MADISON — In their first release since the self-titled album in 2006, Oremus, a Catholic rock group from Madison, is finding the Truth in their new single, titled “The Song of Benedict.”
“If you’re looking for the Truth, the Church has got it,” Chris Reitz, the band’s guitarist and co-vocalist, said of the song’s message.
In a world where that truth often gets lost, Chris, 23, and his brother Tom, 20, say they are trying to reach out to their demographic with a Catholic counterbalance to the likes of Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. “We’re trying to show there’s a better alternative out there,” Chris said.
Through an infusion of rock with faith, they show that “you can be Catholic and cool at the same time,” Tom said. The two brothers, regular Mass-goers at the downtown Madison parishes and frequenters at Perpetual Adoration at Holy Redeemer Parish, have been performing music since their childhood and were members of a church choir for several years.
They officially started their band in 2004, naming it Oremus, Latin for “let us pray.” Chris is the guitarist in the group and Tom plays the keyboard, though both do the vocals on the various songs. They work together to compose and write the lyrics for their music.
“A theme in our band has been that you can be Catholic and be cool,” said Tom. “Cool guys can go to Mass and be Catholic; it’s not something you should be ashamed about.”
They played their first gig at the Schoenstatt Heights festival on the west side of Madison and have performed at several other venues, including the Elizabeth House Walk for Life, the Diocesan Family Picnic, and the St. Ann Fall Festival in Stoughton. They have also been highlighted on Relevant Radio.
In 2006 the group released a self-titled debut album, which featured their take on modern Christian songs and older Catholic standards such as “Let All Mortal Flesh,” as well as several songs composed by the brothers. The CD, like the band, was dedicated to the Great New Evangelization of the late Pope John Paul II.
The new single is dedicated to his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. In the song the vocals imagine him, “Speaking from my window, hope someone will hear. Listen to the Truth, now. Romans, lend me your ear.”
The group decided to release the single, which is available from CD Baby via their Web site www.oremusmusic.net and will soon be on iTunes, as well, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, instead of waiting for their next CD, because the message is so important.
“I think everyone is looking for the truth, whether you know it or not,” said Tom. But the culture at large, the “dictatorship of relativism,” says there is no standard, Chris said, “And for someone who’s looking for a benchmark, saying, ‘what should I do with my life?’, that’s not a very satisfying answer. We’re trying to say, well, you might want to check out the Church — they might have some answers for you.
“Here you’ve got a rock song, and you’re portraying the pope in a very good way in this song, so maybe, if they haven’t realized it before, it’ll make people realize that he’s a good guy, and it’ll also open up a discussion about the truth,” he said.
“Music is a very powerful medium,” Chris said. “Why not use it to make that point?”