"High energy Cajun trio L’Angelus, with siblings Katie playing guitar, Paige on bass and Steve Rees on fiddle, are a unique band playing music combining their Louisiana Cajun roots with bluegrass and Irish Catholic sensibilities.
I had an opportunity to chat with Katie Rees and asked her which of the different styles of music L’Angelus plays does she enjoy the most, “I believe it was Duke Ellington who said, ‘There are only two kinds of music...good music and the other kind. I like good music.’ I agree with Mr. Ellington, and I like good music. Very early on in the development of our band, we saw the importance of playing songs that uplift and bring joy. Music that can rejuvenate you, make you smile and make you want to dance like you’re five years old again. Music can calm you and bring you serenity. Another strength of good music is to speak the truth in a way that is appealing to many people. Honest lyrics put to a beautiful melody often express for us either what we want to hear or what we wish we could say to someone. Songs that make you cry tears of sorrow and tears of joy, songs that get you ready to stand up for what you love, songs that remind you of the goodness of the human heart and the greatness of the human soul, songs that bring you hope when you most need it. That's why our performances include styles of music that span across many different genres. And because we're from Louisiana, we like to give it all a Cajun roots flavor. To pick one genre would really be too hard. There are just two kinds of music, and I like the good kind.”
Their newest CD Sacred Hymns Collection, distributed by Ignatius Press, explores the tradition of sacred music. My favorite song on the disk is Salve Regina. The harmonies are exquisite. The blending of voices and the sacred prayer brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it. Katie and her siblings wanted to make sure they represented the cultural diversity of the Catholic Church in America, “Most of the songs on our Sacred Hymns Collection are songs we sing regularly at Holy Mass. These songs were written by people from all walks of life, which came to love our Lord and wanted to contribute their gifts to His glory. Princes and paupers, saints and scholars, learned composers and mere peasants have all written songs that lift our hearts to heaven. We wanted these songs to represent a few different aspects of our Faith.”
