I’m proud to have my song “Go in Peace” included on the latest album from Abbey of the Arts, The Love of Thousands: Singing with Angels, Saints & Ancestors. It’s humbling to have my music placed among songs from beautiful artists whose music I cherish, including MaMuse, Melanie DeMore, and Karen Drucker. The album accompanies the Christine Valters Paintner’s latest book. I’ve read and loved three of Christine’s books so far, and The Love of Thousands will be the next one I dive into. The book’s message is timely, because so many people I’ve connected with lately are in “all hands on deck” kinds of situations, where the love of angels, saints, and ancestors—those “sacred beings who dwell in spiritual form across the veil,” as Christine puts it—is deeply needed. A YouTube playlist of the album is here.
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My album Go in Peace, which includes ten of my original songs, came out in March 2013—the realization of a long-held dream! To read more about the CD and listen to some short samples, see the album notes. If you’d like to purchase my music, I hope you’ll buy a CD directly from me, either in person or by emailing me. By purchasing directly from me, you pay less than you would through a reseller like Amazon, and more of your money makes its way to me. Win-win! Purchasing Interested in purchasing my music? Thank you! I’m very grateful—every sale means a lot to me. Buy a CD directly from me in person, or contact me at kat@sleeponthehearth.com. CDs: By purchasing your CD directly from me, you pay less than you would through a reseller like Amazon, and more of your money will make its way to me. Win-win! MP3s: Visit iTunes or Amazon. […]
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My CD release concert on May 18th was wonderful—it was a rich experience for me on many levels, and I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did. I performed the ten songs from Go in Peace with Bobby Medcalf on drums and Tess Evans Clark on guitar and vocals. My niece Kristina Dunworth made a special appearance on “Kristina’s Song,” the song I wrote for her a few days before she was born in 1995. (Hey, she’s taller than I am!) College Avenue Presbyterian Church hosted us, and about 50 people were there…15 of them my family members, to be sure. 🙂 I’m so grateful to my husband Gene Anderson for all the work he did making the sound system work absolutely perfectly, carrying equipment hither and thither, and doing countless other needed tasks, and to everyone else who helped and supported me and us in this […]
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Album credits Words and music by Katarina Stenstedt Vocals, guitars, bass, and keyboard by Katarina Stenstedt Drums and percussion by Bobby Medcalf Vocal harmony on “Kristina’s Song” by the lovely and talented Kristina Dunworth Produced by Bobby Medcalf and Katarina Stenstedt Recorded and engineered by Gene Anderson Mastered by Masaki Photography and album design by Gene Anderson About the album Gene, Bobby and I recorded every sound on Go in Peace in the living room of Gene’s and my house in the Oakland hills. We used a Roland VS-1880 digital recorder—a dinosaur with no computer interface. (Next album, ProTools!) Each time we’d record, one of us would jog down to the basement and flip the breaker to turn off the refrigerator so it wouldn’t hum and rumble in the background. We’d turn off the phone’s ringer and hope neither of the cats was about to launch into an inexplicable, crazed […]
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Go in peace, you are loved, you are lovedGo in peace, you are lovedGo with God, you are loved, you are lovedGo with God, you are loved The God who wove you in the darkthe one whose rough hands made your hearthad you in mind before the dawn of timeThe one who gazed with gentle eyesat all the colors of your life–Before the threads were dyed,the artist saw your life Go in peace, you are loved, you are lovedGo in peace, you are lovedGo with God, you are loved, you are lovedGo with God, you are loved Back at the house you started fromyour God has left the porch light onhowever late the hour, you’ll find the wayOh, welcome, then! back to the lightin from the dark of mortal strifeinto the house of gracewhere love lives, take your place Go in peace, you are loved, you are lovedGo in peace, […]
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You walked all night to meet your friendsas the waves washed the soles of your feetThey saw you far off; they screamed in fright“Is it real? It’s a ghost that we see!” Take courage my friends, it is I, don’t be afraidTake courage my friends, it is I, Lord of the waves” Lord, if it’s you, then ask me to cometo you now on the waves,” Peter said.You bid him to come; he left the boat;and he walked till he noticed the wind. Take courage my friend, it is I, don’t be afraidTake courage my friend, it is I, you can walk on the waves “Master, save me!” Peter criedas the waves pulled him into the deep.You reached out at once to hold him upas the waves washed the soles of your feet. Take courage my friend, it is I, don’t be afraidTake courage my friend, it is I, you […]
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O maker of the garden, hold these handsGive them the patience that they needto press the tiny seeds into the dirtand wait … wait … for new life to show God, you turn a burial into a seed’s new chance at lifeYou draw us from the darkness to the light O life within the garden, help these handsgive them the tenderness they needto feel the velvet petals of a roseand love … love … the new life that shows God, you turn a burial into a seed’s new chance at lifeYou draw us from the darkness to the light Hands that pray, hands that love, hands that serveHold these hands, help these hands, bless these hands. I wrote this song for the DASD class of 2004.More album notes, plus purchasing information. © 2004 Katarina Stenstedt
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You were sewing for mebolts and bobbins, scissors, fabric, bright debrisNo other project could fiton the table of my life while your work covered it You hold a dream, in colors you conceived for meimagined long agoAnd your thread holds across eternity — You were looking at meDid I see some mischief in your smile, some irony?And as your needle pierced the cloth,your plans were coming trueas all those plans of mine were lost…. I have never been so sure before that you were herebut I have never understood you less. You hold a dream, in colors you conceived for meimagined long agoAnd your thread holds across eternity — You’re still sewing for meyour ancient hands can find a place for every mismatched pieceheld within your loving gaze, one by one the pieces fitand nothing goes to waste You hold a dream, in colors you conceived for meimagined long agoAnd your […]
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Mary and Mary cried through that long, hellish nightAt last day was dawning, the grey dissolved in the lightThey ran to the grave. …where they were shocked by an angelwho shook the ground with his newsHis face sparked like lightning, flashing & blindingHe said, Don’t be afraid: Jesus lives, he lives – let his life spark life in youLet what is cold in you be warmed anewHe lives, he lives. Mary and Mary, still seeing spots from that lightTheir grief in crazy disorder – could that angel be right?He said, Don’t be afraid: Jesus lives, he lives – let his life spark life in youLet what is cold in you be warmed anewHe lives, he lives. So Mary and Mary, their blood still rushing with frightLooked in the tomb and saw nothing – could the dead rise to life?They ran back to town – And who had walked out to […]
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The starving were crowding him, he spoke of eternal breadHis very own blood and flesh – shocked, people leftBut he turned to the twelve to ask how they feltWould they leave like the rest? Then Peter confessed: You have the words of eternal lifeWhere else would we go? He left the crowds by boat, asleep in the stern he rodeAs light rain rose to a squall, he slept through it alland when waves swamped the boat, his disciples lost hopeWhen Jesus was sleeping, it was hard work believing You have the words of eternal lifeWhere else would we go? Through grief, through doubt, through deathwe can glimpse our eternal restThough questions aren’t resolved,with our small faith, we can confess: You have the words of eternal lifeWhere else would we go? Jesus, return to us; dig us out from the dustWe won’t need faith once we gaze in your faceOnce you […]
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