I will give you rest

A tune to settle monkey mind. Even if it spins out of control with harmonies, they'll quiet soon enough and you'll find that calm, stable place deep within.

Another World

The text is adapted from a quote by Arundhati Roy, one of my heroines. It was printed on a postcard I was given at Mary Busby's lovely Sagrada Sacred Arts, an indie gift and bookstore in Berkeley, CA. Many times a tune will leap up at me while I'm praying on a person or situation, and this tune is one of those. Click on it to enlarge.

Here's the complete quote from Arundhati Roy's Wiki page, with the hint that it comes from a speech:

"Another world is not only possible, she's on the way and, on a quiet day, if you listen very carefully you can hear her breathe." - Arundhati Roy

If you like this melody, sing it when you can't afford to be in doubt. Might help. If you want to sing it with others, make stuff up, or, there will be some parts soon here: Square Market site, and look for Another World under Sheet Music. Enjoy.

Holy Innocents

Once in a blue moon, someone asks if I know any tunes for the Feast of the Holy Innocents (Dec. 28th). Hymns for the Holy Innocents are scant, partly because the biblical story most likely did not happen, and partly because there are still people around who want to limit the definition of "innocents" to infants killed by kings who feel threatened. Mostly, though, it's just a huge bummer to bring up the topic of lots of dead babies during Christmas week (Darling, can you pass the chocolates?).

I rarely see more than passing reference to the observation of the "Feast" of the Holy Innocents in hymnody, except Coventry Carol, (bye bye lully lullay?) and a verse in the zipper hymn for saints By all your saints still striving, which is so lame I can't bring myself to print it here (#232 in the Hymnal 1982). The gist of it is Rachel should cease her weeping, and God's got a good supply of crowns for all the dead babies who are better off now that they're at peace. Grr.

It's not as if the murdering of innocents isn't still going on by people who feel threatened, so why are we still surprised 2,000 years later, that the powers are still behind it in the most systemic and roguish ways, gunning down unarmed people on their streets and in their homes? How long will it continue? When will we rise up and make it illegal to kill unarmed citizens? I do not know, and most hymns for this day do not lend courage for this context, but rather make me wanna rage and scream about sugarcoating past realities, which of course gives us an out when we'd rather ignore present realities.

Each of us brings the gifts we have to the tasks at hand. My gift is melody, and the task as I have discerned it, is to write and pray the kinds of tunes I do not see or hear in the world or the church and share them in the hope that they might sink in, and we may all draw closer to seeing God in one another. Our lives together and unconditional love are so important that to forget to sing and pray about them from the heart with one another is to stall movement toward the realization of a beloved community. There are great depths to be plumbed before we can find the unity we co-create and cease our projections and judgments of one another. We must learn to communicate: to set aside intentional time in which to do this together in our communities and also in our homes, to invite all the stakeholders to the table, to encourage one another to speak our truths, and to find skillful paths through the knee-jerk reactions of fear, silence, and exclusion. Our lives depend on it. Hatred will not cease until we do it. Our children deserve to know that life is not a tug of war with a win/loss column. It takes showing up, slowing down, and hard work, which when undertaken with honesty, patience, and compassion, creates plenty of love to go around.

I wrote this tune for this text in 1983. The text is by Rosamond E. Herklots, and it's one of her best. If you can't read music, please read the text below (click to enlarge). The tempo is somewhere around 104 beats per minute. If you play it on guitar, see the last measure for a hint, and if you play keyboards, in my head it flows like Schubert's Gretchen am Spinnrade.

A Table Grace - Banquet of Love

I've been meaning to put this up for you all to sing at any table before a meal. Click on the picture to enlarge it. It's meant to be sung in canon, so rope your friends into singing, too. In my head it ends with everyone singing "we come, we come, we come, we come." It works as a walking tune also, so while you're carrying those plum puddings up the walk, it spins around nicely. Take it with you; you'll see what I mean.

Stay tuned.

Advent Reflection I: If in Your Heart

If in your heart you make a manger for his birth, then God will once again become a child on earth. - Angelus Silesius

Take a listen to If in Your Heart and at the end of it you'll find yourself in a fine place to begin Advent.

