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.

Forget Lent: Practice Being Love

Nurturing love, kindness, and compassion are The Big Deal, but for most of us, the intention to try to create love and live a happy life while we're here is often put aside due to "the nature of things," which (as Edmund Burke once wrote) is a sturdy adversary. The nature of things causes us to forget. In his book Present Moment, Wonderful Moment, Thich Nhat Hanh writes:

"We often become so busy that we forget what we are doing or even who we are. I know someone who says he even forgets to breathe! We forget to look at the people we love and to appreciate them, until it is too late. Even when we have some leisure time, we don't know how to get in touch with what is going on inside and outside of ourselves."

We also forget that we are beloved of God. Lately I've been thinking again about how I might BE love, and the thought popped into my mind that with love, you can only become it by doing it. In order to be one with love, we must love. I was reminded of a mantra: Aham Prema (ah-HAHM PREH-mah) that means simply "I am divine love." The power of Aham Prema lies in its ability to take away our doubts and defenses and let us rest in nurturing love, light, kindness and compassion. Aham Prema is a mantra that we can hold in our hearts all the way through life's lessons. It softens our armor and helps us grow.

Let Aham Prema accompany you for the next forty days. Try whispering it to yourself 108 times once or twice a day, and see what you notice about your life and the people in it. It won't cost a dime and it takes less than five minutes. As you recite Aham Prema, try to accept that you are divine love (no small task, but true nonetheless); look at it in your cupped hands, hold the divine in your hands, hold it in your heart, breathe the divine love that's already in your heart. There is no place for anything but Aham Prema. Say to yourself "I am divine love." Try to grasp that. Know that you already embody this love for others. Know that you are divine love just the way you are.

108 Aham Prema's on the wall: (Ah-HAHM PREH-mah)

Aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema,
aham prema, aham prema, aham prema, aham prema.

Tag, you're it.

Rejoicing on Ash Wednesday

Once upon a time,
in the smokiest church
during mud season,
while hotel whistlers
and taxi horns
blew notes into the wind,
Signore Allegri looked
down from heaven
through roof, blue ceiling,
golden stars, and smoke.
He smiled as the sound
of the choir rose in greeting.

Because I do not hope
to turn and see quizzical faces,
in the choir, on Fifth Avenue,
or the commuter train
home from Grand Central,
because I cannot imagine a
more revolutionary, happy act
on the day of ash and dust,
because I look forward to such every year,
yet fear it was once, for all time,
as those best things often are,

Because I hope that time is always time:
enough time to finish the unfinished
yet remain open, playful,
loving, and compassionate -
I rejoice in all things, still,
and in all still things; and
I rejoice, having had two dots
and a curved line below them
placed upon my forehead,
in church on Ash Wednesday.

*Apologies to tse