What do you make of this song? When I borrowed the SLJ’s massive four-lp set from the Newman Community and got to Jesuit Bob Dufford’s effort here, it sure got my attention. I’ve always thought of it as absolutely crazy song, and absolutely in a good way. The 1997 update has a lot of brass and percussion, but the polished arrangements and singing don’t have the same energy as the original.
We never attempted it in college, but my grad school parish pulled it out once or twice. When I was visiting some of my Baptist relatives in 1983, they wanted to hear some of the music played in my Church. One of my cousins noticed this title right away in my Neither Silver Nor Gold songbook and asked me to play it. All I had was my guitar and voice–no youthful sopranos or piano glissandos. She said it wasn’t anything like the one her church did.
Does this song fit the Jesuit motto of magis? Or is it just too much?
Catholic Sensibility 