February 2004

Pope John Paul II continually calls upon the youth of the Church to be instruments and leaders of a new effort to bring the Gospel to the world. This challenging message is being spread throughout the world by an initiative called YOUTH 2000. One of the leaders of Youth 2000 in Ireland was recently on EWTN's Life On The Rock, talking about his journey to the Church and Youth 2000. He also told of his ministry to help spread God's message starting in Ireland and then throughout the world with radio and TV programs.

His name is Paul MacAree and his mission is called St. Brendan's Communications. MacAree is a musician and has a talent for musical arrangement. He has collected songs that he has worked on over the past ten years himself and and with other artists and made a CD called  St. Brendan's Collection, Vol. I. The other artists besides MacAree on the CD include Paul Kyle and Solas. The music on the CD is Celtic folk and sometimes light rock. If you're a fan of Enya, Ry Cooder, John Michael Talbot, Tom Booth or Clannad there is a little of them all on this CD. The first song is an instrumental, with just an acoustic guitar, called "Brendan the Voyager." St. Brendan was a monk who set sail 900 years before Columbus to bring the Gospel to the new world. "Glory To God" is a song by MacAree that radiates deep praise and reverence. This song of contemplation was also heard on the World Youth Day CD "Light Of The World." Sounding like monks from the ancient past is the choir, Solas, in the song "Pange Lingus." This is a song in Latin in praise of the Blessed Sacrament. The music helps give it a true ambient feeling, straight from the midst of an old Irish monastery. Another older song on the CD is the traditional "Tantum Ergo." This song has roots in St. Thomas Aquinas as a sacred and holy melody. MacAree plays an acoustic steel-string guitar on it. Paul Kyle sings on "How Beautiful You Are," a song based on Song Of Songs in which the Father's love for Israel is seen. This love song can also be used for Christ's love for his bride - the Church. Kyle's vocals and this calming tune blend well with the backing vocals of 16 year-old Paula Savage. MacAree set the beautiful "St. Patrick's Breast Plate" prayer to music and calls it  "Patrick's Prayer." This is a piece with just vocals and uillean pipes, which give it a feeling of Patrick praying over the morning mist on the rugged, windswept landscape. Kyle makes a nice, bouncy tune out of Psalm 73 in the song "Always With You." Having a very "Enya" sound to it, this song lets you know there is nothing else to desire than to be with the Lord. One song that will touch your heart is "Life Trilogy Poem,"  a Pro-Life anthem that MacAree wrote for this CD and for his appearance on EWTN. The song starts out with spoken word mixed  with scripture on how a child is formed in it's mother's womb and what happens during that time. It also talks about marriage between a man and a woman as being a blessing and how that blessing continues through procreation. (Wow, how timely with the threat of gay marriage in the world.) Finally, MacAree speak of natural death. The chorus is the popular sixties song adapted from Ecclesiastes by Pete Seeger. "..For everything....there is a season , turn, turn, turn, and a time for every purpose under heaven..." (This was later made popular by the Byrds.) There are several other outstanding songs on St. Brendan's Collection as well. Paul MacAree has a true love of God and like St. Brendan wants to share it with the world.

One With You is an awesome new CD by Catholic singer David Patrick Bryan. The CD is full of original compositions by Bryan with songs that will touch both your heart and your soul. Bryan shares his love for Jesus (both as Lord and for His True Presence in the Eucharist) as well as Our Blessed Mother. Bryan has a style that mixes a lot of ‘new Country" sound with bits of jazz, reggae and pop. "One With You" recently won the 2003 UNITY Award for Country Album of the Year and was nominated for Rock Album of the Year, as well. It’s with good reason, too. Bryan’s style incorporates strong vocals and lyrics with pleasant tunes. The CD starts off with a praise song called “Praise and Glory “ that let’s you know that we are the Body of Christ and our Father’s children. The guitar on this song is great and as hard-hitting as the lyrics.  Bryan’s love of the Eucharist is heard in “My Body and My Blood.” It’s Bryan’s veneration for the Blessed Virgin Mary that really shines in the CD. “Her Heart” is one that you may have heard on Catholic Radio already. We are lead into wondering how the Blessed Mother must have felt during Christ’s passion and how she loves all of us as her children. Another Marian tune, “Mother Of Love,” tells of Mary’s intercession for our needs, giving hope and grace. “Jesus Bread Of Life” tells the story of the Annunciation. The title track “One With You” is another praise song that is uplifting as Bryan asks to be one with the Lord and thanks Him for the gift of life. David Patrick Bryan is a powerful singer and with One With You, you can see why he won awards.

I was really impressed with Every Color Blue by Jared Haselbarth from the moment I heard the first track. It is a very compelling collection from a guy who is doing full-time youth ministry at a parish near Philadelphia. It features a unique look at the spiritual, poetical, and musical thread that has woven his life thus far. It combines true-to-life lyrical expression with a pure rock sound. The first song, ”Within,” invites us to fill that emptiness that each of us has and to give our hearts to God. For He is the only one who can fill that space. This is a really nice piece with music and vocals that work great together. Haselbarth follows Jesus through the Passion and into a place where He reaches out for us in "He Just Wanted Me." "Oceans" is a really nice song about how we fill our hearts with everything else in this world when we should be filling it with Jesus. One of the surprises on the CD is the instrumental "Jared's Theme." The mixture of acoustic guitar and bagpipes is breathtaking. "Confess" is another fantastic song, where Haselbarth takes on that magnificent Sacrament. We all have pain and are crying inside and only by confessing our sins can Jesus cut them away like a surgeon with a knife. Again, the music completes the song nicely. Jared Haselbarth's talent shines in Every Color Blue.