Thursday, September 07, 2006

CD REVIEW: ST. LOUIS JESUITS ‘Morning Light’ [OCP Publications, 2005]

After many years, the St Louis Jesuits have returned with a collection that shows precisely why they established themselves so firmly and successfully in post-Vatican II Catholic liturgical music.

While they haven’t recorded together in over 20 years, their liturgical compositions have found their way into parishes the world over with such classics as ‘Here I Am Lord’, ‘City of God’ and ‘Though the Mountains May Fall’ to name but a few. With so many other St Louis Jesuits hymns part of our collective liturgical music lexicon, I found myself asking, ‘do we need more St. Louis Jesuits music?’ or ‘will it be as good as the older stuff?’ My questions have been suitably answered and any anxiety duly satisfied upon listening, singing and praying along with this recording.

What we are presented with is a collection of 12 songs ranging in style and also displaying the individual songwriting talents of Dan Schutte, John Foley S.J., Bob Dufford S.J. and Robert ‘Roc’ O’Connor, S.J.. Additional input is given by one-time St Louis Jesuit Tim Manion.

Things begin with the Foley penned ‘Now My Heart’. There is an immediacy with this hymn which lends on a call and response type of approach. Foley sounds older (and wiser) as he calls ‘Now my heart is ready Lord’ with strong response by the other singers ‘Now to wake the morning’. Clearly a fine choice for early morning Eucharistic celebrations or Morning Prayer, the song diverts from this explicit theme halfway through and enters a subdued digression picking up themes of evening. This song seemingly has it all! Things then segue back into the rolling tempo established at the start of the song until it resolves on an optimistic note. The flute work in Now My Heart is particularly good and dances around the place giving it a Celtic influence. A strong start.

‘Give Us Faith Lord’ written by Dan Schutte is a flatter moment on this recording. The melody is a bit predictable and the instrumentation sounds like it has been exhumed from a forgettable 1980’s Kenny-G b-side. The saxophone and cheesy synth is distracting, which is a pity given the strong compositional influence Dan Schutte has wielded in the past with such classics as ‘Blest Be the Lord’ and ‘Sing a New Song’. This aside, the song has potential application in Reconciliation services or as a song of dismissal.

‘O Beauty, Ever Ancient’ is a triumph. Though penned by O’Connor the vocal is sung by Tim Manion who provides one of the vocal highlights of the entire collection. There is a warm strength to Manion’s voice and coupled with his well phrased guitar passages, creates a wonderful sense of yearning. The lyrics are poignant:

O late have I turned,
turned from seeking you in creatures,
fleeing grief and pain within

By the end of the song, the words speak of hope with Manion singing ‘Let me find my life in you’. For this reason, O Beauty, Ever Ancient would be perfect for selection throughout the season of Lent as a hymn of longing and the turning away from things that block the Love of God. The underlying themes of trust and hope along with the soothing tones of Manion’s voice and guitar work would contribute nicely in a retreat setting. One of the tall trees on the recording for sure!

The St Louis Jesuits have long been recognized for applying stirring melodies to scripture. ‘Well of Tears’ [Bob Dufford] continues this tradition using Jeremiah 8 as its backdrop. The track begins in a sombre fashion, but begins to rouse in the bridge leading up to the refrain. With a key change and thumping timpani drums heralding the climax of the chorus, this becomes a real surprise moment of the recording. The lyrics in places may be mournful, but this is turned around by the surging instrumentation of the refrains. It would make for a powerful selection in a funeral liturgy or even the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls).

John Foley offers another hymn in the form of ‘Teach Us To Pray’. This is a big, robust number and is presented more like an anthem. It reminds me of a hymn [and I do use the word *hymn*] I would hear in a big Cathedral. The choir in this particular track is prominent and is the ‘primary voice’. No solos here…just big congregational input. Trumpets are used to good effect, harking one’s mind back to the smart trumpet work achieved in ‘Here I Am Lord’…but perhaps not with the same sense of swagger. With its devotional leanings, it could work very well as a Reflection piece or as a Morning Hymn at Morning Prayer. Think Songs of Praise you will be moving towards the style in which Teach Us to Pray is written. It goes to show that this recording caters to a large cross section of musical styles for liturgy.

