Celebrating Hymns, Part 1

Dr. Michael McMahon

It’s the first OYH Hymn Fest! In honor of the Feast of St. Cecilia, patroness of music, we’re celebrating some of our favorite hymn texts and hymn tunes. We’ll play a lot of music, including hymns from the English, German, Irish, and American traditions and some recently composed texts and tunes. We’ll also chat with special guests Dr. Michael McMahon (executive director of The Hymn Society), Brian Hehn (director of the Center for Congregational Song), and Dr. Tony Alonso. You’ll hear, too, from a few of our friends as they share their favorite hymns.

Brian Hehn

As we mention in the episode, this is the first of several special episodes we’ll release this season. We’ll be preparing and releasing special episodes for “Songs of Mary,” “Songs of Christmas,” “Songs of Lent,” “Songs of Easter,” as well as episodes focusing on women composers and African American composers. Be sure to follow us on social media so you can share your requests with us. Who knows? You might end up on one of our episodes!

So, please open your hymnals!

Dr. Tony Alonso

Episode links

For more information about the work of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada and the Center for Congregational Song, visit their websites. To find out more information about your favorite hymns, check out the website hymnary.org.

You can purchase the song recordings you heard in this episode: Instrumental arrangement of “Gloria from Mass of Light” (David Haas),” “When in Our Music God is Glorified” (ENGELBERG), “For All the Saints” (SINE NOMINE), “Rejoice the Lord is King” (DARWALL), “For the Beauty of the Earth” (DIX), “O God Beyond All Praising” (THAXTED), “Holy God, We Praise They Name” (GROSSER GOTT), “O Sacred Head Surrounded” (PASSION CHORALE), “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” (HYMN TO JOY), “Lord of All Hopefulness” (SLANE), “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” (ST. COLUMBA), “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” (DOXOLOGY), “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” (HOLY MANNA), “How Great Thou Art” (O STORE GUD), “A Place Called Home” (FINLANDIA), “Earth and All Stars” (EARTH AND ALL STARS), and “Soli Deo Gloria” (SOLI DEO GLORIA).

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"My Soul is Thirsting"

Matt Reichert, Steve Angrisano, and Zack Stachowski (NPM Baltimore, 2018)

You likely knew that composer Steve Angrisano is very talented musician and speaker. But, did you also know that he’s a great foot washer? It’s just one of the many things we discussed when we discussed his setting of Psalm 63, “My Soul is Thirsting.” Join co-hosts Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert as they speak with Steve about songwriting, contemporary music, family ministry, mentorship, and what the Church gets wrong about young people. We’ll also get a little closer to answering the question that’s been on all of our minds: just how big of a nerd was Zack in high school? It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss!

So, please open your hymnal to "My Soul is Thirsting."

Episode links

For more information about Steve Angrisano and his other compositions, visit his composer page at OCP. You can also visit his personal website: www.steveangrisano.com.

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording for "My Soul is Thirsting” from OCP. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in this episode: Instrumental arrangement of “Gloria from Mass of Light” (David Haas),” At Dawn" (Steve Petrunak), piano recording of “My Soul is Thirsting” (arr. Jon Sarta), "Entrance Antiphon for the Second Sunday of Easter" (Fr. Columba Kelly, OSB), "Go Make a Difference" (Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek), "A Rightful Place" (Steve Angrisano), “Here I Am to Worship" (Tim Hughes), “I Am the Bread of Life” (Steve Angrisano and Tom Booth), “Psalm 63: Mi Alma Esta Sedienta de Ti” (Donna Pena), “Voices that Challenge” (David Haas,” and “You Are the Way” (Steve Angrisano). 

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"No Greater Love"

Matt Reichert, Fr. Michael Joncas, and Zack Stachowski (July, 2018)

We’re welcoming Fr. Michael Joncas back to speak about another one of his best-loved compositions: “No Greater Love.” While many know this popular song, not everyone knows that it was composed as part of a full Mass setting. So, there are a lot of layers to today’s episode: orchestral Mass settings, setting Scripture to music, using chant-like melodies, the effect of changes to the Mass translation, and what it means to compose “theatrical” liturgical music. We’ll discuss all of these with Fr. Michael, and explore them further with additional choices in the Open Your Hymnal Playlist.

So, please open your hymnal to "No Greater Love."

Episode links

For more information about Fr. Michael Joncas and his other compositions, visit his composer pages at GIA, OCP, and WLP. You can also visit his faculty page at the University of St. Thomas.

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording for "No Greater Love” from GIA Publications. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in this episode: Instrumental arrangement of “Gloria from Mass of Light” (David Haas),” At Dawn" (Steve Petrunak), "What is This Place" (Oosterhuis), "Live on in My Love" (Tom Franzak), "Mary’s Song" (Fr. Michael Joncas), and "Heart of a Shepherd" (Rory Cooney). 

