Old Time and Bluegrass tools

Down in the Dust

I wrote this after an unfortunate incident on some ice right around Ash Wednesday.

Inventory

Ah the good old moral inventory.  There’s no way around it on the pathway to peace.  (mixed mono)

And

“And” is a very important theological word.   There is no getting around tension and paradox.

Busier Than God

God rested on the 7th Day.   Why do you suppose we are commanded to rest?

Lord Teach Us to Pray

This was written for a Lent series focused on prayer

Incarnation

“Incarnation” is a proclamation of the ultimately inescapable presence of the Holy One.  It is a mysterious presence, to be sure, deeply hidden, yet “ever intimate” and perfectly particular.  I see faith as a kind of blessed naiveté.  The presence of the incarnate Word is utterly invisible to the “never naïve”.  The enormous grace and love communicated in the mass is true and real if it is believed or not.  But in the believing, to which we are invited, comes joy and peace.

Late Have I Loved You

“Late have I loved you, oh Beauty so old yet so new”  – the words  St. Augustine.  Every time when what happens in worship happens,  I find myself wondering why I keep forgetting so that I have to be reminded again and again.  We are called again and again because our sinful nature is basically forgetful.

The Light of Love

An Epiphany song

2001

This was my first recording project back in 2001.  Some of these songs go all the way back to when I was a teenager in the ’70s!  I got my son Joel to hit the drums (it’s hard to record a good drum sound in the living room)   My son Josh played bass a few tracks.  It was exciting to start to learn how to record my songs on a computer.

Evidence of the Day

Invocation

You Really Care for Me

Good Gifts

Here Beside the River

Human

Kite Parable

Satisfied

To Whom Shall We Go

Sacred Space

I Will Not Leave You

Tender Kiss

2003

Jesus said ” the last will be first and the first will be last.”  And, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be you r servant.”  And, ” If you try to save your life you will lose it but if you give it away for me, you will surely find it.”  He said those kinds of things a lot.

There is no victory without surrender to God There is no real living without first dieing.  The calculus of the mysterious reign of God seems strange.  How the the way up be down?  It is so because God, who is pure love, makes it so.

Falling – (in love) is what we are here for.  I am grateful for brothers and sisters who help me learn to fall with some measure of grace.  I am grateful to God for patience with all of us as we come to terms (as we all must) with the fact that we are dust and to dust we will return.  “Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”

Crisis

White Flag

OUr First Lessons

Flora’s Proclamation

Falling Down

The Love in Your Eyes

Good Life

Down

Emmanuel

Up And Down

Somebody Cares

Missing the Point

Turning and Returning

Five Gifts for the Journey

2004

This CD presents several instrumental arrangements of some of my favorite hymn tunes along with several of my compositions.  The title and the title song were inspired by a family trip to the Atlantic coast in North Carolina.  A couple of years before I had been to the other end of the New River (actually, it’s a very old river) in West Virginia.  Our beach house was at the place where the New River finds its home in the sea.  The prelude to the song Ocean of Love is a musical picture of a growing river.   As you round the last bend there is a breathtaking encounter  with the ocean.

Thanks to God who is the Ocean of Love in whom we live and move and have our being.

Slane

Bright Path

Noel Nouvelet

Ocean of Love

Beech Spring

Foundation

Predictable Diety

Holy, Holy, Holy

To Whom Shall We Go?

Picardy

Holy Time, Holy Space

That’s Good!

2005

I am ever more astonished at the love that is in, with and under all things.  I am convinced that God’s grace is deeper than any of us could ever imagine.  My awareness of that continues to deepen as I grow older.

I n the songs recorded on this CD you will mostly hear the stammering of a man in love.  In the magnificent embrace of my creator and savior I am smitten.  God is pure deep love.  I can’t get over it!

I hope you experience some of the Wisdom, Word, Wind that has affected me as I created these songs.  I enjoy sharing my reflections.

May the deep peace of God abide in you and may you hear the depth of God’s call in the depth of your being.

