New recording featuring composer Carolyn Pirtle launches with a single ahead of full album release
The McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame announces the upcoming audio release of Behold God’s Love: A Eucharistic Musical, an original three-act work composed by Carolyn Pirtle, M.M., M.S.M., M.A., program director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy.
The release began with a featured single from the musical’s score, with the full album set to be released across major streaming platforms on September 14.
Written in service to the National Eucharistic Revival, and premiered as part of the Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in July 2024, Behold God’s Love invites listeners into a richly imaginative encounter with Scripture through music. Across three acts, the musical dramatizes the biblical foundations of the Eucharist: the Passover and the gift of manna in the desert (Act I—Root), the meal ministry of Jesus and the Last Supper (Act II—Vine), and the early Church’s Eucharistic life in Corinth (Act III—Branches).
Composed by Pirtle, the musical was originally conceived as a modern-day mystery play, drawing on the medieval tradition of making theological truths accessible through drama and song.
“My goal was to help our audience members encounter these timeless stories in a new, vibrant, and joyful way, and to help the performers grow in their relationship with God by bringing the Scriptures to life,” said Pirtle.
The upcoming album release brings that same vision to a wider audience, offering listeners the opportunity to experience the work beyond the stage and in their daily prayer and reflection.
The full album will be released on September 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, presenting the complete three-act work in its entirety.
An award-winning composer, Pirtle has created numerous liturgical and theatrical works, including the one-act musicals performed annually at Notre Dame Vision. Her work on Behold God’s Love represents a culmination of her commitment to inviting audiences to discover the beauty of Scripture and the liturgy through the contemporary medium of musical theatre.
“Sometimes presentations on the Eucharist can become so technical that one can seem to lose the forest for the trees,” said John C. Cavadini, Ph.D., former McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “In this modern-day Passion play, we have a presentation of the Eucharistic mystery in biblical terms that can speak to hearts everywhere.”
The recording features the original volunteer performers who brought the premiere production to life in July 2024: Catholics and non-Catholics of all ages from in and around South Bend, Indiana, reflecting an intergenerational, ecumenical, and collaborative spirit.
Recordings will be available on major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Click below to hear the debut single, “Communion.”
About Behold God’s Love: A Eucharistic Musical
Behold God’s Love is a three-act Eucharistic musical written in service to the National Eucharistic Revival. It invites audiences into the scriptural and theological foundations of the Eucharist through a contemporary mystery-play format rooted in biblical narrative, liturgical tradition, and musical storytelling.
About the Composer
Carolyn Pirtle is an award-winning composer and program director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. Her work includes setting the antiphons and psalms for the Liturgy of the Hours, composing liturgical music published by World Library Publications (now GIA), and creating original musical works for formation and worship.
Media Contact: Maggie Scroope, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-0153, mscroope@nd.edu.