“If you made a CD with that, I would buy it!” My public librarian had found me circling the CD rack opposite young adult fiction. She didn’t hesitate to give me her thoughts. “I loved the Battle Hymn of the Republic on the harp.”
My heart leapt. “I’d buy” are magic words to a musician, but it was the end of her sentence that caught my ears.
For July 4th 2016, I had posted a quick video of myself performing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” trembling in my soft soled performance shoes as I did. After years of loving that song, I had suddenly become embarrassed to play such a martial tune on my gentle instrument.
You normally hear patriotic music on a brass band, not a harp. Even so, I take the month before July 4th to play favorite Americana from the Armed Forces Salute to Old Joe Clark and of course my favorite, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. But that June, I had just attended my first harp convention. I heard amazing, world renowned harpists share their ideas and techniques. All their concerts featured “real” harp music. After that impressive display, I was feeling a bit intimidated publishing my performances of popular songs.
Then I found myself cornered by my short, straight talking librarian. I respect that woman far more than she knows, her no nonsense style, dry humor and handling of all our interlibrary loan requests—you might guess we spend a lot of time at the library. She said she liked my video. Hearing her, I felt like some chain had popped off my perception of what I could and couldn’t record.
The whole Battle Hymn is about perceptions. The author, Julia Ward Howe, looked at an army camp and said, “Mine eyes have seen the glory,” or “I can see [Christ] in the watch fires.” The title tells us it’s a patriotic song but Howe’s lyrics don’t focus on any battle or any one point in American history. She focuses on Christ’s second coming, reminding us what it means to live in light of his sacrifice, the impact of our actions on those around us right now and on eternity.
Now I can tell lots of stories of playing the Battle Hymn on Veteran’s day or at senior centers. Residents always sing along. But when I began collecting the track list for my third CD, I thought of my public librarian. That lady unknowingly freed me from worrying about what was expected of a harp CD.
Sometimes the battle is in our minds and hearts. And it can be won by a true word.
“In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,
His Truth is marching on!”
-The Battle Hymn of the Republic
True to her word, my librarian bought my new CD Hymns and Variations as soon as it came out. Now you can too! Listen and purchase The Battle Hymn of the Republic and 18 other favorite hymns, right here on my website, on iTumes, or call me at 574-875-0795.