Franciscans Offer Free ‘Easter Prelude’ Download by Paul Finley and Irene Walsh

Paul Keggington

April 01, 2012

As we recall in word and sacrament the mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity offer Paul Finley’s and Irene Walsh’s  Easter Prelude this Holy Week as a free music download and meditation song.  Words from Saint Bonaventure’s The Tree of Life recounting Jesus prostrate in prayer at the Mount of Olives may be a fitting companion piece for reflection.

Ruler, Lord Jesus, whence comes to your soul such vehement anxiety and such anxious supplication? Have you not offered to the Father an entirely willing sacrifice? To shape us in faith by believing that you have truly shared our mortal nature, to lift us up in hope when we must endure similar hardships, to give us greater incentives to love you–for these reasons you exhibited the natural weakness of the flesh by evident signs which teach us that you have truly borne our sorrows and that it was not without experiencing pain that you tasted the bitterness of your passion.

NOTE: If you enjoy a merging of the fine arts when you pray, click here to watch Doug Jaques’ images as you listen to this audio.

[audio: Easter Prelude.mp3]

Click here for a free music download.

Comments from Paul Finley

The Easter Song was written before this piece. Therefore the musical themes were altered in this version to embody the Passion of Christ. His heartbreak, humiliation and emptiness are captured and laid out here in music. The song ends with a trace of hope and sets the stage for the Easter Song (which will be posted on April 8, 2012 on Franciscanized World).

Today Irene Walsh and I live 1,000’s of miles apart. It was wonderful to create something with Irene again. Her voice is just magic! The Easter Prelude was written in February 2012 specifically for the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity website. It’s a Holy Week meditation and jumps finally into Easter itself. All hope is ours.

About Paul Finley

Born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin and presently living in Austin, Texas, Paul Finley is a true  journeyman who explores the depths of human joy and pain through the universal language – music. His third CD, ‘The Butterfly” was released on New Bell Recordings. The music narrates the story of the subject – war, nature, people and romance. Paul’s  unique melody strumming creates the sound of multiple guitars from one instrument.

A former faculty member and graduate of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Paul has studied privately and took master classes with Michael Hedges, Ben Verdery, Fareed Haque, John Stropes and a host of others. Paul has been teaching guitar for over 20 years worldwide. In Austin he teaches at The Austin Guitar School, One Day Academy and does private lessons. 2002 to 2008 Paul was on the road, recording and touring worldwide with Austin, Texas based duo Spoken Groove. Mas Optica was his Indie rock/Progressive Metal band from 1985 to 1996. Read more.

Websites:

http://www.paulfinleymusic.com/blog/

Follow these links to find Paul’s music as well:�
iTunes
Pandora radio

Comments from Irene Walsh

So many years after recording Easter Song, Paul asked me to collaborate on this piece from far away. I am honored. In Easter Prelude, I hope to have captured the emotion of the onlookers as Jesus walked the Via Dolorosa. (All of the vocals on both Easter Prelude and Easter Song are mine, recorded on multiple tracks.)

About Irene Walsh

Irene is a singer, actor and director based in NYC. Singing various styles from jazz to folk to rock and now samba, Irene’s passion is to tell a story with each song she performs. Currently she performs regularly with her samba band in New York and seeks to showcase visiting samba musicians from Brazil. She is also producing a documentary called The Heart of Samba. As an actor, Irene has performed in film, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, as well as regionally, most notably in The Guys – both the stage and film versions.

Websites:
www.SplitRockFilms.com
www.myspace.com/irenewalsh

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