Songs of Advent: "This is Your Justice"

Matt Reichert, Craig Colson, and Zack Stachowski at the 2018 NPM Convention in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Happy Advent! As we journey through this sacred season toward the celebration of Christ’s birth we are spending time revisiting some of our favorite Advent music. Today we feature a conversation with Craig Colson about his piece “This is Your Justice,” filled with references to texts from the prophet Isaiah. In addition to excerpts from our interview with Craig you’ll hear an extended playlist, journeying through new and familiar music for the season. Make sure to visit our social media pages for more Advent music, and make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss our upcoming Christmas special features, including the 2020 edition of our annual OYH Lessons and Carols.

So, please open your hymnals to “This is Your Justice” and the music of Advent!

Episode links

For more information about Craig Colson and his other compositions, visit his composer pages at GIA Publications and OCP.

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording for "This is Your Justice” from GIA Publications. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in this episode: Instrumental arrangement of “People Look East” (arr. Sondra Tucker), “Why Don’t You Tear Apart the Heavens” (John L. Bell), “Maranatha, Lord Messiah” (Kathy Powell), “Preparen el Camino” (Fernando Rodriguez), “Cantaré Eternamente/Forever I Will Sing” (Mary Frances Reza), “Prepare the Way for the Coming of the Lord” (Jalonda Robertson), “Gaudete” (Albert Coppo), “Magnificat” (Janèt Sullivan Whitaker), “Your Light Will Come Jerusalem” (Bob Hurd), “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” (Kenneth Louis), and the instrumental arrangement of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” for organ and brass (arr. Sondra Tucker).

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OYH Selects: "Creator of the Stars of Night"

Zack Stachowski, Carol Browning, and Matt Reichert (February, 2018)

We are proud to bring you this interview replay! This episode was originally posted in late December, 2018.

Happy New Liturgical Year! Advent has just begun, and to kick things off, we’re bringing you one of our favorite seasonal episodes from the past four years. Join Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert as they speak with composer Carol Browning about “Creator of the Stars of Night.” Bob Moore stops by to talk about Carol’s music, and Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, gives some historical background to the 1,000-year-old chant hymn at the core of this piece. Plus, you’ll hear a bunch of great music in the OYH Playlist.

So, please open your hymnal to "Creator of the Stars of Night."

Episode links

For more information about Carol Browning and her other compositions, visit her composer pages at GIA Publications, MorningStar Music, and Liturgical Press.

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording for "Creator of the Stars of Night” from GIA Publications. You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in this episode: Instrumental arrangement of “People Look East” (arr. Sondra Tucker), “Silent Night" (arr. Steve Petrunak), organ recording of “Creator of the Stars of Night” (arr. John Keys), "Conditor Alma Siderum" (traditional), "Ubi Caritas" (Carol Browning), "O God, Behold Your Family Here" (Bob Moore), “Christ, Circle Round Us" (Dan Schutte), “Peace be With Those” (Carol Browning), “Carol of the Dawn” (Janet Sullivan Whitacre), “Ave Generosa” (Ola Gjielo), and “People Look East” (arr. Marty Haugen). 

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In Memoriam, 2020

This week we celebrate the Feast of All Souls, and in this time of remembrance, we thought we’d take some time to honor the composers, text authors, and pastoral musicians who passed away over this last year. 

In this episode, you’ll hear music from six members of our field who died between November 2019 and November 2020. As we celebrate their lives and their contributions, we hope you’ll join us and add in the names of your loved ones, colleagues, friends, mentors, choir members, neighbors – who died in 2020.

Episode links

For more information about the composers we featured, visit the following links: Colin Mawby, Pablo Sosa, Ray Repp, Carlos Rosas, Graham Maule, and Shirley Erena Murray.

You can also purchase the song recordings you heard in this episode: “We Remember” (Carol Browning and Martin Willett), “Lullaby” (Colin Mawby), “Regina Caeli” (Colin Mawby), “Celtic Blessing” (Colin Mawby), “Si fui motivo de dolor” (Pablo Sosa), “Yo se que se” (Pablo Sosa), “El cielo canta alegría” (Pablo Sosa), “Into Your Hands” (Ray Repp), “Into Your Hands” (Ray Repp), “Peace My Friends” (Ray Repp), “Cantemos al Señor” (Carlos Rosas), “El Señor es Mi Pastor” (Carlos Rosas), “Take This Moment” (John Bell, Graham Maule), “Hey, My Love” (John Bell, Graham Maule), “The Quiet Center” (Zack Stachowski, Shirley Erena Murray), “And Jesus Said” (Tony Alonso, Shirley Erena Murray), and “Sing for Peace” (Marty Haugen, Shirley Erena Murray).

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Season 4 Kick-Off!

It’s finally here! After an extended summer “break,” we’re happy to be back with an all new episode! Today we’re kicking-off Season 4 of Open Your Hymnal with a special preview episode. You’ll hear a run-down of the songs and composers we’ll be featuring in our upcoming season. You’ll also hear a little more about some of our new approach to programming and interviewing. Our first full interview episode will be out in just a few weeks.

