To hear 30-second samples on your Windows Media Player, just click on SAMPLE.
1. Before We Speak* (SAMPLE)
2. Borne by Grace (SAMPLE)
3. Song of the Ransomed (SAMPLE)
4. Lovely Love (SAMPLE)
5. Arise, Shine Out
6. Psalm of Thanksgiving
7. Accept, O God, Our Glad Thanksgiving*
8. Song of the Pilgrim
9. Let Justice Descend
10. Cry Out for Joy and Gladness*
11. Garment of Sorrow
12. Nightsong
13. Beloved City
All songs © 1998 Kathleen Deignan, CND
*Based on text by Hüub Öosterhuis
This album is a reworking of an earlier collection of some of my favorite prayers, poems, psalms, and biblical prophecies which have come to me in song, "borne by the grace of the Spirit." These compositions are enriched here by the orchestration of my musical companions, Anima Schola, and guest keyboardist Paul Avgerinos.
Anima Schola is the liturgical ensemble of the Benedictine Grange of West Redding, Connecticut. In this circle of praise we carry on the tradition of the schola cantorum-those choirs or "schools of singers" who for centuries have breathed life into worship with their vibrant song. We bear this inspiration into a new time and fresh musical idiom in service of the anima, a Latin word which holds the rich meanings of life-force, breath, spirit, soul. In harmony with the voices of the drum, woodwinds, and strings our name Anima Schola celebrates our vocation as soul singers.
Heartfelt thanks to our worship community at the Benedictine Grange, and to all our generous benefactors and supporters who share this ministry. We pray that this offering of songs, wherever they are heard or sung, may deepen and enliven our sense of being "borne by the grace of the Spirit."
-Kathleen Deignan, CND
Schola Ministries: New Rochelle, New York
Kathleen Deignan, CND is a theologian and sacred songwriter who translates Christian mystical tradition into a vibrant new repertoire of sacred song. She is co-founder and composer in residence of Schola Ministries, a project in service to the liturgical and contemplative arts that has produced her nine CDs to date. She has composed nearly two hundred songs for worship and contemplation based on the mystical texts of the Jewish and Christian traditions and her own prayer poems. Her music has been celebrated by audiences and congregations in the United States, Canada, Ireland and Palestine. She sings with several ensembles, most notably, Anima Schola, the liturgical ensemble she co-founded at the Benedictine Grange in West Redding, CT. Theirs is a unique sound that blends the Celtic lyricism and fluidity of Sister Kathleen's soulful compositions, the multi-layered textures of rich vocal harmonization, and the tribal spirit of Middle Eastern drumming.
A professor of Religious Studies at Iona College, she also writes and lectures on classical and contemporary spirituality, particularly the legacy of Thomas Merton. She is the founder and director of the Iona Spirituality Institute.
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