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Form Object
Form Object
Intone the Verses A Resource for Bahá'í-Inspired Music |
“...Rejoice, be happy and sing the hymns of sanctity and unification, offering their praise to the Supreme Kingdom.” ~‘Abdu’l-Bahá Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá v1, p. 131 |
CDs and Songbooks (All CDs and Songbooks are shipped by mail.) The Newest CD/Songbook Collections presented on this page: Raise Your Voices (NEW!) and Hymns of Praise! (2nd edition) Click here to see our other two selections. |
Raise Your Voices CD Title taken from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 350 16 Tracks: vocals by Wendy Scott and Ron Lyles Price: $15.00 CD runs 53 min. 20 sec. Please click on the arrow in the player below to hear samples from the CD. |
For the friends who have longed for sacred music we can use in our meetings that unites us and provides a worship experience more active than just to sit and listen to someone else perform, here is a collection of precious pearls set to music by Zak Mortensen that are easy enough for everyone to raise their voices in song together! Here are settings of some of the most beloved and well-known prayers and passages from the Bahá'í writings. They cover a range of themes from trust in God and detachment from the world to respect and love for our parents and the oneness of mankind. With the melodies in octaves with their range limited to what most people should have no trouble singing in community, Ron Lyles and I invite you to sing along with us. The collection starts with familiar prayers: Make Thy Beauty to Be My Food, a prayer for firmness in the Covenant in a musical style that evokes the mysteries of God's plan, and Refresh and Gladden My Spirit. While choosing songs for this collection, we realized that Zak's setting of Is There Any Remover of Difficulties save God? had to be on this album even though it's already on our other CD, Singing His Praise on Holy Days, so we included it here as a bonus. We chose the ever-popular Unity Prayer to round out these opening prayers. Settings of familiar passages follow: The All Knowing Physician ("hath His finger on the pulse of mankind"), The Essence of Faith ("is fewness of words…"), Make Haste to Love, and The Tabernacle of Unity (in an upbeat bossa nova style for contrast). Transitioning back to more prayers is a song dedicated to our Mothers, and We Remember Fathers as well. There's also a new version of God is Sufficient Unto Me (with verses repeated nine times). The Prayer for America is set in a stirring, traditionally American style, and the prayer For The Departed is designed to help us meditate on the soul's journey after death and pray for the progress of those who have passed on. Finally, we have a newly composed version of Blessed is the Spot with a flowing melody that's easy to sing and a fitting theme to conclude this collection of songs. As with all Zak Mortensen's projects, there is an attractive matching songbook (available through www.intonetheverses.com) to facilitate group singing complete with the words, melody lines, guitar chords, and piano scores. There is also a separate CD available with the instrumental backtracks only. These songs may, of course, be used at devotionals, Feasts, Holy Days, and any time Bahá'ís get together. May they bring peace, joy, harmony, and upliftment in every community where they are sung. -Wendy Scott, 2010 |
Raise Your Voices - Songbook contains 16 songs with lyrics Make My Beauty to Be My Food, Refresh and Gladden My Spirit, All Things are of God, Prayer for America, For The Departed, Blessed is the Spot, and ten others. Price - Melody Line with Guitar Chords only: $7.00 Price - Melody Line with Piano Score with Guitar Chords: $13.50. |
Hymns of Praise! CD Title taken from Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 268 20 Track CD Tracks 1 through 10 - vocals by Wendy Scott and Ron Lyles Tracks 11 through 20 - instrumental tracks only. Price: $13.50 CD runs 79 min. 15 sec. Please click on the arrow in the player below to hear samples from the CD. |
Hymns of Praise! Songbook Songbook contains 10 familiar hymn tunes or song tunes but with new lyrics. Price - Melody Line with Guitar Chords only: $6.00 Price - Melody Line with Piano Score with Guitar Chords: $12.50. |
Here is a collection of some beautiful and popular melodies from five different countries. Most of them started out as centuries-old folk songs and then were used as Christian hymns. In the process, they have become much beloved by people who have sung them in worship for many years. Composer Zak Mortensen has taken these melodies, given them his own stamp, and beautifully adapted words to the melodies from the Bahá’í scriptures of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Báb, often making them rhyme, with a coherent and meaningful theme for each song that you will love to sing together. God, O God, We Glorify Thee is set to the Welsh hymn tune Hyfrydol. In the Stronghold of Thy Love is set to the Taiwanese/Chinese hymn tune known as Beng-Li. The Lord of Grace Abounding is melodically inspired by the ballad Carrickfergus from Ireland. Llef (Cry) comes from Wales. Lord of the Kingdom is set to the Irish hymn tune Slane. Praise Be to God is based on Jerusalem, a famous hymn that was used in the movie Chariots of Fire. For All Times is another Irish song, Skibereen. The last three songs will be very familiar: All Praise, My God, Be Unto Thee is set to Amazing Grace or the hymn tune New Britain from England. Thou, Giver of Light is set to the Scottish/English tune called Waly,Waly or The Water is Wide. Finally, Cheer Thou Our Hearts finds its musical roots in Scotland the Brave. The running theme is praise of God, so all of them would be appropriate in almost any religious setting, either Bahá’í or interfaith. ~ Wendy Scott |
Raise Your Voices Songbook with Melody Line and Guitar Chords only |
Raise Your Voices Songbook with Melody Line Guitar Chords and Piano Score |
Please take a moment to read Wendy Scott's description below. |
Hymns of Praise Songbook with Melody Line and Guitar Chords only |
Hymns of Praise Songbook with Melody Line Guitar Chords and Piano Score |
Please take a moment to read Wendy Scott's description below. |