Of course, we have more plans in the works for Season 4 than we were able to talk about in today’s episode. We’ve got additional interviews, some surprise guests, lots of themed episodes, and more. If you haven’t already done so, follow us on social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter). Subscribe so you’ll never miss an episode! You can subscribe to OYH on Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play.

We’re glad to have you with us for another season of the show. So, please open your hymnals to Season 4!

Episode links

You can purchase the song recordings you heard in this episode: “In Every Age” (Janèt Sullian Whitaker), “Jesus Comes” (Sally Ann Morris, text by Mel Bringle), “Not By Bread Alone” (M. Roger Holland, II), “I Say Yes, Lord/Digo Si, Señor” (Donna Peña), “Have Mercy On Us For We Have Sinned” (W. Clifford Petty), “Behold the Lamb” (Martin Willett), “I Am the Bread of Life” (Suzanne Toolan, arr. Rory Cooney), “Table of Plenty” (Dan Schutte), “Shepherd of My Heart” (Francis Patrick O’Brien), “Holy, Holy, Holy” from Mass of Joy & Peace (Tony Alonso), “Santo, Santo, Santo” from Misa Luna (Peter Kolar), “Ang Katawan ni Kristo/Behold, the Body of Christ” (Fr. Ricky Manalo, Pia de Leon), “You, the Christ” (Ian Callanan, text by Shirley Erena Murray), “This is Your Justice” (Craig Colson), and “With Great Love” (Chris de Silva).

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Songs for This Time of Pain and Darkness

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).

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OYH Prayer Series: Evening Prayer

Take twenty minutes out of your day to pause, reflect, and pray. Following a basic evening prayer structure, this prayer experience includes Psalmody, Psalm prayers, readings from Scripture, time for reflection, intercessions, and a blessing.

Pray and sing along! Download the Worship Aid.

Notes and resources

The script for this prayer is a modified version of a prayer script found in A Future With Hope, a prayer resource written by co-hosts Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert. A leader guide and participant guides are available from 23rd Publications.

You can find the music you heard via the following links: “Healing River of the Spirit” (text by Duck), “Psalm 16: Keep Me Safe, O God” (Alonso), "Psalm 131: In You, O Lord, I Have Found My Peace” (Guimont), “Healing River of the Spirit (Heart of Hope)” (arr. Briare), “My Soul Proclaims” (Toolan), “Oracion De Los Fieles” (Kolar), the Lord’s Prayer from “Communion Rite - May We Be One” (arr. Daigle), and “Dios Nos Bendiga” (Manibusan).

Pray and sing along! Download the Worship Aid.

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OYH Lessons & Carols, 2019

Ethiopian Creche, Saint John’s Abbey (Collegeville, MN)

We are closing out Advent with our second annual “OYH Lessons & Carols.” You’ll hear a range of great music from a variety of composers. You’ll also hear non-scriptural readings woven throughout, read by friends of the podcast: Meredith Augustin, Rory Cooney, Bex Gaunt, David Haas, Carol Browning, Jaime Cortez, Kate Williams, and Audrey and Clare Reichert.

For a scripture-based lessons and carols, visit our 2018 OYH Lessons & Carols episode.

Whether you listen while driving in the car, baking Christmas cookies, preparing for liturgy, or anyplace else, we hope that this celebration will serve as a moment of pause and reflection during this busy time of year.

So, please open your hymnals!

Episode links

You can purchase the song recordings you heard in this episode: Instrumental arrangement of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (arr. Petrunak), “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” (arr. Schlenker), “Like a Whisper in the Heart” (Moore/Dunstan), “What Have We Done for the Poor Ones” (True), “Las Posadas” (arr. Rubalcava), “Sing Out My Soul” (Whitaker), “A Weary Couple” (Alonso/Tice), “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (arr. Hart), “Jesus Comes” (Morris/Bringle), “Go, Tell It On the Mountain” (arr. Warren Brown), “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” (arr. Ward), and “Worship the New Born King” (Holland).

You can find links to the original readings by following these links: “So, Are You Ready for Christmas?” (Nadia Bolz Weber, 2007), “Advent” (Rory Cooney, 1992), from “The Violence of Love” (St. Oscar Romero, December 8, 1978), “Nothing is Impossible with God” (David Haas), “Are You Being Persecuted?” (Rachel Held Evans, 2014), “The Implications of Christmas” (Joan Chittister, 2018), and “The Work of Christmas Begins” (Howard Thurman).

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In Review: One Call Institute, 2019

OCI 2019 participants in rehearsal at Saint John’s University, Collegeville, MN

It’s our first audio “yearbook”! In this episode, co-hosts Zack Stachowski and Matt Reichert bring you musical highlights from the 2019 One Call Institute. One Call exists to help support, empower, and engage young pastoral musicians and their advocates. This year, participants gathered from across the country to learn, pray, and make music together. Most importantly, the participants were sent out to continue using their skills and talents in their home communities. Today’s episode explores a selection of the music used by OCI participants during prayer, the end-of-week concert, and final Mass.