Friend, whatever you are, you must not stand still:
One must from one light into the other spill. - Angelus Silesius

Angelus Silesius is the monastic name of Johannes Scheffler. Born into a noble Polish Lutheran family, he received a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Padua and became a physician. As a young man he was drawn to the writings of the German mystic Jacob Boehme. Scheffler's mysticism didn't sit well with the dogmatic forms of German Lutheranism of the time and, in 1653, he converted to Catholicism. He took the name Angelus, adding the surname Silesius, meaning "from Silesia." He published two books of poetry: The Soul's Spiritual Delight and The Cherubic Pilgrim, and was often engaged in public controversy with both the Lutheran and Catholic churches.

His poetry hinted at a quietest mysticism which asserts that the soul, when it attains deep quiet, can experience God directly -- a notion neither institution has been too fond of. Click here for more info and books. Thanks to Ivan M. Granger for the bio.

In case you need advent defined, dictionary.com says:
advent  
ad·vent [ad-vent]
noun
1. a coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season.
2. (usually initial capital letter ) the coming of Christ into the world.
3. (initial capital letter ) the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.

God Help Us

Deborah Griffin Bly and Ana Hernandez used to sing together as The Miserable Offenders. Their album God Help Us is now available as a digital download from cdbaby.com: here: God Help Us

If you prefer, you can get it here:
http://www.amazon.com/God-Help-Us/dp/B005SZROA6


It's also available on iTunes, but not in the original CD order (which we actually thought about): search for God Help Us or The Miserable Offenders.

We make the most money if you use cdbaby, but if you can pass these links around to your friends and rate the CD, more people will be able to find God where they are. Thanks for being our athletic supporters. And yes, Virginia, we're toyin with the idea of making more music, but haven't decided anything past dinner so far. We're thinking Thai. I'm having what she's having.

This is Evocative of Christmas

I wonder that "evocative" is the first word reviewers said about my Christmas music, both in 1993 and last fall. Evocative of what - some feeling they can't put their finger on? I don't get it. It's always seemed pretty simple and straightforward to me. Nevertheless, I'd love it if you would take a minute out of your busy life and buy my Christmas music. It's unlike any other Christmas music you've ever heard, it's beautiful and fun, and I need the money 'cause I wanna be rich! Well, not really rich, but I would like to pay January's rent, so, please get out your wallet and start clicking those links. Not only am I nothing without you, I've got nothing without you. Make believe we're next door neighbors and Support Your Local Sacred Musician. Let me help you to dive deeper and smile broader. That's why God put me here. Besides, it's no fun at all to dive deep and smile broadly by myself.

An Unexpected Christmas was recorded last year with the Virginia Girls Choir. You can buy the CD from the Girls Choir directly (click the title), or use the pretty blue link to your right for both downloads and CDs. The Virginia Girls Choir is a diverse group of almost two dozen girls from one dozen schools, 10-15 years old, and so freaking adorable I can hardly stand it! They are directed by the sweet and inventive Dan Moriarty, with whom I collaborated on this project. It was a labor of love, and we know you'll love it. Everyone else does. 75% of your purchase supports the girls choir program, which teaches the girls skills that will serve them their entire lives, and 25% supports me. If you're not yet convinced to take out your wallet, here's the deal from The Description Writing Department (it wasn't me): "The recording contains one gem after another of new and old, imaginative arrangements, fresh accompaniments using instruments often not heard in church (ever seen an udu?), sweet singing by the girls choir, and the warm sound of Ana Hernández's voice and guitar. “The Little Drummer Boy” will fascinate you, the Pachelbel Canon in “The First Nowell” will surprise you, the dances at the end of “Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light will delight you, and you’ll be touched by the beautiful simplicity of “Silent Night”. Don’t miss Shirley Erena Murray’s text “Carol Our Christmas” about how New Zealanders experience the season and the lovely Welsh lullaby “Suo Gan.” You’ll discover more . . ." You really will discover more.

If you've already got a copy, please think of someone who, if you give them a copy soon, will be moved to buy copies for all of their friends. On the off chance you're still not convinced, listen to some complete tunes (5, 11, 12, & 13) here.

Those of you who think I peaked in 1993 (Keepin' the Baby Awake: Music for Advent and Christmas) will be pleased to know that if you download The Greatest Hits of The Miserable Offenders (for the low, price of $9.99), you will find my tune for A Stable Lamp is Lighted (text by Richard Wilbur) along with a dozen other cool hymn arrangements, both Christmas-y and not. I'm as surprised as the rest of you, having missed the fact that the MO's had even one "hit", much less an entire album of them! Yes, Breathe on Me, Breath of God is there, too. Tell your friends.

