SPARTA The soft, deep voice of Father David McDonnell, pastor of Our Lady of the Lake (OLL) Parish here, rises above the gentle picking of an acoustic guitar to sing about the plight of the poor in “Hard Times,” Steven Foster’s timeless ballad.
“Let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears, while we all sup [sip] sorrow with the poor. There’s a song that will linger forever in our ears. Oh! Hard times come again no more,” Father McDonnell sings in “Hard Times,” contained on “Memories Linger On,” his latest compact disc collection of songs to be released in time for Christmas.
The CD features Father McDonnell’s considerable vocal talents on 15 secular songs of various styles and messages that all share some things in common: shimmering, ageless melodies and powerful stories. These tunes — two written by U.S. songwriters and the rest by Irish musicians — speak about such human emotions as the hope of immigrants, the regret of a failed relationship, the joy of falling in love, the challenges of the poor in “Hard Times” and the sorrow of living in a war-torn nation.
The 60-minute-long “Memories Linger On” also encourages another part of the Christmas season: the spirit of giving to the poor and disadvantaged. The proceeds of the $15 CD will benefit various causes — this after Father McDonnell issued a CD last Christmas that netted a surprising $8,634, mostly for charity. It was well received by parishioners of OLL; St. Matthew’s, Randolph, where the priest previously served as pastor; and St. Mary’s, Denville.
“These are songs that touch the heart — at least mine anyway — and speak about different aspects of life, although I recorded the CD primarily for people’s enjoyment,” said Father McDonnell, who recorded with more of a broader sonic color palate of instruments — including guitar, piano, bass, fiddle and flute — than on his first CD. “The money [from the CD] is going to people who are going through hard times,” said Father McDonnell, who included songs on the CD that he learned in Ireland or have enjoyed for a long time.
On the latest disc, Father McDonnell sings “Isle of Hope,” a piano ballad that tells the story of an 15-year-old Irish immigrant girl, who feels hope, arriving in the U.S., but also sorrow, having left her homeland. The priest said, “As an immigrant, I relate to the song, which has a nice melody.” The song, “Home from the Sea,” a tribute to lifeboat rescuers, reminds Father McDonnell of the strong winds that sweep through his homeland in western Ireland. Another ballad, “Only the Rivers Run Free,” speaks of the long period of bloodshed in Ireland, which has since ended, that left people “longing for liberty,” he said.
During the summer and fall, Father McDonnell recorded the latest CD at Noreside Music, a studio in Yonkers, N.Y. John Walsh, the studio’s owner and a notable musician, donated his performances on guitar and bass to the album. Also donating their performances were John Reynolds on fiddle and his wife, Margie, on flute, said Linda O’Connell, who played keyboard and helped produce both of Father McDonnell’s CDs.
“It’s a rare thing to hear musicians of this caliber on a parish CD,” said O’Connell, an OLL parishioner, who sang in St. Matthew’s choir, when Father McDonnell was pastor of St. Matthew’s.
Also, “Memories Linger On” features a cover photo of small boats moored to the water’s edge, which Father Greg Golba, former OLL parochial vicar, snapped, while visiting Father McDonnell’s home county of Mayo in Ireland in 2013. Father Golba now serves as administrator at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Haskell, O’Connell said.
Late last year, Father McDonnell issued “A Child Is Born,” which he described as an eight-song, almost 30-minute “collection of traditional, contemporary and original music that reflects that true spirit of Christmas.” The CD netted $8,634, mostly for charity. A The Beacon story helped generate $1,500 of that total from 100 readers, who called OLL to order the holiday release, O’Connell said.
Beneficiaries from “A Child Is Born” included the following: the Knights of Columbus’ Adults with Disabilities Drive, the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, OLL’s twin parish in Haiti, a community that serves the sick and disabled in Haiti, Sparta Ecumenical Food Pantry, Birth Haven home for unwed mothers and OLL’s Needy Fund. Some of the funds were reserved for the recording of Father McDonnell’s next CD, the pastor said.
“I was surprised and pleased by the amount that was raised [by the Christmas CD],” Father McDonnell said.
An impressed O’Connell called Father McDonnell’s voice “unique.”
“His voice is beautiful. He really enters into the music. He has a way of putting across the stories in the songs,” O’Connell said.
[Our Lady of the Lake has been fielding orders for ‘Memories Linger On’ before pressing copies of the CD. Call the parish at (973) 729-6107.]