So, please open your hymnals!

Episode links

For more information about the One Call Institute, visit the program website at www.onecallinstitute.org.

You can help support this podcast by supporting our sponsors. For more information about the sponsors of this episode - Ministry Scheduler Pro software, the Ministry Monday podcast, and Great Catholic Music - visit their links.

You can purchase a copy of the song recordings you heard in this episode: “Nzamuranza” (tr. Mozabique/Cameroon), “Canticle of the Turning” (Cooney), “Take, O Take Me As I Am” (Bell), “Take This Moment” (Bell), “Psalm 63: My Soul is Thirsting” (Angrisano), “Psalm 19: Words of Everlasting Life” (Alonso), “Psalm 25: I Lift My Soul” (True), “Ubi Caritas” (tr. chant), “Table Prayer: God of Life and of the Living” (Joncas), “Psalm 91: Be With Me, Lord” (Hart/Stephan), “Psalm 51: Have Mercy On Us for We Have Sinned” (Petty), “Belong” (de Silva), “10,000 Reasons” (Myrin/Redman), “Salve Regina” (tr. chant), “Da Pacem, Domine” (Franck), “This is Your Justice” (Colson), “In the Morning, In the Evening” (Gaunt), “In the Breaking of the Bread” (Ward), “Dame Tu Paz” (Betancourt), “Soli Deo Gloria” (Haugen), “From the Many, Make Us One” (Alonso), “With Rejoicing Hearts” (Cortez), “Jerusalem, My Destiny” (Cooney), “Dios Nos Bendiga” (Manibusan), and “Go Out” (Petty) .

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Songs of Mary II: "The Memorare"

Matt Reichert, Lorraine Hess, and Zack Stachowski at the Mid-Atlantic Congress in Baltimore, Maryland (2019).

It’s our “May Crowning” episode! We’re continuing our celebration of the treasury of devotional songs written in honor of the Blessed Mother with a hybrid show: part interview, part special feature. To help us out, we’re speaking with composer Lorraine Hess about her setting of the “Memorare” prayer. In addition to featuring her song, you’ll hear a wide range of musical selections covering styles from chant to hymnody, from folk songs to contemporary pieces.

 So, please open your hymnals!

Episode links

For more information about Lorraine Hess, visit her composer page at World Library Publications and her personal website: www.lorrainehess.com.

You can help support this podcast by supporting our sponsors. For more information about the sponsors of this episode - Ministry Scheduler Pro and the “Ministry Monday” podcast - visit their links.

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording for "The Memorare” from World Library Publications. You can watch a video of the live performance of “The Memorare” at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana, on YouTube.

You can also purchase the other song recordings you heard in this episode: “O Queen of the Holy Rosary” (ELLACOMBE, text by Emily Shepcote), “Regina Coeli” (Giuseppo Bernabei), “Ave Maria Litany” (Tom Booth and Jesse Manibusan), “Bring Flowers of the Rarest” (Mary Walsh), “O Maria, Madre Mia” (traditional), “As I Kneel Before You” (Maria Parkinson), “Prayer of Fatima” (Laurence Rosania), “Adios, O Virgen de Guadalupe” (traditional), “O Mary of Graces” (Douglas Hyde), “Mater Ecclesia” (Ricky Manalo), “Woman of God” (Jesse Manibusan).

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A Lenten Celebration, 2019

“The Woman at the Well”

We are marking the mid-point of Lent with a special feature episode. You’ll hear a range of great seasonal music from a variety of composers arranged around the final three Gospel readings for Lent, the “Scrutiny Gospels.” These readings are shared with us by composers Meredith Augustin, Ian Callanan, and Luke Rosen. We hope that this presentation will help you in your own preparations for the celebration of Easter.

So, please open your hymnals!

Episode links

You can purchase the song recordings you heard in this episode: “Parce Domine/Ubi Caritas” (arr. Jeremy Young), piano instrumental of “Lenten Suite” (Paul Tate), “Turn My Heart” (Marty Haugen), “Restless is the Heart” (Bernadette Farrell), “Lead Me, Lord” (Samuel Wesley), “Hosea” (Gregory Norbet), "piano instrumental of “Attende Domine” (Jerry Galipeau), “He Healed the Darkness of My Mind” (David Haas), “Open My Eyes” (Benedetto Marcello, arr. Dale Grotenhuis), “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” (Kathleen Thomerson), “Brille Tu Luz” (Stella Garcia Lopez, Rudy Lopez), quodlibet on “Were You There/Amazing Grace” (arr. Marcy Weckler Barr), piano instrumental on “Precious Lord” (Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB), “With the Lord There is Mercy” (Val Parker), “When Jesus Wept” (William Billings), “We Shall Rise Again” (Jeremy Young), “Give Me Jesus” (arr. Meredith Augustin), and “Attende Domine” (arr. Trevor Thompson).

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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.