Fr Martin Magill Musicians from churches all over Ireland will come together in a song for frontline staff on Pentecost Sunday May 31.
The blessing will be a rendition of the specially adapted hymn Be Thou my Vision. Submissions from different churches north and south of the border will be dedicated to local causes and also part of a wider national tribute.
Fr Martin Magill PP, St John’s Parish in Belfast is one of the organisers said the idea was inspired by a British initiative to acknowledge the dedication of those involved in providing essential services.
“We opened up right across the denominations and we chose a different way. UK churches had 65 churches involved in theirs, but we decided we will throw it completely open and see who wants to take part.
“We will hopefully have a really good range across the denominations, the invitation is to all the churches and all the denominations.”
Submissions will be composed of a mix of videos from musicians and singers who cannot record together due to restrictions. Church-based singers or musicians in the North or the Republic are invited to download the recording pack available from www.theirishblessing.com. The project opened for entries on Monday and the deadline for recordings is 12 noon on Friday, May 22.
Blessings
Fellow organiser, Philip McKinley, Dublin-based Church of Ireland ordinand said: “God blesses us abundantly and is present with us, even in very difficult times. This song is an invitation to lift our eyes, to shift our vision far beyond ourselves, to him. Ireland is famous for its blessings, words to encourage friends, family and neighbours along the journey. We want to bless those on the frontlines with words of hope and life and relationship with the creator of all things.”
Once recordings are completed, churches will submit these to the organising team where they will be considered for inclusion in an all-island version of the hymn. This final collaborative video will be released on YouTube on Pentecost Sunday at 11am.