If you don't know about The Miserable Offenders, the following tutorial is brought to you by The Description Writing Department (still not me): "The duo of Deborah Bly and Ana Hernández, known at The Miserable Offenders, created imaginative and enduring music together. Their short-lived but powerful collaboration leaves an archive of performances and recordings that remain examples of how the ministry of two dedicated musicians can instill a liveliness to music the church has long sung and yet maintain a depth of spirit and message.

As always, please forward this info to all your friends, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

At the border of stupid, cranky, and prayerful

Hold My Hope led by Ana Hernandez from All Saints Company on Vimeo.

I spent a couple of weeks in San Francisco in August co-leading workshops, playing drums, practicing sitting meditation at the feet of a beautiful Kuan Yin statue, eating home cooked dinners with great people, walking around, riding a bicycle on a roof deck overlooking Alcatraz (as close as I wanna get), seeing old friends, making new ones, and generally having a good time. One new friend took me on a whirlwind tour of Sonoma, where the wine is good, and the poached egg cups are adorable and made of silicon. It was almost like a vacation, except that I worked a lot and tried to behave myself. Who could ask for more?

As it turned out, I should have asked myself at least one thing more. When I travel there's often one thing I forget. On this trip, I was supposed to fly from San Francisco to Ottawa for a workshop. The afternoon before I was to leave, it dawned on me: my passport was sitting at home on my dresser. As Geoffrey Rush said in The King's Speech: "F***F***F***"! After a couple of phone calls and much more profanity, it was clear that I would have to fly home to NY and drive to Ottawa if I was to have any hope of making it to the next gig. So, I woke up with the birds and caught a 5:30 AM flight from San Francisco to Detroit, waited around for four hours and boarded a flight home. I arrived at 8:30 PM EDT, repacked my suitcase, packed the car, and went to sleep about 11:30. I set the alarm for 2 AM so I could get to the gig as close to 9:30 AM as possible, and headed north about 2:30 AM. It was very dark, and I was feeling substantially reduced, which is to say: pretty stupid, forgetful and small.

Luckily, the drive from my house to Ottawa is one of the most beautiful drives in the country, across I-84, up Route 17 to I-81, to the Thousand Islands, and into Canada. The dawn was stunning, I thought about old friends as I passed the Finger Lakes, then the Seneca and Onondaga Res in Nedrow. The sun came up over a lake just as I drove by, and the sky was an amazing blue that only happens in upstate NY in August. I drank coffee and sang the entire way to stay awake. I was feeling revitalized when I approached the Canadian border at 8:30 AM, at the Thousand Islands border crossing, one of the most beautiful places on the planet (I kid you not). That's when it dawned on me - I had to cross the border (begin singing either "Dragnet" or "Homicide" theme song here).

I'm sure there are many people who have no trouble at all at border, crossings, but I am not one of them. I am always treated to a long delay and a game of twenty questions. Maybe it's just me. Every time I have gone across the border except twice on my way to Mexico (?), I've been questioned about every conceivable subject by the border guards. I wish I knew the magic phrase, but I don't, and I usually get this: "Please pull over there, park your car and go inside. There's an agent waiting for you."
I've always suspected that this is code for "Ana Hernandez is not a white person's name", or, "You don't look normal. - don't forget! We'll do this every time you go anywhere as long as you live, because that's how racial profiling rolls." Of course, it might be me, but (switch to "Get Smart" or "The Wire" theme song here)...

Agent No.1: What is your purpose in coming to Canada today?
Ana: I'm on my way to Ottawa for a workshop on congregational singing.
Agent: Business or pleasure?
Ana: Both (WRONG. So wrong.).
Agent No. 1 looks right through me to Agent X, who is hovering around the back of my car, looking dour.
Agent No. 1: Please pull over to the left, etc...
Ana: dutifully does as she is told (not a normal response, but a handy trick in a pinch).

Agent No. 2: Why are you here?
Fantasy Ana: Because the man in the booth has no sense of humour. (It's hard to keep her quiet, that Fantasy Ana's got some mouth on her)
Actual Ana: I'm going to Ottawa to participate in a workshop on congregational singing.
Agent: "Where in Ottawa? How long will you be in Canada? Who is the sponsor? Where are you staying? How many people will be there? Who hired you? Why did they ask you? Are those CDs in the back of your car? How many do you have? What are they for? How many do you have? What are they for?" It was like talking to a broken record (at which point Actual Ana has to wrestle Fantasy Ana to the ground, or, end up in a Canadian jail).

