Dordt University’s Worship Arts Department has released their fifth project this year, “Hymns on the Prairie,” featuring original arrangements of five timeless hymns of the church and one brand new hymn written by Geraldine Latty, Dordt’s 2021 worship artist in residence.
This project was a collaboration between students, staff, and alumni with writing, arranging, rehearsing, producing, and designing.
“I have loved all of the worship projects that I have been able to be a part of at Dordt, but especially the 'Hymns on the Prairie' project,” says Emily Wedel, a worship arts major. “It was so cool to see individual creativity come out in the songs and it was pretty exciting to hear my arrangement and original work take shape!”
From the driving rock of “All Creatures of Our God and King” to the soulful “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” this project intentionally draws from diverse musical styles and instrumentation.
“I hope listeners see how we worked to combine the timeless melodies and rich theology of these hymns with the creative musicianship and imaginative arrangements of our Dordt students,” says Dr. Jeremy Perigo, director of campus ministries and worship arts. “We love being able to share what is happening in our worship arts classes and in our weekly worship gatherings with the larger Dordt community and beyond. We pray this project encourages listeners and their faith journey.”
"It was fun to collaborate with so many different musicians, to see a piece come together through the creativity of so many different people," says Lydia Jayaputra, a worship arts major.
Dordt’s Worship Arts program allows students from a variety of majors to get involved with projects—not just worship arts majors.
Noah Deist (’21), a graphic design alumnus had the opportunity to play drums, guitar, and sing for the project.
“Working on this album was a treat for me because it was one of the first times that I’ve gotten to step outside of my musician shoes and get a taste for producing music,” says Deist. “Of course, featuring as an artist and getting to play drums on the entire album, which allowed me to work with the other artists to learn each song and understand the arrangements, was a lot of fun. However, getting to sit on the other side of the mic so to speak, and experience the recording, producing, and mixing side of the process was an awesome opportunity.”
Perigo appreciates that projects like this allow students to bring their unique backgrounds and perspectives to the music.
“It is vital that we nurture the faith that has been passed down, while also demonstrating the diverse musical styles of the global and historic Church.”
Featuring:
Drums: Noah Deist
Electric: Alex Priore, Noah Deist, John Wynstra, Antonio Maldonado
Bass: Alex Priore
Acoustic: Alex Priore, Damon Groen
Synth: Lydia Jayaputra, Noah Deist
Organ: Carey Luce
Vocals: Alex Priore, Jeremy Perigo, Emily Wedel, Noah Deist, Damon Groen, Geraldine Latty
Piano: Carey Luce, Jeremy Perigo, Lydia Jayaputra
Saxophones: Jeremy Perigo
Producers: Alex Priore, Jeremy Perigo, Noah Deist
It is available at all major digital music distributors:
Spotify
YouTube
Apple Music
Source:
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