Throughout These Lenten Days

Have you ever tried to find a good Lent hymn? That is, a hymn about the season of Lent? There are not many, and they are not very good. My favorite is James Gertmenian’s text “Thoughout These Lenten Days,” which is paired with TALLIS CANON in Sing! A New Creation. I love the Tallis tune–I even was in a rock group named after it–but it felt too static for the movement that takes place in the six verses of Gertmenian’s text. So I wrote this sweeping melody that is reminescent of English cathedral melodies such as KING’S WESTON. One of my choir members liked the tune so much that he took to calling me “maestro” ever since he sang it. Because the tune earned me that title, I thought it would be an appropriate title for the tune as well. You can download a PDF of the tune MAESTRO or hear how we used the song in Sunday’s worship service at COS (MP3).