Music Ministry

to the Music Ministry Page of

Beryl Quinton

"We who sing pray twice."

Click here to be directed to my NEW "Music Ministry" website.

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"Contemporaries" Song List

KATRINA: 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.

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.

A little bit of background might be helpful: Music has been my lifelong love...maybe because my Dad, David Caruso, a songwriter, and my Mom, Leonie Flick Caruso, a schoolteacher who enjoyed playing piano and singing hymns, provided the encouragement of early dance and voice training to my sister Lee and me. Dancing School Review Program (age 5) At age 8, there were performances on the radio, ...children's TV programs and commercials. 1st Radio Appearance (age 8) In high school, I sang with the "Velveteens," a "doo-wop" group at John McDonogh, and performed with NORD (New Orleans Recreation Dept.) and as a Super in local opera productions. Later, guitar and piano lessons and my own band known as "Beryl Hart & the Versatiles," and years of occasional gigs with various bands in New Orleans and California. Beryl Hart & "The Versatiles" All this, plus a full-time Federal government career while raising five children, and since 1976, singing with the "Contemporaries" of St. Dominic Parish in New Orleans, LA (my extended family). "Contemporaries" 2005 +"Contemporaries" Christmas A childhood based on my parents' deep faith in God, a heritage of musical traditions, and the freedom of an early retirement (a downsizing "buy-out" in 1994) were instrumental in the evolution of my personal music ministry. On June 16, 2005, it was my honor to sing our National Anthem at the opening of a Louisiana Senate session At LA Senate in Baton Rouge. Here are a couple of photos from a December 3, 2002 personal appearance: At O'Flaherty's (French Quarter Irish Pub) Dec.2002 and again on January 15, 2005 At O'Flaherty's Jan.2005. I picked up my guitar for a March 29, 2003 personal appearance At Louisiana Music Factory Mar.2003 in the French Quarter. What a thrill it was to hear people singing my hymns with me, in this "away-from-church" setting! My husband Juan and I returned on March 19, 2005 with the new CD "Amazing Graces" At Louisiana Music Factory Mar.2005. My personal music ministry continues to evolve, singing for masses and church events (including St. Dominic's monthly Mass for the Sick on the last Friday of each month at 5:30 p.m.), for baptisms at St. Anthony of Padua and St. Dominic, and for weddings and funerals city-wide. I was for three years the Choir Director at the St. Louis Cathedral School in the French Quarter (2001-2004), and substituted for the Choral Director at St. Anthony of Padua School during her wedding and extended honeymoon.

SCHEDULED AND PAST PERFORMANCES: (click here)

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.

ANNOUNCING "AMAZING GRACES:" The journey of souls on earth from the cradle to the grave, "Amazing Graces" follows a Christian lifetime in song, features the work of fourteen musicians and members of a children's choir, and includes the songs of six "new" composers. As church bells resound, God blesses us with His wonderful graces in one intimate encounter after another, beginning with our Baptism. Our journey continues through childhood, adolescence, college, military service, marriage or holy life, and careers. From New Orleans "funk" to a patriotic "second-line," from a glimpse of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to a "Marriage Medley," from a singular harp accompaniment to featured "back-up singers" ranging in age from 8-13, this collection is a really unusual assortment of Christian music. In New Orleans, "Amazing Graces" is available at St. Dominic Parish's Rectory at 775 Harrison Avenue (Mon.-Fri. only); at Louisiana Music Factory at 210 Decatur Street in the French Quarter across from House of Blues; at New Orleans Music Exchange at 3342 Magazine Street on the corner of Louisiana Avenue and Magazine; at the Catholic Book Store at 8039 Fig Street; and at the uptown location of Maple Street Book Store. In Metairie, visit Breath of Life Family Resource Center at 909 Aris Avenue. Nationwide, "Amazing Graces" is available through retail outlets such as Best Buy, Borders and Barnes and Noble. Internet retail sites which handle "Amazing Graces" are numerous and include CD Baby, vH1, Louisiana Music Factory. Amazon Borders CD Baby CD Street Garage Band mp3 in Australia MSN Music The Orchard Tower Records iMusic_Artist Direct New Orleans Bands.net and NOLA Bands.com.

CLICK ON THE CD COVER (above) TO SEE A FEW PICTURES OF THE ARTISTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CREATION OF "AMAZING GRACES."

CLICK ON THIS FLAG TO HEAR ONE OF THE SONGS ON THE NEW CD, TRACK 11, "AMERICA, GOD'S COUNTRY," COMPOSED BY DAVID CARUSO, SR. A TOTAL OF TEN SONG SAMPLES FROM "AMAZING GRACES" CAN BE HEARD AT www.cdbaby.com/beryl2, WHERE YOU CAN ALSO PLACE YOUR ORDER.

get your copy now (released june 2005).

the music video of "following christ," Track 5 of "Amazing Graces," follows the theme of the "amazing Graces" cd release: a christian lifetime. in four minutes, it depicts in song a lifetime of church events and a life filled with god's graces. to order your copy, visit www.cdbaby.com/beryldvd.

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."

2002 Unity Awards Competition (sponsored by 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.

"Like The Seagull," my debut CD released on November 20, 2001, introduces "Like The Seagull" (an original song composed 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. CD's are only $15; and cassettes, $10... plus shipping. For a complete list of songs, click on this link: Check out the CD Poster.

Here are a few song samples from "Like The Seagull:"

Like The Seagull

Story Behind the Song: Inspired by the massive power of the ocean, and the peace and confidence of the seagulls, the lyrics reflect a quiet moment meditating on God's goodness. Scripture tells us not to be afraid, because surely God will provide for us as He does for the "birds of the air."

Amazing Grace

Ave Maria

Pescador de Hombres (Lord, When You Came)

Were You There

I Am The Resurrection

Just A Closer Walk

ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL school 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. Just click on the school name next to the beating heart, or click on the photo of the St. Louis Cathedral for highlights of my 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.