Songs for This Time of Pain and Darkness

Artwork by Bro. Mickey McGrath (used with permission)

Artwork by Bro. Mickey McGrath (used with permission)

As with all of you, things at Open Your Hymnal have been different the last several weeks. So, we’re behind with our new episodes. We promise we’ll get back to them very soon. 

In the meantime, though, we can’t ignore the things that are happening in our communities. We’re feeling the pile up of grief, sadness, anger, and hopelessness. So, we offer these songs to you, hoping they meet you wherever you are, that they accompany you, speak to you. At a time when, on the one hand we’ve lost our ability to sing together and, on the other hand, we’re made speechless by so much pain and injustice, we hope that we can still be fed, lead, and joined together by a power that can only come through music. 

There won’t be any conversation in this episode, just the music. Thank you for spending this time with us in prayer and reflection. May we be healed, but never the same. May we all respond to the call, accept the commission, for real work, real action, real justice. 

Episode links

You can purchase the song recordings you heard in this episode: piano instrumental of “The Cloud’s Veil” (arr. Paul Tate), “The Cloud’s Veil” (Liam Lawton), “Christ Be Our Light” (Bernadette Farrell), “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” (Tony Alonso), “How Long, O Lord” (John L. Bell), “There is a Longing” (Anne Quigley), “Have Mercy on Us for We Have Sinned” (W. Clifford Petty), “What You Have Done” (Ed Eicker), “Hold on To Love” (Jesse Manibusan), “Day of Peace” (Janet Sullivan Whitaker), “Love Burn Bright” (Chris de Silva), “Koinonia” (arr. James Abbington), “When One Among Us” (Lori True), and “We Shall Overcome” (arr. Robert T. Gibson).

All content of this podcast is property of Look Up Here Productions 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.

OYH Selects: "From Ashes to the Living Font"

Alan Hommerding

Alan Hommerding

It’s our Lenten kick-off episode! To commemorate the start of the season, we are re-releasing our conversation with Alan Hommerding from February, 2017. You’ll hear the same great interview, but with added features like the OYH Playlist segment.

Join Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert as they chat with composer and text-writer Alan Hommerding. They discuss the way metrical hymns works, the "evaporating pool" of hymn tunes in American parishes, and the need for a moratorium on the tune BEACH SPRING (no, not really). Whether you know a lot about hymns, are new to hymns, or think you don't like hymns (you're wrong, by the way), you'll learn something new in this episode. 

So, please open your hymnal to "From Ashes to the Living Font."

 

Episode links

For more information about Alan Hommerding and his other compositions, visit his composer page at World Library Publications. You can read the blog post Alan mentions at PrayTell.

You can purchase a copy of the score from World Library Publications. By following these links, you can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in the episode: "O Sacred Head Surrounded" (J.S. Bach/Leo Hassler), “The Quiet Center” (Shirley Erena Murray/Zack Stachowski), “The Thorn Tree” (S. Genevieve Glen/Scot Crandal), “In the Arms of Jesus” (Alan Hommerding/John Angotti), “Loving and Forgiving” (Scott Soper), and “Your Love, O Lord” (Alan Hommerding/Ed Eicker).

You can purchase the organ instrumental recording of ST. FLAVIAN and the piano instrumental recording of LAND OF REST on iTunes. The piano instrumental recordings of BEECHER and BEACH SPRING were recorded by Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB, on the album "Sacred Improvisations."

You can view the video of comedian Andy Andrews singing the text of "Amazing Grace" to different tunes on YouTube.

You can view video of the conversation with Dr. Lynn Trapp and Dr. Jennifer Pascuale, "The Hymns Every Parish Should Know," in the NPM digital media library. It can be accessed through NPM's website, www.npm.org. NOTE: You must be a member to access the video content. Sign up today!

You can visit the Hymnary website at www.hymnary.org.

Don’t forget to “subscribe” so you’ll never miss an episode!

All content of this podcast is property of Look Up Here Productions 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.