LabOratório is an initiative of the Portuguese province that brings together musicians, parish volunteers and others involved in liturgical music for an intensive week of musical formation, prayer, creativity and community. Since its first edition in 2017, the project has sought to help participants grow not only in their musical skills, but also in their understanding of music as a form of service to the liturgy and to the wider Church community. Initiatives such as LabOratório are important because they invest in the people who animate prayer and worship in local communities, helping them develop their gifts while deepening the connection between faith, beauty and service. The following article, originally published by Ponto SJ, highlights the fourth edition of LabOratório, held this year in Portimão.

The fourth edition of LabOratório took place in Portimão, in southern Portugal, bringing together 60 participants from dioceses across the country for a week of musical formation, prayer and community. The move to Portimão marked a new step for the project, which had previously been held in other parts of the country. Organised as an intensive week dedicated to discovering the beauty and purpose of music in the liturgy, LabOratório seeks to equip musicians with both practical skills and a deeper understanding of their role in serving the Church and its communities.

The programme combined daily prayer and Eucharistic celebrations with a wide range of practical workshops. Participants developed their vocal and choral skills, explored instrumental ensemble playing and improvisation, learned about choral direction and musical leadership, and were challenged to create new liturgical music. They also took part in labEscuta, a guided listening space exploring works from the classical tradition and the ways composers have given musical expression to Scripture, as well as labPastoral, which invited reflection on the choices and criteria involved in serving music in the liturgy. The week culminated in a final concert, where participants presented new repertoire created for the project, as well as a Taizé prayer open to the local community.

Beyond musical training, the experience sought to build a community of people who share a desire to place their gifts at the service of others. Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds, including parishes, youth groups and scouting communities, and from ten dioceses across Portugal. Several spoke of discovering that the most important dimension of the week was not simply learning new music, but encountering God through music and through one another. As one participant put it, “music is made with notes, but it gains meaning when it is placed at the service of others.” With the final concert and sending celebration, the week in Portimão came to an end, but the organisers emphasise that the real LabOratório begins when participants return to their communities, carrying new skills, new repertoire and a renewed desire to help their assemblies pray with greater beauty, truth and depth.