With the rapid development of online media, the channels of promoting music have been evolving. The sacred vocal music of Fr Áureo Castro – founder of the Academia de Música São Pio X (AMSPioX) in Macau – is an invaluable treasure that beautifully blends faith and the arts. For this reason, Fr João Evangelista Lau, Supervisor of AMSPioX, has long hoped to introduce Fr Áureo’s sacred vocal works to wider audiences, so that their profound meaning and wonderful melodies can be appreciated. With this goal in mind, Basilla Sam, Director of AMSPioX, invited the Academy’s Resident-in-Composer, Dr Viola Yuen, together with the Hong Kong Chummy Choir, to record the music and promote it through online platforms. The project was launched in 2023.

Fr Áureo Castro (or Fr Áureo as he was known in Macau) wrote extensively for the voice and choir, and selecting pieces for video recording is by no means a simple task. After careful consideration, we decided to focus primarily on his sacred works. Dr Viola Yuen thoughtfully chose a set of refined compositions distinguished by beautiful harmonies, memorable melodies, and—where appropriate—elements that invite moments of meditation or serve liturgical purposes. After several rounds of review and selection, we ultimately chose to center the programme on the theme of God’s salvation, resulting in the recording of ten works.

Since arriving in Macau at the age of 14, Fr Áureo lived and studied at the St Joseph Seminary. The Seminary served as the nurturing ground for developing his musical gifts; accordingly, this recording project was filmed at the Church of St Joseph Seminary, celebrated for its exceptional acoustics and atmosphere. On-site audio recording and filming were completed in mid-2024. Over the past few months, the production team has worked diligently to transform the recorded materials into high-quality videos—presenting not only the music itself, but also the meaning and significance behind each sacred work.

These videos will be released and screened gradually throughout Lent and into Eastertide, so that everyone may experience the spiritual nourishment and inner peace that the music brings. We also hope that, as you listen to Fr Áureo’s music, you will pause to reflect on God’s unconditional and merciful love for us.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all who have been involved in this project. In particular, we thank Bishop Stephen Lee of the Catholic Diocese of Macau for granting permission to film at the Church of St Joseph Seminary, and we extend our appreciation to the staff of the Seminary for their support and coordination in all aspects of the production. We are also grateful to the Centro Diocesano dos Meios de Comunicação Social for lending the equipment used to support the recording.

We would further like to thank Dr Viola Yuen, recording engineer Mr Chan Pui Ching, and the MADLAB video team for their dedication throughout both pre-production and post-production. Our thanks also go to the Chummy Choir for preparing and rehearsing the pieces within a short time-frame.
From Lent through Eastertide in 2025, we will share these ten recordings on God’s salvation for your enjoyment. For more information about this promotional initiative, please refer to the links below:

Facebook link:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.
php?id=61573798365836

Youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?ist=PLdWeoXVuwN0XUr6WI_
yJC56RDxd2UgzBi