will show us the path to walk in order to resume our music ministry, as we make our way out of the chaos and uncertainty of Katrina's aftermath.

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2005 Unity Awards, sponsored by the United Catholic Music & Video Association (UCMVA): In the days following the storm, we learned that our three most recent projects, our "Amazing Graces" and "Jesus, I Trust in You" CD releases and "Following Christ" music video collectively had accumulated 19 nominations in preliminary balloting for the 2005 United Catholic Music and Video Awards. Since voting privileges were restricted to members of UCMVA, you were all invited to pray instead. When the final ballots were distributed for membership voting, six nominations remained. "Following Christ," track #5 on Beryl's full-length CD release "Amazing Graces" and one of her original compositions, was among the finalists for 2005 Song of the Year. "America, God's Country," Beryl's father's 1926 original composition rearranged to reflect the second-line tradition of New Orleans, was a finalist in the Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year category. The title song of her devotional CD single, "Jesus, I Trust In You," was a finalist in the Devotional Song of the Year category. Her "Following Christ" music video was among the finalists in three separate music video categories: Music Video/DVD of the Year, Video/DVD Producer of the Year, and Video/DVD Packaging of the Year. Still in the midst of cleanup and salvage, we were unable to attend the UCMVA Awards Show in St. Paul, MN on November 12, 2005. Though we did not win, we feel so privileged to have reached the finals of this prestigious Catholic competition. Thank you all for your support.

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MUSIC FROM "AMAZING GRACES" IS NOW BEING FEATURED ON EWTN, PER MESSAGE RECEIVED ONE WEEK BEFORE KATRINA ON AUGUST 23, 2005 FROM EWTN'S PROGRAM DIRECTOR. WE HAVE ALSO RECENTLY BEEN ACCEPTED BY INDEPENDENT GOSPEL RADIO FOR RADIO AIRPLAY AND PROMOTION. (www.ewtn.com)

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ANNOUNCING "AMAZING GRACES:" Let tell you about "Amazing Graces," my full-length CD release with 24 songs and 25 tracks. The theme follows a Christian lifetime in song, from the cradle to the grave. We've been told that this release is "light years above" our first release "Like The Seagull," which presented cantoring vocals and limited instrumentation of traditional hymns with an original title song. I am the featured singer, but numerous musicians contributed their talents, along with six "new" composers whose work has never been published. I'm proud to be one of those new composers with two of my own songs included, and especially proud to have three tracks which were composed by two Dominican priests. My husband Juan is sharing vocals and providing percussion throughout (except for the one track which boasts a single harp accompaniment). You will recognize a couple of the cover songs, "Here I Am, Lord" and "You Are Mine." The variety of sounds and moods range from devotional to a special New Orleans-style presentation of "Amazing Grace" combined with the melody of "House of the Rising Sun," tastefully done with our son playing a blues guitar; from a singular harp accompaniment on "As I Kneel Before You" -- a prayer to our Blessed Mother -- to joyful worship and praise songs; from a patriotic "second-line" with trumpets to a reverential glimpse of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane; from a "Marriage Medley" to a group of songs which feature children ranging in age from 8 to 13 as "back-up singers." This is a truly unique collection of Christian music, carefully assembled into a CD of which I am very proud. I believe that God has guided my steps in its creation for nearly two years, and producing this release is one of the joys of my life.

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CHILDREN’S GOSPEL CHOIR OF ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF BERYL QUINTON, FEATURED AT THE 2002 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FEST: Among my many blessings is the privilege of having taught music at the Cathedral of St. Louis King of France Catholic Elementary School, in New Orleans for three years there from 2001 to 2004. I believe the parents will agree that, in addition to the annual Christmas Pageants and Kwanzaa Programs, one of the highlights of those three years was an appearance by the children at the 2002 New Orleans Jazz Fest featuring their gospel music.

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2002 Unity Awards, sponsored by the United Catholic Music and Video Association (UCMVA*): From nine nominations (including Best New Artist), we were blessed to be included in the final balloting in three categories (Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Best Album Packaging). A special source of pride is that this became a true family project: My brother,the composer of the title song; my son Vincent, Sound Engineer; and my son Lance providing illustrative support for the CD package. What an honor for a first CD to be recognized in nationwide competition among the most elite Catholic artists! Thank you, Jesus, for many blessings, and a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have been so supportive.

*The purpose of the United Catholic Music & Video Association (UCMVA) is to support, encourage and promote the development of all forms of Catholic-oriented Christian music and video. Movies have the Oscars; TV, the Emmy's; Broadway, the Tony Awards, and Catholics have the Unity Awards, which acknowledge top albums, artists, videos, songs, and groups. Competition is nationwide, and includes popular artists, i.e., Tom Booth, Dana, Marty Haugen, Dan Schutte, Robert Dufford, Tony Melendez, Bob Hurd, John Michael Talbot, and David Haas.

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ANNOUNCING: "Jesus, I Trust In You." Our new single features vocals and instrumentals of both the title song and the composer's new "Our Father." Lyrics on the CD jacket invite individual and congregational singing. Already featured on EWTN, "Jesus, I Trust In You" is an original composition of Mike Doyle, who was the head of the New Orleans Civil Service Commission for a number of years before his retirement last year. The story of how this song came to be written is quoted in the composer's own words at www.cdbaby.com/beryl3, where you can also hear song samples. Your purchase there includes a donation to Divine Mercy. Mike tells the story much more eloquently than I could, as to how he received "Jesus, I Trust In You" in a series of dreams along with instructions for its use and distribution. Obviously suitable to be sung during Divine Mercy novenas, the lyrics and instructions received said to share these words with all faiths. Our finding Mike's music seemed an incredible opportunity to repay the Lord for His many blessings; and the timing was such that Juan and I were able to produce the single concurrent with our new CD release "Amazing Graces."

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ANNOUNCING: "Like The Seagull." My debut CD released on November 20, 2001, introduces "Like The Seagull" (an original songcomposed by my brother David Caruso, Jr.), along with a unique collection of seventeen of my most-requested hymns. It may interest you to know that the hymn, "I Am The Resurrection" (Track #12), was written by Ray Repp, the man known as the "Father of the Contemporary Guitar Mass." I am also proud to introduce my new arrangement of "Amazing Grace" (Track #5), which blends the melodies of "As The Deer Longs" and the traditional "Amazing Grace" into a unique duet.