After many more questions, over the course of an hour, later questions being very similar to early questions, my institutional delay ended abruptly. I guess it took an hour to search the car. I made it to the gig about 10:30 AM; still a little embarrassed, and pretty tired, but so glad to finally be there. I was asked to lead something shortly after my arrival, and the video above is what I did. I was surely not perfect, but the people were great. I noticed I don't smile at all when I'm really tired, so I've made a note of that. I was smiling inside, though.

The tune/prayer is Hold my hope. Hold my trembling. Hold my heart. Teach me to be love.

Come, Come, Whoever You Are

Come Whoever You Are led by Ana Hernandez from All Saints Company on Vimeo.

Greetings of the Autumn, dear ones.
I've been way too busy to write, but here I am again with too much time on my hands. Click on the arrowhead to see and hear this stunning tune by Dale Zola, with text by Rumi (pacing up and down by Ana). I taught this in Ottawa in August at a Music That Makes Community Conference. It was taught without black dots on paper ("the music"), because I've found using the music to be both help and hindrance in teaching this tune. It took longer than what you see here, but every time I teach it with the music (and the readers always beg for it), it goes from being a little insecure, but very musical, to being stiff and lacking in anything resembling musicality or community. All the heads go down, never to be seen or heard from again. What's the use of having strong singers if their heads are buried in a book? Alice Parker once said (or maybe she's said it a thousand times:) 95% of the music is not on the page. What's worse than singing the words "Come, come, whoever you are" than singing it to no one at all and not meaning it? Don't forget to pray the things you're singing, otherwise you're missing a huge piece of the pie.

Now that I mention it, there is one experience I had this year that struck me as the worst musical disconnect I've been a part of in a long time.

I was sitting at a round table with about a dozen people, one of whom was a very famous teacher. He turned on a CD and asked us to listen, learn and sing a chant as a centering meditation. The text was something like "wherever you turn, there is the face of God." I listened, marked, learned and inwardly digested the recording, and then opened my eyes to sing and see the face of God, expecting to be able to play with the people around the table, but not one person opened their eyes to look. This went on for more than five minutes! What is up with that?

Pay attention, people. Life's short. Get out of your heads, Come, Come again! Come! Let the singing move you to action. Build a well, Occupy Wall Street, visit the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked. We can do it all while singing, and the world will be better for it.

Virginia Girls Choir

When I enter into a relationship with someone, I want it to go both ways, especially with children. Like it or not, we have a tremendous effect on them. They see and hear everything, and especially notice whether they're being excluded or included in our lives and the decisions that affect us all. I had the oportunity to spend ten days with the Virginia Girls Choir in June, and we recorded what's turning out to be a really different and great Christmas CD (Look for it soon: An Unexpected Christmas.)

We met in 2009 at their choir camp and got along well, me trying to remember twenty-plus names in three days, and them trying to have a little more fun than the structure allowed (just like I used to do). I was asked to come back for Christmas, and we had some fun, but Christmas is crazy; plus I was still trying to remember all those names (about which they tested me mercilessly), and recovering from a terrible cold.

Dan called in April (have I mentioned the extremely talented, funny and adorable Dan Moriarty, whom I've known just 18 months, and with whom I am developing a fine friendship? It turns out we work well together, too. Nice. The fact that we're both from Long Island is a plus in this relationship. Who knew? The other, bigger plus is that he's great with the girls and has the patience of a saint (I'm hoping some of it rubs off in my direction). Dan is the fearless, overworked leader of the VA Girls Choir, the organist/choir director at St. Stephen's church in Richmond, VA, and a truly fine guy. He called and asked if I wanted to work on a Christmas CD with the girls. I said yes. That was before I realized it meant recording Christmas carols in late June, with the temperature hitting 104 degrees (I really need to be better about thinking these things through!).

The girls are young (10-14), and the oldest have only been singing together for two years, so some things are just not possible. However, the things that are possible are fun and beautiful, and I like nothing more than to be able to work with young musicians and help them feel good about themselves and their musicianship. This was driven home to me when I borrowed Lorin's folder one day and saw her markings in the music. The skills they learn (both technical and relational) while singing in this choir will serve them and change their lives forever, in a very good way. Being a member of a group like this is a transformative experience. Whether they're introverted, extroverted, immature or not, happy or not, great singers or people who will sing for fun with the car radio when they grow up, they are mostly sweet, and fun to work with, and it's been nice to watch them learning how to be in a group that is always changing. It was incredible to get to know them, learn their strengths and weaknesses, and watch the dynamics of tweens and teens together.

