Liner Notes

The Odes Project: The First Christian Hymnal-Masterpieces of Christian Devotion

Ode 1
Knowing that the crown or garland was a prominent adornment in wedding ceremonies, I wanted to create music that would transmit the wonder, awe, and mystery of becoming the bride of Christ, and it was important to communicate strength in being joined to the everlasting God. And in the truth of that, portray the image of never being without Him, never being alone, never forsaken, never abandoned, always loved, always united to the God who saves us. I started with mystery and moved towards resolution and strength.

Ode 2
Never Recovered

Ode 3
I learned much from Hughes Oliphant Old about the early church and the way they feasted and wore clothes for a celebration when they worshiped. In composing the music, I wanted to give the sense of methodically preparing our hearts for worship in the way we get dressed. Thinking along the lines of quiet contemplation, I endeavored to write something that would be repetitious, simple and thoughtful to turn the heart towards the peaceful benefits of the presence of God with us. The chorus at the end is a prayer for wisdom and guidance as we seek to honor God in all that we do.

Ode 4
Who can put on Your grace and be rejected? Ultimately, all we are and will ever be is found in God. We pray for more and more of God and the revelation of His goodness in our lives. I wrote this music to be used as a meditation. The intention is for everyone to sing the chorus but to listen during the verses. Before the chorus, I used ascending chords that remind me of longing for the transcendent God.

Ode 5
I praise You O Lord because I love You. This is a devotional for a time of duress.
Because this has so much in common with the psalms of David when he was hiding from his enemies, I thought it best to start with simplicity and use just acoustic guitar, flute and voice. In this I was imagining the prayers of someone alone. However, with the theme of being strengthened by God and the fellowship of His people, and the knowledge that what God establishes will stand, I brought in lots of instruments and people to join the chorus celebration. The verse is in a minor mode, looking to God, but mindful that the environment is serious. The chorus is in a major key, triumphant in the knowledge that God is with us.

Ode 7
My joy is the Lord. Looking at this Ode, I couldn't help but imagine a celestial festival where the singers proclaim that the grace of the Lord and His righteousness and truth are unhindered by the fall. I thought of the quality of the movie Chariots of Fire, and I decided to employ some of the same style of nobility and grandeur to this text. Other than a quick usage to restate the last line of the chorus, I used no minor chords and kept the focus on a light beauty and joyful state of praise.

Ode 8
Rise Up! Many Odes address God directly, but this one is directed more towards the Church, especially those who are suffering. Many church hymns through the ages have exhorted the Church to rise up, but this hymn is exceptional because we realize very clearly that we only rise up because of the right hand of the Father-He is our helper. What humility and compassion the Father has on His own people. So, we must show the same and encourage with patience and understanding. That is why I took away most of the accompaniment for the restatement of the first verse. I wanted to emphasize the sensitivity and love that is in this text. I used more of a Celtic beat to move the song along and give a pulsing strength to the text.

Ode 9
God blesses His people with peace. This Ode has so much in common with the encouragement of the last Ode. God calls us to put on the crown in the true covenant of the Lord, to receive from His limitless supply of peace and find redemption in Him.
This is heavy stuff and requires much contemplation. For me, I need to listen again and again. I decided to make this a variation on a chant. I kept the movements of the melody close together to give this a weightier contemplative sound, and I put a Mediterranean style beat to pulse underneath the melody and give rhythm to the thoughts.

Ode 11
This song is a journey into the garden where believers are planted in fertile soil and tended to by God himself. This beautiful poetry was set to music that is meant to stay out of the way and allow the narrative to unfold. There is very little tension in the music until the end when the kids sing "the delight of Paradise forever" in reference to God. I wish there was more music to meditate on of this type. We've missed out on much beautiful imagery by our ignorance of poetry, and this type of song should be more prevalent in the church.

Ode 14
Who doesn't pray for guidance? I desperately need the leading of the Spirit of God in all of my ways. Because this Ode reads so much like a psalm, I wrote music that I could visualize David singing. This is not to say my music is anything like David's, but I imagine a setting of a harp or a solo guitar and beautiful chords being played in a minor key. I went to a major key at the beginning of the chorus as if to communicate that I believe God hears me when I call to Him, and I don't despair. I often have despaired when looking around me, or even to my own past, but I am filled with hope when I look to God. Home is ultimately the New Jerusalem, where the glory that now surrounds the Lamb of God will be visible to our eyes.

Ode 15
Eternal life is here now, for all who believe. For this ode I tried to think of a sunrise over the Eastern world, and the experience of those who waited their whole life (like Simeon) to hear of the coming Messiah. My hope was to articulate eternal life in the Lord's land, given without limit for those who trust in Christ. This is an ultimate expression of joy. Blessing upon blessing, love upon love, unity and hope. Hallelujah.

