FolkBlog

We’ve entered Lent, one of the most important periods in the annual Christian calendar. During Lent, I like to pull out my albums of hymns, and I thought I would share some of my favorites.

• Innocence Mission: Christ is My Hope. This is one of my favorite albums of hymns, and I get it out every year during Lent. This CD was recorded by the group in 2000 as a fundraiser for Food For the Poor, a US-based organization working to aid the poorest of the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. It contains a mix of classic hymns (”O Sacred Head Surrounded”, “Were You There”), folk songs (”500 Miles”) and original hymns (”Christ is My Hope”). A highlight of the album is a musical setting of a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem. All of it features Karen Peris’ hauntingly beautiful voice backed by stripped down accompaniment, often just an acoustic guitar or piano. This CD is only available directly from the band at http://www.theinnocencemission.com.
• Kate Campbell: Wandering Strange and For the Living of These Times: Kate Campbell is the daughter of a prominent Baptist minister, and her faith has always informed her songwriting. Kate now has two albums of primarily gospel material. Wandering Strange focuses on the traditional “Baptist-style” hymns with which she grew up. For the Living of These Days, recorded with the legendary Muscle Shoals keyboardist Spooner Oldham, takes a more contemporary and contemplative approach, including a couple traditional hymns, but also including tunes that one would not traditionally think of as gospel album material, like Woody Guthrie’s “Jesus Christ” , Kris Kristoffersen’s “They Killed Him” and “Would They Love Him Down in Shreveport.” The highlights of this album, though, are the originals, including “Prayer of Thomas Merton”, a prayer of Catholic monk Thomas Merton set to music by Campbell, “Dark Night of the Soul” and “Terrible Mercy.” Both albums are highly recommended. The best place to find these albums is at Kate’s website, http://www.katecampbell.com
• Iris DeMent: Lifeline - Iris DeMent’s tribute to the old-time gospel music that inspired her to pursue music. In the liner notes, she discusses that sometimes when she’s down, all she has to do is sit at a piano and play some of these old time tunes to get her through a rought spot, hence the name Lifeline. This is a particularly interesting revelation of the power of the music since Iris also admits her own doubts about the faith in which she grew up. Regardless, she performs these tunes as if she believes every word is true, which is enough for me. The tracks here read like the program from an old-time revival session: “Blessed Assurance”, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”, “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” The highlight of this album is the original, “He Reached Down”, which sounds every bit a timeless hymn as the others she covers on this CD. The best place to find this one is at her website, http://www.irisdement.com
• Iona: Journey Into the Morn, Heaven’s Bright Sun - If you like your music with Celtic or progressive influences, then Iona may be the band for you. The best way I know how to describe this band is “Enya meets Yes.” There are elements of Celtic music (flutes, pipes, whistles), and elements of progressive rock (long, intricate instrumental work featuring keyboards and other elements). By combining these elements with copious references to Celtic theological symbolism, this group has carved out a unique place for itself. All of their albums are top notch, and most of them are loosely based on some overarching theme: The Book of Kells is loosely based on the Book of Kells, an illustrated Bible crafted by Irish monks, while Beyond These Shores is loosely woven around the voyage of St. Brendan, known as the Navigator, who set off on a legendary sea voyage. My favorites, though are Journey Into the Morn, which is based around the lyrics to the classic Irish hymn “Be Thou My Vision” and their 2-disk live CD Heaven’s Bright Sun, which displays their stunning live virtuosity. Both contain amazing versions of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” particularly appropriate for Lent.