More

One True Song

Way of the Wind

We are Waiting

Christmas ‘64

The Light of Love

Already Reconciled

Deep Calls to Deep

We Believe We Trust

Picardy

A Mighty Fortress

You Call me By My Name

2007

These are songs about the wonder of life and the generative power of God in creation.  God has made a universe that makes itself new again and again.  Life – death – life… It’s a joy to watch a little bit of it unfold and to reflect on it.  The creator is also the redeemer who romances it all out of nothing — always has, always will!

Down in the Seeded Ground

Love Sings Her Song

Vernal Reboot

My Astonished Heart

Mountain Top Feast

A Future Imagined

Till Earth Mirrors Heaven

Creation Alleluia

Good Enough

Between Exile and Home

It All Comes Home

2009

It was great fun to record my new songs with a pick up band of some good friends.  My son Josh played bass (a home made upright acoustic electric). Doug Landsverk played guitar (he had never done much of this kind of music before.  He’s an old rocker!)  Dave Rogers played fiddle and I played one of my home made banjos.  I think they did a great job!  We gathered around a pair of ribbon mics in Doug’s new studio and laid it all down live in a day-and-a-half.

Playing with a band sure beats playing all the parts myself, which is the way I did it on previous projects.  We all live in separate distant towns so we may never do this stuff together again.  I cherish the experience.

Procession

Come Lord Jesus

Beautiful Hope

Let My Prayer Arise

Thanksgiving for Light

Waiting In Hope

I Dance My Savior’s Song

Prayers of Hope

Lord’s Prayer

I’ll Keep You Near

2006

This project is the realization of a long time dream. In the ’70s, I played banjo and mandolin in a bluegrass band  called the “Joyful Noise Boys”. That band didn’t last long, but I enjoyed that experience as much as anything musical I have done since – one of the highlights of my teenage years.

I have thought for a long time that it would be good to have a setting of the liturgy for Holy Communion featuring this wonderful American music. When my old friend, Dave Rogers (the fiddler in the Joyful Noise Boys”) contacted me in the summer of 2006, I remembered the fun we had pickin’ in church. With the sound of Dave’s fiddle ringing in my imagination, I started to compose the songs of this liturgy called “Remembered and Remembering”. String band music, with strong harmony singing, and driving rhythm, has proven to be good for tuning people’s hearts to praise God. This kind of music is a lively resonator for the gospel

God remembers us always and invites us to remember the grace and love in which we are all held all the time.

Confession

We sinners are all wayfaring strangers down here

Lord Have Mercy

“…We practice your presence…” worship is basically conversation with God. We hear from and express our hearts to God.  This is all prayer.  My favorite definition of prayer is “practicing the presence of God”.  It’s not us getting God’s attention, it’s God getting ours.

Gloria

The Christmas angels are the song leaders here.

Gospel Verse (Alleluia)

We stand to honor the reading of some pericope of the story of the Incarnate Word – the “story from God’s heart.”

We Believe

“We Believe”  In CS Lewis’  “The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe” human beings are referred to as “sons of Adam” and “daughters of Eve.”  Three verses – one for each article of confession of faith (trust) in the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sanctifier.

Offering

Sung as the gifts (bread and wine) are presented. – (this is my favorite song in this collection.)

Great Thanksgiving / Holy! Holy! Holy!

This is a dialogue between the presiding minister and the congregation.  It really should have been recorded with different voices singing the part that the congregation sings.  I just never got around to finding other singers to come in and redo the scratch vocal that I did to demo the song.

Remember Me

Jesus’ words of institution are paraphrased in the song “Remember Me”.

Lamb of God

sung during the distribution.

Show and Tell

The Post Communion Canticle

Remembered and Remembering

“Remembered and Remembering” states the theme and name of the mass.  The “bright benediction smile” lighting our way is how I imagine the Lord’s face shining on us (see the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-26) that is traditionally used here.  We go out remembered by God and remembering what God has done and reflecting the light of that bright smile of grace into the darkness of the world.

Lead sheets for musicians and congregational songbooks are available for the liturgy Contact me.  mandocaster@gmail.com