HymnWriting
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“At Evening, God Has Spoken”: A Vespers Hymn on Psalm 110 (76 76 D)
110 has long been one of the traditional psalms of Sunday Vespers. My new hymn, At Evening, God Has Spoken, reflects on that ancient text through the quiet landscapes of the Irish midlands—heathered hills, the Barrow’s waters, and the stillness of evening prayer—resting in Christ our High King through the night. Continue reading
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The Knot of Grace: A Lorica for the Wired Mind
I wrote the hymn in English first. It came out of lived places. Hospital corridors. Strip lighting. The hum of machines. Motorways. Rain over stone. The strange ache of being surrounded and alone. It wasn’t theory. It was my nervous system on paper. There are days when my brain feels like too much input and… Continue reading
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In the Thin Place of Forty Days
Rooted in the landscape, spirituality, and imaginative tradition of the Irish midlands, the text interweaves the great biblical “forty” journeys—the flood, the exodus, Sinai, the wilderness, and the risen Christ’s forty days—with the sacred geography of Kildare and its surrounding boglands. Drawing on Celtic Christian imagery and the rhythms of creation, it invites worshippers to… Continue reading
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Rule. Dawn. Praise.
This hymn and stained-glass image are inspired by Chapter 13 of the Rule of Our Holy Father Saint Benedict, in which he sets forth the reverent ordering of the Divine Office at Lauds on ordinary days. Rooted in the rhythm of psalmody, canticle, Gospel praise, and litany, the work reflects Saint Benedict’s vision of a… Continue reading
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Spark. Fire. Blaze.
As a parish organist who grew up singing in a church choir, I have always been captivated by the power of music to lift the spirit, unite a community, and make the divine feel present in our everyday lives. Music in worship isn’t just decoration—it is prayer in sound, a living, breathing offering that moves… Continue reading
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Faith. Truth. Welcome.
With the twelve bells of St Patrick’s overhead, I offer this hymn as a prayer for Ballymena: for its people, its churches, and Christ’s light in the valley we call home. Continue reading
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Light. Echo. Flame.
Some stories don’t just belong to the past—they echo in our bodies, our landscapes, and the ways we learn to walk through the world. The Conversion of St Paul is one of those stories. It’s not really about a single moment on a dusty road; it’s about what happens when light interrupts us, names us,… Continue reading
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Mary. Mother. Thanksgiving.
On my mum’s 80th birthday, I’m sharing the hymn her life inspired. I hope to give it voice at her celebration in Ballymena on Saturday — throat permitting. Some words wait years to be spoken, and sometimes love speaks most clearly when the voice is fragile. Continue reading
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