Celtic Psalms: May We Rise
Now available for order
A chairde [Dear friends, in Irish],
I’m delighted to share that our fourth album, Celtic Psalms: May We Rise, is ready to order at www.celticpsalms.com, or through me directly if you’re nearby. I’m letting you all know first, before the official release on the 21st of June. Since you’ve kindly signed up for my newsletter, I thought perhaps you would appreciate being among the first listen to these new songs.
This album has brought me immense hope and joy over the past few years. We began recording during a blissful window of time during the summer of 2020, between two major lockdowns here in Northern Ireland. Collaborating with my dear friends, the talented McGrath family (Kelly, Declan, Ellen and Chloe) and the brilliant musician and producer Dónal O’Connor, was a great highlight for me despite the difficult realities we all faced at that time. While working through each stage of completion, these songs were my soundtrack. They accompanied me on many a walk, and the ancient words and soulful melodies allowed me to express a wide range emotions as the world continued its upheaval.
When I began working with these Psalms and melodies, I was surprised that most of the album ended up being quite uplifting. Every time I opened the book of Psalms, I was drawn to words of hope and joy, assurance of God’s presence, images of creation, and any mention of singing together with others - which was, for me, the greatest ideal that I could imagine, and one that had been stripped away from us during those pre-vaccine days.
The heart of the album might be where I sat with Psalms of deep lament, particularly God of My Salvation (Psalm 88), which never resolves neatly but ends with questions. At a time when things seemed particularly dire, I set those words to a heart-rending Irish melody that brought the tears to the surface and kept them there for days - in a way that was healing for me.
From Dust We Came (Psalm 90) was the final song to be added to this collection, and it too made tears flow - recognizing that we are dust, and to dust we return. But even there, with all those tears, hope was the underlying message. From dust we came and to dust we return “to you my God.” Covid was a grim reminder of the fragility of life - but it also caused me to come to an acceptance of the cycles of life and death, and that ultimately, we belong to God and will return to God.
May We Rise, the title song of the album, combines Psalms 148, 149 and 150 with the Irish traditional song “Happy Are We All Together.” It speaks of finding joy in the pleasures of life. Covid brought with it some hidden gifts, and one was learning to appreciate the simple pleasures of life - not taking them for granted and seeing them as given by God.
Combined with those celebratory Psalms, the song captures the praise and joy of all creation coming together to praise our Maker - the one who gives life and breath, music and dancing. One of the verses reads, “Gather round and sing together, all God’s people, where you are.” This is an homage to the Zoom screen that kept so many of us connected - isolated though we were in our own homes - and allowed us to be “with” each other, gathered together where we all are in our different corners of the earth.
I could write a book about what this album meant to me and what each song symbolizes. I will undoubtedly share more about the songs as time goes on - I won’t be able to resist. But for now, I wanted to let you know that the album is finally available to order at www.celticpsalms.com, or directly through me if that’s easier. The CDs are being printed as I write, and I am so excited to hold the physical copies in my hand - especially since my daughter Eva (age 13) designed the artwork on the cover.
“Celtic Psalms: May We Rise” is a testament to the hope and joy that can be found even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
May we rise from the challenges of life, and may we always hold on to that hope and joy that keeps us going.
Here are the links to order:
Celtic Psalms: May We Rise (mp3s)
Celtic Psalms: May We Rise (CD and mp3s)
I hope you enjoy the music!
Kiran
p.s. If there are any kinks in the online ordering process, it would be really helpful if you would let me know! Thanks!
