Beginning, well, now, Project Olney will no longer be located here. Instead the blog will be moved to thedescribers.com. The Describers is the name I recently started using to release music under. I realize how odd it is to use a plural name to describe (heh) a singular, but I will explain the name in an upcoming post on the new blog. I want to use this new site to host and promote Project Olney as well as other musical projects I attempt. Unfortunately, the tracks were not able to be imported to the new location, but you can still access them here as well as at thedescribers.bandcamp.com.

As I had stated in an earlier post, I ended up finding that arranging and recording a song from the Olney Hymns each week was simply unfeasible. However, I still plan on plugging away at the project, and will keep you updated. This actually brings me to some more big, namely that The Describers will be releasing a ten song album featuring William Cowper’s hymns called (rather appropriately) For Cowper. The album will be released in May. For more info, visit thedescribers.com.

Jason

That being said, I don’t plan on giving up this project, but I am planning on slowing down the pace, as well as changing the order of how I’ll go through the hymns. Here’s the new plan (which may change further): I will reduce the number of hymns I upload here to one a month. I also no longer plan to go straight through the hymns (though I still plan to get through every one). I’ve been having difficulty creating acceptable melodies (in my mind) within a weeks time frame.

My apologies in advance for being more sporadic in my posts, as that is how they will be. Thanks for listening, and I should (hopefully) have the new hymn up sometime soon.

Thanks,

JMac

I regret to inform you that I will not be posting a hymn this week, but by God’s grace will be able to do so in the following week.

As some may know, Drexel University is beginning its classes for the year this week, and as a member of Campus Crusade for Christ at Drexel, this makes for a very busy week. Between BBQs, planning, training, large groups, and church-finding, there’s a lot going on for all of us, and I haven’t been able to sit down to record this week’s hymn (and feel it would be unwise to do so).

I was very grateful to be able to perform with some friends at Cru’s “Welcome Back BBQ”. I even got to perform a couple of the hymns!

If you think of it throughout the week, please pray for us and for God to move in people’s hearts on the campus!

Sincerely,

Jason

The Hymn

This hymn focuses on God’s provision in Genesis 22, with the heading “the LORD will provide.” In particular, Cowper begins by focusing on Abraham’s test of faith when God asks him to sacrifice his son Issac. When, in faith, Abraham is about to offer Issac as a burnt offering, God provides a ram in Issac’s place. Verse 14 then says this, “So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’”

Cowper, in the proceeding verses follows two further accounts of God’s provision, the first from 1 Samuel 23:27, when David was spared from Saul, and the second from Jonah 1:17, when God saved Jonah through the fish.

It stood out to me that Cowper arranged the hymn like an argument. The first verse sets up his argument, while the 2-4 verses provide examples of how the statement of the first verse is true. The final two verses then act as a conclusion and call to action.

Melody, Arrangement and Production

There’s not much I need to say here other than “gritty”. “Sloppy” may also be an effective descriptor. Since I felt that Cowper was making an argument with his hymn using seemingly unrelated examples of God’s provision, I thought that gave me some freedom with the style of the song, as well as with the melody. My arrangement, is probably not suitable for a congregation, as each line overlaps.

I almost feel as though I needed to get this arrangement out of my system.

Continue past the break for the text.

The Text

The saints should never be dismayed,
Nor sink in hopeless fear;
For when they least expect his aid,
The Savior will appear.

This Abraham found, he raised the knife,
GOD saw and said, “Forbear;”
Yon ram shall yield his meaner life,
Behold the victim there.

Once David seemed Saul’s certain prey,
But hark! The foe’s at hand;
Saul turns his arms another way,
To save th’ invaded land.

When Jonah sunk beneath the wave
He thought to rise no more;
But God prepared a fish to save,
And bear him to the shore.

Blest proofs of pow’r and grace divine,
That meet us in his word!
May every deep-felt care of min
Be trusted with the Lord.

Wait for his seasonable aid,
And though it tarry wait:
The promise may be long-delayed,
But cannot come too late.

We’re on to Hymn #5, with the heading “Lot in Sodom” or, if we use the first line for the title, “How Hurtful Was the Choice of Lot”. As usual, the hymn can be played below here, or downloaded on the side.

The Hymn

The hymn, by John Newton tells the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. The verse Newton focuses on Genesis 13:10, which says, “And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord m destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)”

Newton again, while writing a hymn primarily focusing on God’s righteous wrath, highlights God’s great mercy on Lot and on us. The hymn also seems to provide a firm, but loving warning about worldliness.

Melody, Arrangement & Production

While probably not appropriate for a congregational setting, I thought that melody seemed to fit the subject matter. Likewise I feel that the arrangement fits with the melody and mood of the hymn as well.

As a bit of an aside, I’d like to note that when I write, I have a tendency to write with the full arrangement in view, or at least with a full arrangement built before the melody. When it comes to careful songwriting, this is a weakness of mine.

Digression over.

The arrangement begins with a pattern of TR-808 samples, a droning bass-pad and an organ, which carry through the entire song. Throughout most of the song, I also abuse a vocoder along with abusing reverb (on the electric guitar especially).

You might be able to tell who some of musical influences are here as well (other than Lindsey Buckingham). On that note, I did mull over adding a powerful gated snare part, but ultimately decided it didn’t fit the mood I was going for with the song.

Continue past the break for the hymn’s text.

The Text

How hurtful was choice of Lot,
Who took up his abode
(Because it was a fruitful spot)
With them who feared not God!

I pris’ner he was quickly made,
Bereaved of all his store;
And, but for Abraham’s timely aid,
He had returned no more.