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OYH Selects: "On Eagle's Wings"

Fr. Michael Joncas

Open Your Hymnal is making its debut on Catholic radio tomorrow (September 1st)! To celebrate, we are releasing a re-mastered version of our very first podcast episode, "On Eagle's Wings," with composer Fr. Michael Joncas. The re-release includes the addition of our newest feature, the Open Your Hymnal Playlist, and more. Please enjoy this episode, originally released in May 2017!

[From the original episode posting]: The song "On Eagle's Wings" is everywhere: hymnals, YouTube, funerals and memorial services, and even PBS television specials. In this episode, Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert interview the song's composer, Fr. Michael Joncas, to learn more about the story of the song, the writing and publication process, and the song's legacy. There is even a surprise revelation about the connection between this beloved piece and Stephen Sondheim, and you don't want to miss it.

So, please open your hymnal to "On Eagle's Wings".

Episode links

For more information about Fr. Michael Joncas and his other compositions, visit his composer pages at World Library Publications, OCP, and GIA Publications.

You can purchase a copy of the song score and a copy of the original song recording from OCP. You can purchase a copy of the live concert recording (performed by Fr. Michael Joncas, Marty Haugen, and David Haas in 1985) and a copy of the instrumental piano recording (arranged and performed by Paul Tate) from GIA Publications.

You can purchase song recordings for the pieces you heard on OYH Playlist: "The Lord is My Light" (David Haas), "Be With Me Lord" (Sarah Hart and Curtis Stephan), "Rorate Caeli" and "Deep and Lasting Peace" (Fr. Michael Joncas). 

You can purchase a copy of the instrumental guitar recording (arranged and performed by Stephen Petrunak) from iTunes. You can hear the United States Air Force Academy cadets sing "On Eagle's Wings" and watch Michael Crawford's live concert rendition on YouTube.

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All content of this podcast is property of Open Your Hymnal or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about this podcast and its use, please contact us.

"Many and Great"

Fr. Ricky Manalo, CSP, and Matt Reichert

It's been a busy summer for Open Your Hymnal - conferences, travel, new interviews, new partnerships. Now, co-hosts Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert return from their summer break to a conversation with composer Fr. Ricky Manalo, CSP, about his song "Many and Great." They discuss musical style, cultural idioms, compositional influence, cultural identity, and more! They also introduce a new segment - the "Open Your Hymnal Playlist" - featuring songs Zack and Matt picked that relate to one of the conversation threads from the episode. 

So, please open your hymnal to "Many and Great."

Episode links

For more information about Fr. Ricky Manalo, CSP, and his other compositions, visit his composer page at OCP and his personal website. 

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording for "Many and Great" from OCP. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in this episode: "At Dawn" (Steve Petrunak), "Pan de Vida" (Bob Hurd), "Someone in a Tree" (Stephen Sondheim), "By the Waking of Our Hearts" (Fr. Ricky Manalo), "Ki Ri Su To No" (arr. Lori True), "They'll Know We Are Christians" (arr. Paul Tate), "This Is How" (Chris de Silva), and "Pie Jesu" (Fr. Ricky Manalo). 

Find out more about Santa Clara University, where Fr. Ricky teaches, at the college website. 

You can read more about the film director Akira Kurosawa at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and Wikipedia. 

Find out more about the pastoral response to the Asian and Pacific Islander community, Asian and Pacific Islander affairs, and cultural diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website. 

Learn more about the Living Bread Radio Network by visiting their website. You can also find out more about your local Catholic radio station by visiting the Catholic Radio Association. Here you'll find the "Catholic Radio Travel Guide," a listing of every Catholic radio station in the country! 

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All content of this podcast is property of Open Your Hymnal or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.

"I Send You Out"

There is a lot to unpack in our Season 2 premier: the role and place of contemporary music, style wars, the synthesis of faith-culture-life, how we must do a better job of sending instead of just gathering, and more. Even Hootie & the Blowfish make an appearance! Listen as Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert speak with composer John Angotti about one of his best-loved songs, "I Send You Out." They'll touch on all of the topics already mentioned, and offer insights into the pastoral, musical, and liturgical realities of being music missionaries, not just music ministers. In doing so, John shares about his creation of the song, his own journey and vocation as a music minister, and the critical work of ministry.

Matt Reichert and John Angotti

So, please open your hymnal to "I Send You Out."

Episode links

For more information about John Angotti and his other compositions, visit his composer page at World Library Publications. You can also visit his website at: www.johnangotti.com.

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording from World Library Publications. 

You can find the book Zack references, This is Your Brain On Music by Daniel Levitin, at Penguin Random House. 

To learn more about the 2018 One Call Institute "Summer Ministry Colloquium," visit the event webpage. Register today! 

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All content of this podcast is property of Open Your Hymnal or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.

Special Feature: A Conversation with Fr. James Martin

Fr. james Martin, SJ

In just a few short days, we’ll be launching our second season of new episodes and interviews. Just in time for graduation and commencement season, we’ll start with our conversation with composer John Angotti about his song, “I Send You Out.” We’ll also be welcoming Carol Browning, Fr. Ricky Manalo, our second conversation with David Haas, and many more.

