Dove Awards-winning singer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and storyteller Fernando Ortega has been weaving his own story alongside the great hymns of old for three decades. Known for reimagining timeless works in the Church’s extensive history for an entirely new generation, Ortega’s first collection in four years, For All The Saints, is a five-track EP offering newly minted songs for the Church to sing. The recording is available now at digital and streaming outlets internationally via www.fernandoortega.com and https://linktr.ee/fernandoortegamusic.
Co-produced by Ortega and Matthew Tobias and engineered and mixed by Russ Long (Newsboys, Tenth Avenue North, Keith & Kristyn Getty), For All The Saints draws from a deep well of rich, time-honored theology accented by a colorful sonic palette.
“When we’re singing hymns, we’re singing words that were likely written by a very theologically minded person with a poetic sense,” muses Ortega. “There are so many hymns that are not really sung anymore; they’re, by and large, just not known. So I like bringing those hymns back. These hymns also bind us together in a transcendent way with generations of Christians who have gone before us.”
The EP opens with a bright, fresh rendition of the traditional “Gloria” that gives way to “Jesus, Bread of Life,” a soundtrack for holy moments of communion, followed by the joyful “Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Your Hearts” and “How Can I Keep From Singing,” a centuries-old Shaker hymn Pete Seeger made famous in the ’60s. The project’s title cut serves as the closing benediction. Staying true to the original lyrics, Ortega wrote his own melody.
“I remember hearing that song for the first time in an Anglican church in Boston where Elisabeth Elliot used to attend. The text was so moving,” he reflects. “Later on, I heard N.T. Wright talking about hymns, and he cited ‘For All The Saints’ as one of the most complete theological thoughts. So much of the Christian theology is contained in this hymn. I’ve always wanted to record it.”
A resource for congregations looking for an organic way to reintroduce hymns into their contemporary worship services, For All The Saints gives believers of various denominations new choruses to sing. It also continues Ortega’s beloved tradition of preserving hymns for a new generation.
“The main thing I’d love to see happen with these songs is that they would make it, somehow, into the canon of songs the Church sings,” Ortega says. “I hope these songs will help people — bring them hope, lift them up, bring them joy, and bring Christians together.”
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