Sarah Hart, an esteemed Catholic musician with dozens of worthy contributions to the Catholic songbook, has released her first Marian hymn in 2022. The song, “Mother Mary, Pray For Us,” is a lovely new liturgical piece that’s already available for music ministries to use in services.
The song is perfectly suited for use in the liturgy, as the music constructs a soothing atmosphere around the lyrics which implore the Blessed Mother for her prayers. The expressive melody is easy to pick up after just one listening and we can practically hear a congregation singing along. The way she builds the second verse with a cello and second voice only add to the meditative qualities of this fantastic new track.
Inspiration
In an interview with Catholic News Service, Hart explained that she had wanted to write a Marian hymn for a long time, but she wasn’t inspired to pen the new song until her youngest daughter left for college. With the house empty, she found herself praying to the Blessed Mother more and more. She said:
“I found myself praying to Mary a lot for the kids, and I just kept using those words, ‘Mother Mary, pray for us,’ … so I thought, ‘Why don’t I make a song out of this?’” she said.
Hart explained that by the time she sat down at the piano, the entire piece came together in about 20 minutes. Of this inspired work, Hart said, “It just fell into my heart as a prayer.” Hart went on to explain that many of her songs have evolved from similar prayers or “conversations” she has with God when she is alone. She told CNS:
“Writing a song for me is simply a conversation that God and I are having. If other people benefit from that conversation, that’s awesome,” she said. “I’m happy to let other people be part of those conversations. It’s a real joy; it’s a pure joy.”
Liturgical release
Hart released “Mother Mary, Pray For Us” in late July, but in August, she put out a live version (featured above) filmed within a chapel. While it’s always nice to watch an artist perform their work, and the chapel creates an excellent setting, we preferred the studio version for its superior sound quality, as well as the previously mentioned cello, which is pivotal to building the second verse. Hear the difference below.
Hart’s new hymn is already available for music ministers through Oregon Catholic Press. The sheet music is available for piano and guitar, which gives parish ministries a lot of room to fit this impressive new hymn into their rotation. Visit Oregon Catholic Press to learn more.
And today we celebrate...