Before we do, we want to share with you this special feature. A few weeks ago, co-host Matt Reichert was able to spend time chatting with Fr. James Martin for the other podcast he hosts, “Ministry Monday.” In that episode, they discussed a host of topics including evangelization, maintaining a healthy balance, and navigating culture wars. They had a great conversation, and not all of it fit into the episode. So, we saved a few nuggets for you. 

Today, you’ll hear the excerpts of that conversation that deal with liturgical music. Fr. Jim will share a little about his experience with liturgical music and some of his favorite songs. You can hear the rest of this conversation at ministrymonday.org. 

So, we hope you enjoy this excerpt. If you haven’t yet, make sure you are subscribed to Open Your Hymnal so you never miss an episode. Get ready for Season Two!

Episode links

Fr. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communications, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers “Building A Bridge,” "Jesus: A Pilgrimage," and "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything." You can find out more about his ministry and speaking engagements on his Facebook page.

You can listen to the full interview with Fr. Jim at the "Ministry Monday" website.

You can purchase the recording of "I Send You Out" (by John Angotti) from World Library Publications. You can hear the full recording of "Sons of God" (by Ray Repp) on Youtube.

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All content of this podcast is property of Open Your Hymnal or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.

"The Lord is My Light"

Matt Reichert and Christopher Walker

We end our first season the way it began, with a setting of a Psalm text! Join cohosts Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert as they speak with composer Christopher Walker about his setting of Psalm 27. They discuss the sometimes not-so-helpful structure of responsorial Psalms, the clash of popular music culture and liturgical music culture regarding composer celebrity status, the importance of humility, and more. 

So, please open your hymnal to "The Lord is My Light."

Episode links

For more information about Christopher Walker and his other compositions, visit his composer page at OCP. You can find additional information at his personal website: www.christopherwalker.com. 

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording from OCP. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in the episode: "O God, You Search Me" (Bernadette Farrell), "Keep Me, Lord" (John Bell), and "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" (Christopher Walker).

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All content of this podcast is property of Open Your Hymnal or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.

"Covenant Hymn"

Gary Daigle, Terry Donohoo, and Rory Cooney

It's our OYH Easter Vigil episode! Much like the vigil, this episode is longer and packed full of lots of beautiful moments. Join hosts Matt Reichert and Zack Stachowski as they return to composers Gary Daigle and Rory Cooney, this time in conversation together about one of their best-known and best-loved collaborations. You'll hear about "homiletic" texts, the song's intended use for rites of initiation, and the latest OYH liturgical music "bombshell". Our conversation is also joined by Diana Macalintal who shares more information about the RCIA and the concept of "covenant" in the ritual action of the Easter Vigil. 

So, please open your hymnal to "Covenant Hymn."

Episode links

For more information about Gary Daigle and his other compositions, visit his composer page at GIA Publications.

For more information about Rory Cooney and his other compositions, visit his composer pages at GIA Publications, OCP, and WLP. Also, be sure to check out his blog, "Gentle Reign".

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording from GIA Publications. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in the episode: the instrumental guitar recording of "Covenant Hymn" (by Steve Petrunak), the instrumental piano recording of "Covenant Hymn" (by Paul Tate), and "I Am For You" (by Rory Cooney).

You can learn more about Diana Macalintal and her work at her website: www.TeamRCIA.com 

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All content of this podcast is property of Open Your Hymnal or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.

"Center of My Life"

From our interview at NPM 2017: Matt Reichert, Paul Inwood, and Zack Stachowski

Join us as OYH ventures "across the pond"! In this interview recorded in July 2017, Matt Reichert and Zack Stachowski spoke with composer Paul Inwood about one of his best-loved compositions and, in the process, learned a little bit about the trajectory of post-Vatican II music in the United Kingdom. In addition to earning extra frequent listener miles, this week's episode features another music theory lesson from Prof. Stachowski (and he busts out his guitar, back by popular demand). 

So, please open your hymnal to "Center of My Life."

Episode links

For more information about Paul Inwood and his other compositions, visit his composer page at OCP. To find out about Paul's workshops and additional information about his music, visit the Magnificat Music website. 

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording from OCP. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in the episode: the instrumental recording of "Center of My Life" (by Tom Kendzia) from OCP, "Soli Deo Gloria" (by Marty Haugen) from GIA, and the guitar recording of "Center of My Life" (by Terry Robb) from iTunes.

You can learn more about the One Call Institute by visiting www.onecallinstitute.org. You can listen to the Ministry Monday podcast by visiting www.ministrymonday.org. Subscribe today! You can learn more about the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress by visiting www.recongress.org. 

You can read a history of the St. Thomas More Centre for Pastoral Liturgy at the Liturgy Institute website. The St. Thomas More Centre closed in 1995. You can find additional information about the St. Thomas More Group and purchase their music at OCP.

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All content of this podcast is property of Open Your Hymnal or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.