Yet still he seemed resolved to stay
As if it were his rest;
Although their sins from day to day
His righteous soul distressed.

Awhile he stayed with anxious mind,
Exposed to scorn and strife;
At last he left his all behind,
And fled to save his life.

In vain his sons-in-law he warned,
They thought they told his dreams;
His daughters too, of them had learned,
And perished in the flames.

His wife escaped a little way,
But died for looking back:
Does not her case to pilgrims say,
“Beware of growing slack?”

Yea; Lot himself could ling’ring stand,
Though vengeance was in view;
‘Twas mercy plucked him by the hand,
Or he had perished too.

The doom of Sodom wilt be ours
If to the earth with cleave;
Lord quicken all our drowsy pow’rs,
To flee to thee and live.

Just to give a quick update on my progress, however, I am currently working on recording both the 5th and 6th hymns. The 5th will be released this Friday (as usual). I’ve been finding it a challenge recently to create unique melodies for the hymns since many of the hymns are written in common meter (which is used quite commonly in this hymnal). You can find out more about what I mean by “common meter” at my go-to source.

My tendency is to often improvise melodies until something works. This is easier for me to do when I have varying meters between songs. However, because many of the hymns share the common meter, my improvised melodies take longer to “work” because they’ve begun to sound similar. My other is issue is that once I have a melody that works, I often forget it by the next verse. I think I’m going to start either writing out my melodies or recording a scratch track on my keyboard for me follow. Either way, I think I need to start being more intentional in my melody-writing.

Any other suggestions?

The Hymn

This hymn seems to follow the same text as the previous hymn, or at the very least is topically similar–that is–walking with God.

The words I sing in the hymn do vary slightly from the original text. I felt that some of the language needed updating. The line that says, “But he’s promised to be my guide” was originally written as “But he vouchsafes to be my guide”. According to Merriam-Webster, to “vouchsafe” is to either “grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner” or “to grant as a privilege or special favor”.

I like that the word vouchsafe describes with great accuracy God’s condescension of us to graciously grant us favor. Unfortunately, I don’t think the word is used too often anymore. I do hope, however, that my “update” doesn’t change Newton’s meaning too much.

Melody, Arrangement & Production

As you may have noticed by now, the recording is very raw…almost like a field recording (…of a guy singing in his bedroom with a guitar…and banging on a box…). I had the melody worked out for some time, and it seemed to come rather easily for this hymn. However, I had some difficulty with arrangement and production. I first tried to record the song as a neurotic, tremolo-filled, finger-picked song. I failed miserably. I then thought it would work as a straight rock song or a shuffle, but that didn’t work either (can you tell I’m a big Lindsey Buckingham fan?). I decided to go totally bare-bones after my mind went here (complete with bouncy piano and vocoder).

The hymn’s original text is once again after the break.

The Text

By faith in CHRIST I walk with God,
With heav’n, my journeys’–end, in view;
Supported by his staff and rod,
My road is safe and pleasant too,

I travel through a desert wide
Where many round me blindly stray;
But He vouchsafes to be my guide,
And will not let me miss my way.

Though snares and dangers throng my path,
And earth and hell my course withstand;
I triumph over all by faith,
Guarded by his Almighty hand.

The wilderness affords no food,
But God for my support prepares;
Provides me every needful good,
And frees my soul from wants and cares.

With him sweet converse I maintain,
Great as he is I dare be free;
I tell him all my grief and pain,
And he reveals his love to me.

Some cordial from his word he brings,
Whene’er my feeble spirit faints;
At once my soul revives and sings,
And yields no more to sad complaints.

I pity all that worldlings talk
Of pleasures that will quickly end;
Be this my choice, O Lord, to walk
With thee, my Guide, my Guard, my Friend.

Melody

In case you haven’t noticed, I did not keep the original melody of the hymn, which can still be found here (Warning: MIDI). I am, however thinking about coming back to this hymn and creating an arrangement of the original melody.

What I did, however, was take what was a six-verse hymn and turn it into a two-verse song, with verses three and six acting sort-of like a chorus. Melodically, I’m happy, because I feel as if the melody fits the mood of text pretty well.

Apparently, I have some aural “markers” that make this sound like it is a “Jason McGovern song”. When I had a friend listen to the song, he pointed it out me in the second time through the sixth verse when I sing lines like “So shall.” I’m still debating in my mind whether this is a good or bad thing…

Production and Arrangement

Instrumentation was very simple, with two acoustic guitars, a banjo and a shaker. The word I would use to describe the production however is “meh”. For a softer song, there is far too much “pumping”…I overdid the compression. It’s especially obvious when the background vocals enter. However, I am rather fond of the background vocals.

Well, that seems to be all for now. Happy Friday everybody!

That being said, this week we will focus on William Cowper’s “O For a Closer Walk With God”. This is the first of the hymns (as far as I know, there are only two before it), that already has a well-known arrangement and can be found here (Warning: The link automatically plays a MIDI file).

The text of this hymn reflects on Genesis 5:24, which says: “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (ESV) After living 365 years, Enoch, because of his ongoing and deep relationship with God, did not die, but instead was taken by God.

In this hymn, Cowper is expressing a deep longing for an Enoch-like relationship with God and mourning over the sins that often disrupt (but do not ultimately break because of Christ’s work on the cross) our relationship with God. Understanding who the author is also reveals that this may have been a deeply personal hymn to Cowper.

The Text

O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!

Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul refreshing view
Of Jesus and His Word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove, return,
Sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn
And drove Thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.