This hotly anticipated collection of new songs written by Australian Catholic song-writers from Willow Publishing, available in hard copy and e-book form, has been launched today. I had a small hand in one of the songs as it originated in a workshop last year with four of us throwing words around and Gen Bryant massaging it into music, as we were lucky enough that she had the guitar!
It was amazing to see what a hot house collective can bring together in a short space in time and it was a great experience. I think it is the way to go for songwriters in Australia to bounce things off each other in person or virtually, as a way to see the Holy Spirit working in our music.
You can purchase the collection at Willow.
The important information from Willow is:
In this remarkable Year of Jubilee, we are blessed to present the Pilgrims of Hope Music Collection for Parishes & Schools, a vibrant anthology of ten original compositions by celebrated and emerging Australian sacred music composers. This collection embodies Pope Francis’s vision that “the joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus,” offering fresh musical expressions of faith that resonate across generations and cultures.
The collection’s strength lies in its diversity and accessibility. From a jubilant anthem to contemporary arrangements that engage worshippers in prayer and praise. Each piece has been crafted with congregational singing in mind.
The lyrics throughout the collection are carefully aligned with the themes of the Jubilee Year, exploring hope, renewal, and communal joy. As Pope Francis reminds us, “Hope opens new horizons, making us capable of dreaming what is not even imaginable.” These songs give voice to that dream, providing parishes and schools with fresh ways to express their faith through music.
Whether used in liturgical celebrations, school Masses, or community gatherings, this collection offers something for every setting and occasion. The arrangements are designed to be adaptable, allowing both skilled musicians and developing music ministries to bring these songs to life in their communities.
The collection features songs by the following established and emerging artists living in dioceses around Australia: Lauren Bierer, Gen Bryant, Kallie Deegan, Beth Doherty, Timothy Hart, Michael Harvey, Maeve Louise Heaney, Toni Janke, Steph Jorna, Danielle Anne Lynch, Geoffrey Madden, Brigid McNally, Monica O’Brien, Gina Ogilvie, Patricia Smith, Ashen Warnakulasooriya and Trisha Watts.
The Pilgrims of Hope Music Collection for Parishes and Schools offers something for every setting and occasion.
Bundle: The bundle includes the music book, the recordings, and the presentation slides for the lyrics.
Music Book: The arrangements are designed to be adaptable, allowing both skilled musicians and developing music ministries to bring these songs to life in their communities .
Recordings: The recordings have been professionally recorded.
Presentation Slides: The slides display the lyrics for each song in an easy-to-read format with a font size of 40 points with a choice of a black background with white text and a white background with black text.
Physical Music Book: For a limited time, the Music Book is available in printed book format. Orders must be placed at this link: bit.ly/4asqmn8
Titles:
- Fan The Flame Of Hope – Music: Michael Harvey. Lyrics: Monica O’Brien.
- Hope In Love – Lauren Bierer, Kallie Deegan, Timothy Hart, Danielle Anne Lynch, Trisha Watts.
- On This Sacred Ground – Maeve Louise Heaney, Toni Janke.
- Here At The Table – Music: Michael Harvey. Lyrics: Gina Ogilvie.
- To The Table We Are Called – Music: Michael Harvey. Lyrics: Monica O’Brien.
- All the Hungry, Come – Beth Doherty.
- Holy Spirit Of The Great South Land – Patricia Smith.
- Hold Us Close – Music: Gina Ogilvie. Lyrics: Monica O’Brien.
- Be Hope! – Music: Gen Bryant. Lyrics: Gen Bryant, Steph Jorna, Geoffrey Madden, Brigid McNally.
- Hope Is Alive! – Music: Gen Bryant & Ashen Warnakulasooriya. Lyrics: Gen Bryant.
If you like hard copies like me, you best get in while they are being made. I’ll look at them all once my copy arrives and I will be getting copies for the local school and you might want to think about donating some copies of the music to your local school.
I have already looked at the very impressive songs for Eucharist, “To the Table We Are Called” and “Here at the Table” if you want to get an earlier look.
I hope this collection is successful for Willow, but honestly, ten pop style songs? It’s not just cathedral congregations that don’t go for this genre, and I suspect that many congregations will find this style grating (though schools will probably appreciate it) . Contemporary music for Mass goes beyond pop.
But Chris, it’s all the different styles of pop!
Seriously, what’s grating about Beth Doherty, Patricia Smith and Maeve Heaney.
I for one find Michael Harvey’s music to be stately and restrained.
The ones for schools and children won’t suit every parish, sure, but I am more concerned that we have little enough to express jubilation and festival in our celebrations when that is needed.
