CD Review: TONY ALONSO and GABE HUCK, By Heart – Seasonal Songs for Gathering, Interceding, and Communion (GIA Publications, Inc.)

The more I listen to this CD – the more I like it.

But when I first purchased it, took it home and played it – I wasn’t that enthused. Now with hindsight, I realise I was listening to it in the wrong way. I would argue that ‘By Heart’ is a collection more-so geared towards communities and Liturgy Committees who are looking at ways in which they can sing the rites – and not [as Alonso and Huck stress in the liner notes] sing during the rites. This is a recording to give ideas about how liturgy can be celebrated – not a CD to be ‘listened’ to for enjoyment or pleasure per se. This being said, imagining how music and ritual could be fused as displayed on ‘By Heart’ is a pleasurable experience to hear.

The CD comprises 12 tracks and is divided into 4 parts: Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. Each of the four liturgical seasons are presented by three different songs: a Gathering Rite, Intercessions and a Communion Rite.

Tony Alonso and Gabe Huck have worked together to produce a helpful resource. Huck has been responsible for the spoken texts, while Alonso has been charged with the music and arrangements. There exists a gentle and obvious symbiosis between the two, which is helped by the production of Marty Haugen. The collection attempts to create various moments of the Mass, punctuated by the music and texts presented. And while Huck and Alonso in the liner notes acknowledge that ‘it is impossible to capture the life and rhythm of a liturgical celebration on a studio recording’ – they have certainly captured my imagination about how things might look [and sound] by adapting what is presented here and applying it to various liturgical settings.

The collection begins with Advent. The Gathering Rite is an adaptation of ‘Come, Emmanuel’ – a popular hymn of Advent. The treatment given here is reflective and bordering on being somber. This is not an upbeat version of ‘Come O Come Emmanuel’ as heard on Alonso’s 2001 ‘Fresh As The Morning’ which had a great sense of urgency that seemed to mirror our own propulsion to the Christmas event. No – this is a much more measured affair. The music begins which lasts for a few minutes, then the spoken liturgical greeting is given by Fr. Ray East [yeah!] whose arresting and excellent spoken word delivery as seen on ‘You Can Make Me Whole’ [Reach Towards Heaven, David Haas, 2003] and also as the Narrator in Marty Haugen’s recent opus ‘So That You May Have Life’ is gladly welcomed. The text spoken by East [written by Huck], are justice-driven and stand as the highlight on this particular track. After the spoken welcoming rites [with music being played in the background all the while], a final refrain of ‘Come, Emmanuel’ is collectively sung. Nice.

The Intercessions are spoken verbally with a sung refrain of ‘Come Quickly, Lord’ - which is an adaptation of the traditional chant ‘Conditor Alme Siderum’. The texts are focused and concise with the music providing a gentle under-current to help things along.

The Communion Rite begins with the Lamb of God with the cantor being provided by Marty Haugen. The music for the setting is based on ‘Blow the Candles Out’ [a traditional English folk tune]. The rhythm is driving and stirring, but not overpowering. This segues into the Communion Song ‘God Shall Gather In’ [still using and adapting the melody] which flows nicely.

The next three tracks are devoted to the season of Christmas. The Gathering Rite is based on African American Spiritual ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. The music is upbeat with some tasty Soprano Sax being played by John Wojciechowski. The gathering song fades away to a spoken liturgical greeting by Fr. Bob Oldershaw. After this brief welcome, the Gloria is sung based on another African American Spiritual, ‘Plenty Good Room’. The gospel feel of this entire Gathering Rite is galvanizing and infectious. What a way to celebrate the Christmas event!

Marty Haugen again sings as cantor on the track ‘Child of Mary’ which is the sung response to the Intercessions for the Christmas season. Haugen sings, ‘All creation, raise your voices: Child of Mary, Hear Our Prayer’. Haugen’s singing is sweet and inviting. The instruments are piano and gently strummed guitar are simply arranged and this works to great effect.

Next, the Communion Rite. Again starting at the Lamb God, but with a musical setting called ‘Come to Bethlehem Manger’ based on yet another Spiritual ‘Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow’. ‘Come to Bethlehem Manger’ starts immediately after ‘..but only say the Word and I shall be healed…’ which provides insight as to the timing of the Communion Song. This immediacy sits well with the flow of the entire piece and flow of the Liturgy. David Haas says in his book ‘The Ministry and Mission of Sung Prayer’ the Communion Song should start immediately begin after the Lamb of God – and the settings as shown on ‘By Heart’ indicate this. Quite often, this time during Mass is an awkward silence…not here. I like it. It makes good musical, liturgical and pastoral sense.

The next bracket is devoted to Lent. The mood is sorrowful and serious. The Gathering Rite and Intercessions are musically based on traditional chants; with the Intercessions based on ‘Parce Domine’. The arrangements are stark and bare – even haunting. The Communion Rite is based on the Iona ‘Take, O Take Me as I Am’ written by John L. Bell.

The collection concludes with attention given to Easter. The mood is joyous with the setting targeted for Easter Sunday celebrations. ‘Halle, Halle, Halle’ begins proceedings with light and bouncy percussion. Fr. Ray East again gives the spoken liturgical welcome. A blessing of the water follows after the general greeting [for the purposes of a Sprinkling Rite?]. The text here is excellently scripted by Huck with wonderful references to scripture dealing with the image of water.

The Intercessions are a celebration with the spoken petitions referring to ‘those baptized last night’. Tony Alonso sings the response ‘Hear Us, Saviour: Hear Our Prayer’. The language is relevant and appropriate with a musical sense of optimism.

‘Joyous Cup’ concludes the Easter season as the Communion Rite. Starting out quite slowly, the tempo increases as soon as the Lamb of God ends. The pace quickens and swirls to a triumphant anthem with various cantors adding to the joyful melody including Tony Alonso, Jeanne Cotter, ValLimar Jansen and Marty Haugen. It fittingly concludes the collection on an optimistic and uplifting note.

This is not a ‘song-fest’ CD such as i.e.: The Best of David Haas Volume 1 & 2. What is presented here is an ‘ideas’ CD. Listen to it and give yourself some new ideas about how Liturgy may be enhanced with the powerful medium of music at your local parish center. It might be rather timely to go a purchase ‘By Heart’ as we are nearly in the season of Advent - and Christmas will be upon us before we know it. Having a resource such as this at your disposal may well prove useful.