As a catholic, born and bred, I have spent my entire life going to weekly Sunday mass. I was lucky, we had a great youth ministry and positive experiences. Yet still, as I sat in different church pews in different parishes there was a dwindling spirit especially in the music department. The old faves from the 70's, the traditional hymns, then the mass settings we had sung over and over. I sat and pondered. How can we bring the music to life?

Enter the volunteer musicians. They are loyal, hopeful and want to provide meaningful liturgy. Mass For Living has thought of all the 'little' things that can make organising a mass or liturgy much easier and more enjoyable to prepare. I hope this helps to refresh your community and paves the way to open hearts and minds to God in order to have a lasting impact in our lives.

The ideas began to flow and all of a sudden I had a Holy Holy tune in my head. My keen love of melody came to the fore. It just grew and grew and then the church interrupted my plan. NEW WORDS. It was 2009- enter the New English Translation. I was 1/4 of the way into my writing and so I adapted. It was a turning point because I then had to get everything signed, sealed and delivered. As a budding artist, I took my mother and my new baby to the National Liturgical Conference in Perth and put Mass For Living in the ring. It was a trying time as I fed my baby at the back of the hall with all those liturgists!! It got approved but contemporary music still had some way to go in being accepted as a legitimate form of music for sacred worship, especially when it came to Mass Settings. Our music must speak in the vernacular, touch the hearts of people while remaining loyal to the beauty of our tradition and our Gospel values. So many people have historically left the church or dwelled on the fringes because there has been a disconnect between the music that is of our time and the faith stories of people's real lives. It's time our church was open, authentic and relevant.

Anne Maree Higgins is a university graduate of Theology and Philosophy (Hons) and over 20 years experience in youth retreats and liturgies. Her work in parish and diocesan ministry as well as for religious congregations has seen her creatively draw her talents and church experience into one. In recent years she graduated as a Vocal Teacher and is a published songwriter and continues to write and perform.

Now, as a signed artist, member of Underfoot Records, Anne Maree (Annie Higgins the Artist) has recorded several singles and now plans to release a second album in the world of acoustic soul, funk, reggae and acid Jazz.