My bigger concern is parishes stuck in the 1970s music wise and schools using Hillsong. I’d prefer HYFRYDOL to that.
Geoff
There is nothing stately about any of the recordings on Willow’s site: they’re all in a style I would call Hillsong lite! I’m not hopeful, but perhaps I’ll change my mind when I see more than the preview lyrics and your arrangements. Surely it would have made more sense to record any intended for mainstream congregations rather than children in a style typical of a mainstream church?
I wasn’t expecting any metric hymns in this set, but it would have been nice if some had a hymn-like character, such as found in “Christ, Be Our Light” for example. Like them or not, a lot of those 70s songs, particularly from the St Louis Jesuits, are heavily scripturally based and helped move the songs from youth Masses to the mainstream. Previously, a lot of the 60s folk music for Mass was described as “happy-clappy”, and some of this material is definitely in that category! Music leaders need to believe that any new hymns being introduced are better than the ones (with the same themes) currently in use and beloved by their congregations. Change for change sake is rarely good.
The thing that most annoyed me with this collection is that I feel left without a hymn for the Holy Year: I love the melody of the “official” hymn but find the lyrics more unsatisfactory everytime I look at them!
I think you are hearing what you want to hear, Chris, and your generalisation is a bit rich.
The guidelines for songwriters at Willow are sensible and include that texts be grounded in scripture and Catholic doctrine, melodies suitable for congregational singing and that they have intergenerational appeal.
I think they succeed and you think they are Hillsong-lite for some reason, which fails all those criteria.
There are lots of styles of music at Willow, most of it not in the slightest bit praise and worship.
How about Maeve Heaney’s setting of John Henry Newman’s text.
https://youtu.be/voIz92ZUkuk?si=YjjkzAB0YbAvYoEb
… available at Willow.
Patricia Smith’s Christmas collection where she uses Tallis, O WALY WALY and other traditional tunes.
https://willowpublishing.com.au/product/the-angels-sang/
Good grief they do publish McAuley and Connolly, you know!
https://willowpublishing.com.au/product/year-of-grace/
The texts of this collection are inspired by the same words as the official song, but maybe we could massage the official text into HYFRYDOL and get you something to sing this year. My metrical Presbyterian soul would be pleased for you.
cheers
Geoff
Geoff,
I was intending to refer to the Pilgrims of Hope collection on their site rather than the entire Willow site, but badly worded the first sentence of my reply, for which I apologize. As you review the collection, I hope you prove me wrong about the pop focus, but that’s the way it has been presented in Willow’s recordings.
I don’t have any issues with Willow, as I have heaps of McAuley/Connolly, Michael Herry and Colin Smith material on my YouTube and website channels, and indeed wished Willow success in the first sentence of my initial reply.
Normally I don’t make comments on the material you blog about that I don’t like as I don’t see it as my place to criticise people that find a different way to worship, but I had expected this particular collection to at least have elements aimed at the mainstream.
I will make a better effort to proofread any future comments, and once again apologize for the error.
Chris
Sorry, I misunderstood. You may like some of the new Willow collection, who knows.
Now the questions is can we get an 8.7.8.7. text out of Pilgrims of Hope so you definitely have something to sing this year – I am willing to compromise if you don’t want HYFRYDOL.
cheers
Geoff
Chris
A jubilee year miracle – I just sung with little trouble the official text to HYFRYDOL.
… it can be made 8.7.8.7!
Geoff
But I like the new tune, not the new text!!!!
I’ve taken the opposite approach and have been looking for an 87.87 D or 87.87 text that works with the new tune. The closest I have thus far is Sylvia Dunstan’s 87.87 hymn based on Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, O Weary Traveller”, (Worship, 4th ed., #717, © 1991, GIA Publications, Inc.), using the original verse 1 as the refrain and verses 2 to 4 now as verses 1 to 3. Just the first few lines to avoid any copyright complaints:
R Come to me, O weary trav’ler;
come to me with your distress;
come to me, you heavy burdened;
come to me and find your rest.
1. Do not fear, my yoke is easy; …
2. Take my yoke and leave your troubles; …
3. Rest in me, O weary trav’ler; …
Being in the voice of Jesus will upset some, of course, but its the same all the way through, so it I think its self-evident. It has themes of comfort, hope, trust and journey; has a gentleness that fits the new tune; and, importantly, is essentially unknown in Australia, so it isn’t associated with any particular tune. (Its STUTTGART or DUNSTAN in the US).
Michael Herry has just published his “Pilgrims of Hope” hymn for the jubilee sung to the tune BUNESSAN (best known with “Morning Has Broken”). It’s available for free download on his maristmusic website.
Thanks, Chris
The text makes sense for us to use here at Star of the Sea George Town.
Geoff