In Spring 2022, early work had already begun on Tempting Fate, the follow up to No Bridges Left to Burn, but I was still grappling with what to do with three homemade demos of songs I later sang in the studio for a project by Sjef Frenken (which has not yet been released). These demo recordings were done July 29, 2017, months after I had done all the music for No Bridges and years before I did the vocals for that. The demos would not have belonged on No Bridges and likewise wouldn’t be a fit on the forthcoming Tempting Fate either. So I decided to record a collection of pieces by other composers drawn from my involvements in various choirs and musical outlets over the years: St Joseph’s Choir, Holy Cross Saturday ensemble, funerals, Ottawa Song Kitchen Choir, Musica Viva Singers, Sounding Joy music group. In addition to the three songs from 2017, another 27 were recorded June 28 to July 17 2022. While the collection would appear on Youtube as one continuous playlist, the length of the project required the physical version to be divided into two halves of 15 tracks each.

1. Be Thou My Vision
(words by Grant Norsworthy, Brooke Norswothy, Mary E. Byrne, music by Grant Norsworthy based on an ancient Irish folk hymn)
This is a song I have sung on occasion as part of the small music group that leads the Saturday mass at Holy Cross parish in Ottawa since 2018. Though the rest of this collection is not presented in the order the songs were recorded, this is in fact the one I did first, 2017 content notwithstanding.
Vocals recorded June 28, 2022

“I haven’t had a chance to listen to all the songs – wow! – but enjoyed Be Thou my Vision especially – It was my Mom’s favourite hymn and you do a lovely job of it. Brought tears to my eyes:)” -Chris M.

2. Contemplation of the Death Mask of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
(poem by Eric Jensen, music by Sjef Frenken)
One of three demos I recoded at home in 2017 before recording the studio version for Sjef. The piano part (midi thereof) is played by Sjef Frenken himself.
Vocals recorded July 29, 2017

3. Song of the Exile
(composed by Marty Haugen)
A version of this was performed by St Joseph’s Choir (featuring James Kubina and Michael Coderre) at the Easter Vigil in 1988 a year before I became a choir member myself. As I am considering this song for my own future concert, I made my own recording of it.
Vocals recorded July 2, 2022

4. Soon-Ah Will Be Done
(spiritual arranged by Shoji Moroi)
I was introduced to this piece thanks to the third-year class four students at Takaho middle school in Kusatsu Shiga Japan who performed it for the school song competition in Autumn 1999. I had considered recording it for my Illumination CD (released in 2007 under my real name). In my version here, I pay tribute to the students by including the introduction to their performance.
Vocals recorded Jul 5 and 7, 2022

5. V’la l’Bon Vent
(traditional French Canadian song arranged by Allison Girvan)
I joined the Musica Viva Singers in 2017 and this song was part of the Canadian themed Spring concert that year. While the arrangement is a cappela, I opted to have instruments do certain parts. And then for fun adapted the percussion it seemed to beg for using a very low-tech technique.
Vocals recorded July 11, 2022

6. Potter’s Wheel
(composed by Tom Lips)
Tom Lips and Karen Lahaise recorded this song in 2001 for her debut CD, Songs for the Soul. In 2020 I introduced it to Sounding Joy, a casual music group that I co-founded in 2019, and with Michael Trolly on piano we made rehearsal recording of it together. For my own version, since I only have the lyrics and guitar chords to work from (and have pretty basic instrumental skills), I have crafted a somewhat different interpretation of Tom’s piece by manipulating guitar loops from Sony Acid.
Vocals recorded July 7, 2022

7. This is the Day (Psalm 118)
(composed by Anne Hurley)
I previous sang this in 2012 and 2020 for Easter with Anne Hurley at Holy Cross. The piano is performed by Anne, repurposed from a practice file she made for her choir.
Vocals recorded July 1, 2022

8. I Stand in Your Light
(composed by Louise Rathier)
Louise is a former pianist at St Joseph’s and I have performed with her numerous times including my own concerts. In 2006 she released a book of original compositions. I do not have the copy with the piano parts written out, so I did my best based on the guitar chords my copy included.
Vocals recorded June 30, 2022

9. Coal Town Road
(composed by Allister MacGillivray, arranged by John C. O’Donnell)
I first sang this song Musica Viva’s train-themed Spring concert in 2018 as a piece to feature the tenor and based.
Vocals recorded July 14, 2022

10. Wave Over Wave
(composed by Jim Payne arranged by Patrick O’Shae)
Another selection from the 2017 Musica Viva Spring concert. I replaced a vocalised section from the soprano line with a minimally okay recorder solo.
Vocals recorded July 11, 2022

11. The Lord’s My Light (Psalm 27)
(music by Anne Hurley, text adaptation by Kevin Quinn)
I have performed this song a few times with Anne at Holy Cross. My sheet music only included the basic chords so I had to be little inventive.
Vocals recorded July 28, 2022

12. 遠い日の歌 (Tooi Hi no Uta)
(words by Chihaya Iwasawa, music by Shoji Hashimoto based on Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel)
I was introduced to this song at Kusatsu middle school, in Kusatu Shiga Japan, where it was sung by second year students for their singing competition in Autumn 1998. That August, I recorded two versions of it on my Kabuki album while back in Ottawa. This third time around I used the actual musical arrangement from the sheet music. I opted though to have instruments play the parts where voices were meant to simulate instruments.
Vocals recorded July 7, 2022

13. Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord
(poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, music by Sjef Frenken)
Second of three demos I recoded at home in 2017 before recording the studio version for Sjef. The midi track was performed by Sjef, but I opted to change the virtual instruments from the original piano.
Vocals recorded July 29, 2017

14. Now The Promise
(composed by Louise Rathier)
This Christmas original was part of Louise’s song book released in 2006. I sang the opening part for her concert that year. As I do not have the piano version of sheet music, I did what I could from the basic guitar chords I do have.
Vocals recorded June 30, 2022

15. How Glorious Your Name
(composed by Roc O’Connor)
I came across this song from the album The Steadfast Love back in 2005 while listening to the recordings by the St Louis Jesuits when I was I entertaining the idea of doing at St Louis Jesuits tribute album for my second official CD project (under my real name) before opting for what ultimately became my Inspiration CD (released in 2011). We have never sung this piece at St Joe’s (certainly not since I joined in 1989) nor have I ever recorded before myself, at home or in studio. So it seemed worth giving it a go for this project.
Vocals recorded July 3, 2022