‘You Are the Light’ written by Robert ‘Roc’ O’Connor swings the pendulum back in the other direction to a more contemporary setting. The instrumentation is vibrant, complete with guitars and drums [!!] and will no doubt cause some members of our vast constituency to die of heart failure, but for the rest of us [!], it is a joy filled and happy moment of the recording. There are obvious applications here for use in Evening Prayer with lyrics in the refrain such as:

You are the light that shines in the darkness
You shine through the night
That we might seek and find our way
Christ be our light!
Let your love be a lamp to guide our way
Christ be our light!

The scriptural references keep on coming in ‘Behind Me and Before Me’ as a setting of Psalm 139. This particular setting has a pleasant guitar introduction similar to the light work displayed in O Beauty, Ever Ancient, but lacks the same level of conviction. The vocal work of John Foley and Bob Dufford are delivered in a pleasant manner, but things are a bit wishy-washy here. The strings are a bit over the top and a source of distraction rather than an enhancement to proceedings. There are some nice harmonies in the third verse which raise things a little, but nothing here rises to the same level of what we have already heard so far on this release. This track is a little disappointing. Sorry Bob.

Without a shadow of doubt, the clear standout track on Morning Light is the wonderful ‘Gather the People’ composed by Dan Schutte. This is great as a Song of Preparation [I have tried it in my parish – to a very enthusiastic response from members of the assembly!] The song also has possibilities as a song of Gathering or at Communion. The percussion from the very start of the track establishes a driving tempo that is maintained throughout the song without ever dominating. The song begins with the refrain which is instantly singable and moves nicely into a simple and rousing verse that could be sung either by a cantor or the congregation. Add this one to ‘Sing to the Mountains’ et al. This is an instant classic! Add it to your parish repertoire. It is simply that good.

‘Come Home’ [Dufford] is a slower paced track that speaks of longing. It could be used for any celebration throughout Lent or even in a funeral liturgy with its very appropriate and recurring lyric of ‘come home’.

John Foley’s moving setting of Psalm 42 and 43 - ‘Running Streams’ is one of the better settings of this psalm I have heard for some time. The solo cantor work by Foley is heartfelt and is given substance later in the song when Tim Manion joins in for some very nice harmony work. Mr. Manion seems very understated and perhaps even under-used in this recording. The times he is featured, he really shines. Perhaps this will be a springboard for more work by Manion in the future. [?]

‘The Saving Power of God’ rocks along. The rollicking nature of this track is reminiscent of ‘Lift Up Your Hearts’ taken from the 1981 Lord of Light recording. Saving Power perhaps has a bit more attitude…the guitars sound a bit tougher and the energy levels are high. This would make for a vibrant song of Gathering and also speak very nicely to Christmas themes. This O’Connor penned song is probably at the opposite end of the style/ sound spectrum compared with the aforementioned Teach us to Pray. The diversity on this collection by now is clearly realized displaying to all and sundry that the St. Louis Jesuits are still a force to be reckoned with even after all these years.

Dan Schutte signs off with the gentle ‘These Alone Are Enough’. With the refrain of:

Give me nothing more
Than your love and grace
These alone, O God
Are enough for me


...one could see the application of this song to moments of commissioning i.e.: Special Ministries within a parish, or even school graduations. It certainly has a sense of sending forth so it would work well at the conclusion of a celebration. Its choice as the final track on this timely release is also fitting.

At the beginning of B16’s papacy, I remember there being a lot of talk by some folk, that liturgical music such as the St. Louis Jesuits would not last. There were even some who boasted somewhat pompously that with the new Pope, such music would be outlawed and banned which certainly raised eyebrows in some quarters. What Morning Light does [apart from displaying that the St. Louis Jesuits are still a potent and talented group of composers] is totally dispel such arguments as false and furthermore, boldly assert that music can be unifying and heal such tiresome divisions. The musical scope and diversity on this recording is testament to the liturgical, musical and pastoral sensibilities of this rather extraordinary ensemble from St Louis. They show us through Morning Light a vision of church which not only is contemporary and fresh, but beautifully speaks to our tradition of sung prayer in a variety of ways. Morning Light is therefore an album of hope and for that reason alone – you know you must go and buy it.

2 Comments:

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