HENEVER it falls during Lent, the solemnity of the Annunciation serves as a nice respite from the season’s austerities. This year, the day was celebrated in a special way at The Catholic University of America, where I am pleased to be in studies.
During the busy lunch hour, one of the cafeteria spaces in the student center was taken over by a “Marian Flash Mob” singing the well-known Ave Maria of Franz Biebl (1906-2001). This piece—scored for SATB chorus and ATB trio—would seem to me particularly tricky to pull off in such a fashion. Nevertheless, the video evidence shows that the “mob” singers managed quite well.
A recording of the flash mob has been uploaded to YouTube:
This celebration of the Annunciation was sponsored by a DC chapter of the Militia Immaculatae. Singers included students from CUA and seminarians from St. John Paul II Seminary, Theological College, and the Marian Scholasticate.