Ode 16
My love is the Lord, I will sing unto Him. This song is a meditation on God making the heavens and the earth. Gnostic heretics have taught that physical creation was a bad thing, and that we should live to escape the bonds of the real world to find freedom in the spiritual realm. This Ode shows the pleasure of God and the worshipper in recounting the wonder of creation. God pronounced it good, and we respond in thanksgiving. I wanted this to be meditative, but not sleepy. I also wanted to include more words than other songs in this collection, so I chose a spoken word format that occurs twice in the song. The melodic intervals are kept small so as to be easily sung by a congregation.

Ode 17
I wrote the music for this when I was being tutored by the great Dr. Hughes Oliphant Old, in New Jersey. I intended it to be in the style of an old spiritual, similar to the chain gang song from the O brother where are thou soundtrack. The ideas evolved into more of a world beat, Peter Gabriel style, which I felt better carried the story of being led to salvation. The message of no condemnation in Christ is one I needed to meditate on, and this song was good for me.

Ode 18
This short meditation is my favorite of all. For the sake of those in need, please do not remove Your Spirit from me. It sounds like David praying, and I wanted the setting for these words to be prayerful, somber, and reverent.

'Oh Lord my God', it repeats with hope amidst the knowledge that God's will is righteous and good. If it was sung a cappella it would be especially haunting.

Ode 20
Put on the grace and receive is gift of righteousness. This song is a lesson on the believer's lofty position in Christ. Going to Christ with nothing but the stain of sin, and coming away with robes of righteousness, all paid for by the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross.

The song is lively, because the text demands it. Bryan Duncan is an old friend who was gracious to come and share his vocal gifts. Joyful and exhortative lyrics seemed to best go with a gospel style musical setting.

Ode 21
This is a song of ecstatic spiritual experience, when one realizes more fully the divine miracle of salvation in Christ. I countered each narrative line with the focus of the song, namely "the God of my salvation". I wanted all these songs to center around Christ as the Messiah, and also there was a need for more songs in the call and response format. These two needs caused me to head in the direction I did. I also intended this to be sung in church, and led by piano. I felt that the song could be sung with only a piano and still be really effective. "Glory to God in the highest" is not in the Ode, but reflects the sentiment expressed by the heavenly hosts in Luke, and I'm certain will be our expression in that great Day of the Lord.

Ode 23
Joy, grace and love are the benefits of the children of God. I thought it wise to have children sing this song. Just the sound of children singing can be so happy. I thought a reggae influence would be nice vehicle for this simple lesson. Also, happy encouragement is a better motivator than guilt.

Ode 25
I love these wonderful words of comfort. Rest in Christ forever from all that would darken the skies, I wrote this for the use at memorial services, and to help us all to remember that those believers who have passed away go to eternal rest in the everlasting arms of our Savior. When I was writing music to these words, I couldn't stop crying.

This song is a balm for my soul.

Ode 26
As far as the East is from the West, God's praises are echoed throughout His creation.

These words filled me with such joy, and I wanted a gospel sound of celebration combined with meditation on the verses to contemplate the role of the one who praises God and makes music to His glory. I wanted a breakdown to let a cantor chant a line of praise and begin the call and response which would build to a big finish of One God forever and ever. If I could only remember daily that all creation is praising God in spite of the failings of man, I would be living with a more right mind.

Ode 30
This is a great altar call for those who are thirsty. I wrote the form as verse ­ chorus.

It is simple but profound. I wanted the tempo and instrumentation to slow and simple, Especially easy to play, like a John Lennon song. I had the choir sing along on the chorus, but in church it would be the congregation.

Ode 36
A meditation on the wonder of the incarnation. Mysterious and reverent were the goals for the music. I used a chant -like melody with very little movement in it. I was struck by the combination of theology, awe and worship. This writing is filled with poetic wonder, and I wanted to express that. There is no call and response; this is a soloistic meditation for contemplation and devotion times.

The text almost reads like it is from the first chapter of the gospel of John. This song was the favorite of Hughes Oliphant Old, and I am grateful to be able to put music to masterpieces like this.

Ode 37
Alone in prayer, we stretch out our hands and reach to God, and sometimes we feel in our senses that He hears our cry and is right in our midst, Those wonderful times when we are aware of the Holy Spirit ministering to us are wondrous beyond words. The writer of this Ode expressed these thoughts so poetically and I was privileged to have Fernando Ortega as the singer. His honesty and his gifts are remarkable as well as understated. I loved writing this, but hearing Fernando sing it was an extraordinary gift.

Ode 40
This Ode I changed a bit to make it communal instead of individualistic.

It is a sweet song of singing Allelu to the Lord, which is just a softer way of saying praise to the Lord. I wanted this song to have the beauty of the hymn "I will sing of my Redeemer" which is one of my favorites, when sung sweetly. I envision this Ode being sung by a soloist during the verse and the congregation joining in on the chorus.