The Middle America Mass

October 28, 2011

Scott debuted this mass in October 2011. In his own words:
The Middle America Mass was composed during a season of recovery from an overseas automobile accident that left me unable to play music or work for a number of months. Mercy Seat kept me afloat during that season, providing for me physically, financially, spiritually, and emotionally. As I returned to playing music again I wrote this mass for Mercy Seat. The music calls out quietly from the place that we call home – a spare, honest sound in a large, open space.
Listen to recordings of the liturgy below:

Scott Munson

March 30, 2010

Thanks to Mercy Seat’s uncommon kindness and belief in cultivating new art, Scott received his first composing commission before anyone had heard his music. His first liturgical mass, The Good News Bad News Mass, debuted in the spring of 2008. Since that time, Scott has gone on to perform as a weekly solo jazz pianist in Northeast Minneapolis and to compose a second mass for Mercy Seat, The Sacraments Mass, in summer 2009.

In addition to freelance music production and music instruction, Scott began composing for film in early 2010. Endlessly writing and picking up new instruments, Scott continues work on his own material for eventual recording and live performance.

Preview Scott’s Sacraments Mass

or his Good News Bad News Mass

Good News Bad News Mass

March 29, 2010

With the Good News Bad News Mass I sought to incorporate the passion of the Negro spirituals that I love into the sonic context of a western high-church setting, with its enormous acoustic space, refined grand piano, and explosive church organ. The resulting songs have a bit of ache and a bit of old time gospel to them.

Sacraments Mass

March 10, 2010

The Sacraments Mass is a site-specific mass fully scored for six musicians. Instrumentation includes a marching bass drum, violin, effected guitars, designed sounds, church organ, and grand piano. With its enveloping layers of sound this second mass embraces the difficult mysteries of faith and aspires to the sacred in liturgy.