10. Felicidad

USA: Eduardo de Zayas ARR. TRACY McDONNELL

How happy are they who dwell in your courts, and praise you all their days, O God! Eduardo de Zayas, an American citizen of Cuban descent, wrote this beautiful setting of Psalm 84 in 1965, and it has deservedly become a staple in the repertoire of our Spanish language choirs, Alma Latina de Langley Park, Coro San Camilo and Huellas de Cristo, as well as our Multicultural Choir. Special thanks to soloists Magalie Salas and Alfredo Serrano (Puerto Rico) and Arelis Molina (Dominican Republic) for their soulful renderings of these poetic verses. We wish to dedicate this song to Vanessa Mohica, a wonderfully-gifted percussionist with the St. Camillus music ministry for many years. Aunque estas en California ahora, tu espíritu vivirá en San Camilo por siempre, querida hermana.

11. How Can I Keep From Singing?

USA: Quaker Hymn ARR. TRACY McDONNELL

We like to entertain the theory that this mystical poem was penned by a frustrated Quaker who found the Society of Friends’ proscription against music in worship a cross simply too heavy to bear. As members of a Franciscan community, where we pray with our brother Francis, "Lord, make me a means of your peace," we feel a special affinity for our brothers and sisters in the Society of Friends who have been such courageous, consistent witnesses for peace in our troubled world. As this powerful hymn proclaims in its final verse: The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, a fountain ever springing. May that peace come to reign in our hearts and in our world.

12. Jesus is a Rock

USA: African American Spiritual ARR. GLENN T. BURLEIGH

A number of music ministers from St. Camillus were privileged to work with the wonderful Valeria Foster, then of Israel Baptist Church in Northeast Washington, DC, as she prepared a choir of over 300 voices for the annual Progressive National Baptist Convention in 1999. Of the many glorious songs we learned under her direction, this spiritual, arranged by the brilliant Glenn T. Burleigh of Oklahoma City, became a special favorite. Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Burleigh for his gracious permission to include it on our debut recording. Blessings also to our versatile soloist, Louise Henry, a native of Grenada who does "double-duty" in both our Gospel and Multicultural Choirs.