This month I've been sitting in the recording studio trying to turn all of our hard work into something even more beautiful and lasting than it seemed it might be while we were recording. I've heard great singing (That girl gets a sticker!) horrible singing (O.M.G. LMAO), and have done some of each myself. Nobody's perfect. I hope everyone likes it when it's finished, and that it sells a million Little Drummer Boys and Mater Ora's. Mostly, though, I hope you can hear and feel the love and sweetness that's gone into it.

I'm looking forward to Christmas in Richmond, but next year God, I'd really like to confine Christmas to December, okay? Thanks, Ana

HARC: Blessed by Light

Dear gentle friends,
This post is an act of shameless self-promotion, so hit delete NOW if you care not one whit about it, and don't say I didn't warn you. If, however, you are the curious sort, and of a mind to support a couple of sacred musicians, read on:

Many of you are aware of my music, and of my singing partnership with Ruth Cunningham, a member of The Anonymous 4 vocal quartet. Our second CD project, HARC: Blessed by Light is now available. Blessed by Light contains beauty and fun, is great for tooling down the highway, for yoga, or just for hanging out. There are chants, tunes, rounds, and mantras for your heart, for group singing, to usher you into heaven and enjoy the party upon your arrival, and to help you be your best self on the way to work or right before you sleep. There are tunes that used to sound different somehow, tunes with other tunes buried inside them, and a bit of folk music thrown in for good measure. There are a few tunes from the new hymnal, Music by Heart. I think you'll like the variety, close harmonies, and instrumentation.

If you'd like a CD, they're available in Eco-Wallets here: www.cdbaby.com/cd/harc2, and will soon be available here: http://www.churchpublishing.org/. If you'd rather download the CD or any parts thereof, you can do it here: www.digstation.com/harc. It will soon be available on itunes and a bunch of other online venues too!
Here's the tune list:

Arise, Shine – Tune by Ruth Cunningham, text from Isaiah 60:1, arr. Ana Hernández

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Swaha - by Ana Hernández
The mantra of Green Tara. Tara is the energy that unites wisdom and compassion and protects us from the eight great fears: fire (anger), drowning (attachment), lions (pride), elephants (ignorance) imprisonment (greed), snakes (jealousy) demons (doubt) and thieves (false views). Tar in Sanskrit means to cross over, as in using a bridge.
Listen to it here: www.myspace.com/anahermusic!

In Paradisum – Traditional Gregorian Chant

Sri Krishna Saranam Ma Ma - Traditional, arr. Ana Hernández
A liberation mantra to take you across the ocean of samsara (the phenomenal world); it frees us from the cycle of rebirth. Rough translation: Krishna is my shelter.

This Little Light - Traditional, arr. Ana Hernández

Tar A Thighearna - by Ruth Cunningham, arr. Cunningham, Hernández
Tar a thighearna, tar a hee. Translation: Come, Oh thou Lord. Come, Oh thou being.

Om Namah Shivaya - by Ana Hernández
Rough translation: I honor the Divine within. This mantra leads to spiritual maturity.

Come Light of Lights - by Ruth Cunningham, arr. Ana Hernández
Listen to it here: www.myspace.com/anahermusic!

Christ Be with Me - Ruth Cunningham

Brother James’ Air – Traditional, adapted and arr. Ana Hernández
Psalm 84 paraphrased by Carl P. Daw, Jr. Used by permission.

Be The Peace - Tune by Ana Hernández, text by M. K. Gandhi
Be the peace you wish to see in the world.
Listen to it here: www.myspace.com/anahermusic!

Musicians:
Ruth Cunningham – vocals, flute, harp
Ana Hernández – vocals, guitar, tongue drum, ankle bells, djembe, klong yaw, shruti box
Eugene Friesen – cello
Helena Marie, CHS – flute on Om Tare Tuttare Ture Swaha
Mark Dann – electric guitar, electric bass

Please send this email to anyone you think might be interested, because we love to make things for you and can use the support! Thank you so very much for your friendship, time, consideration and support. I really hope you like the new CD!

http://www.ruthcunningham.com/ - Ruth's website with appearances, lots of cool links and clips

http://www.anahermusic.com/ - for links to all Ana's music, appearances, and her book The Sacred Art of Chant: Preparing to Practice