Welcome to Adscensio
The place where innovation in sacred music thrives
Adscensio recognizes that the future of the increasingly multicultural Church depends on forming young people to be leaders now, and that there are more religiously disaffiliated young adults in the United States than ever before. We strive to better the world through music in the hope that more young people engage in Church leadership roles and that the genius of multicultural sacred music is more firmly recognized.
3 Pillars of Bettering the World Through Music
Music Publications
Music to Inspire
At Adscensio, we focus on 3 types of publications:
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Sacred music that is accessible and contains optional elements to challenge musicians who might not otherwise be engaged.
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Sacred music written by young composers who participate in ongoing music formation
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Sacred music written by adult composers whose work has not been otherwise recognized broadly, with a particular affinity to international composers and those who utilize multiple languages in their writing
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Music Lessons for the Future Music Leaders
Say Hello to Tomorrow's Leaders
We recognize that the future of the Church depends on forming young leaders now; they are the shepherds of tomorrow. Adscensio partners with parishes and Catholic Dioceses around the world to train young people in musicianship, composition technique, and liturgical music leadership. Why? So that these young people come to know themselves not as followers, but as leaders ready to serve the Church through music.
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We also recognize that without adult support, these young people may not have the chance to get more deeply involved in sacred music making. That's why we work with adult learners as well, to ensure that they have the skill and knowledge to help welcome youth involvement, and foster an environment of music making that appeals to the next generation of leaders.
Connecting Hearts and Minds Across Borders (Coming Soon)
United in Communal Song
A Peruvian song about living as prophets of God. A Kenyan piece praising the wisdom of the Gospel. A Salvadoran lament that acknowledges God's presence even in times of sorrow. All around the world, local composers are making music that is relevant far beyond their own immediate context. Adscensio seeks these composers out, learns from them and their community, and helps them professionally notate their songs so they can be more broadly accessible. Why? Because we should all have the chance to grow in love for one another by recognizing the cultural genius of our international brothers and sisters.
About
When Adscensio founder Christopher Wemp visited El Salvador for the first time in 2010, he encountered music, community, and prophetic witness of God's active presence in ways he had never experienced before. From that moment on, he recognized his great desire to meet sacred music composers from around the world, work with international church ensembles, embrace the genius of other cultures, and empower young people to make even more music in God's name. Adscensio was founded to realize that vision. Adscensio is distinct in that it goes further to offer rigorous music formation, cultural awareness education, liturgical music genre training, and rapid compositional technique development. It also demonstrates particular affinity towards supporting young composers who write music that speaks to a new generation. Come join us as we continue to announce God's reign through music.
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Adscensio is an educational, religious, and social welfare entity formed to advance the common good through sacred music in parishes, dioceses, schools, and other educational, religious, and social welfare organizations through music publication and professional learning. Adscensio's mission is to serve the Catholic community through its diocesan, parish, school, and network partners, as well as to serve the broader community.
