What new collections and/or featured composers will our License Holders be searching for this fall?

Tim Hart’s debut album Pure Hearts features seventeen tracks for use in liturgy, prayer, and Religious Education.

Recorded and produced in his home studio and on-site at various schools, this album features the voices of Tim’s own children along with students and teachers from Catholic schools within the Wollongong diocese, NSW, Australia.

A central theme throughout this album is “family” and the love that grows there. Creating this album has been a sideline project to Tim and his wife Nicole raising a family of five children. For Tim, his family has been a place where he has experienced God’s love ever present in his life and it has been a profound source of inspiration for song writing and sharing the good news with others.

What areas of ministry can be supported by your music?

This album is the product of Tim’s experience working in a variety of ministries over the years including Religious Education Coordinator, spiritual formation leader, youth ministry leader, and parish music ministry.

As a result Pure Hearts is a diverse album with something for everyone in all forms of ministry. Tim thinks of this album as the Religious Education Coordinators Swiss army knife – a handy go to album with a variety of purposes.

The album cover is lovely. Can you tell us more about it? 

The title track for this album is “Pure Hearts” – a song based on the beatitude “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Chosen for the connection to “heart” and family name – Hart, although it is spelt differently. And for the “pure” goodness that exists in our Catholic school communities – in the teachers, parents, and students, who have been a large part of Tim’s journey, being such a life giving influence on the music Tim creates.

The album cover features people gathered together in community lifting their hearts to God, offering their hearts up to be made divine so they might love with joy and pureness. This is what we are all called to do. The use of different coloured people represents the diversity of culture and life that exists among our communities of faith from place to place. The bright colours are symbolic of the joy and hope that emerges from within a faith-filled community.

The guitar with the heart shaped sound hole is featured as the “Tim Hart” trademark. Tim is well known for playing guitar. His playing has inspired many of his students to take up the instrument and has brought joy and life to so many Catholic school communities.

We are thrilled to have you as a new Member Publisher. What top titles will our users now be able to bring to their congregations?

So far, some of the most popular songs used around Australia are:

Joyful Generation—This song was the winning entry for the 2017 Australian Catholic Youth Festival Theme Song Competition. The theme for the festival was, “Open new horizons for spreading joy” adapted from Pope Francis’ World Youth Day Vigil Address – 2017. With this song, Tim asked, what makes us joyful people? The lyrics explore this idea in connection with the risen Christ, who is merciful, whose salvation lifts our spirits, and gives us reason to be joyful people.

At the festival, Tim performed this song a number of times to crowds of twenty thousand. It was purely amazing! By the second day of the festival crowds of young people were singing the song in the streets of Olympic Park as they journeyed from place to place. The pilgrims from Wollongong made a dance to go with the song and it had caught on amongst other dioceses, with flash-mobs appearing every time it was played aloud over the speakers.

Upon the Altar – This is a beautiful offertory song featuring acoustic guitar and cello. The song emphasizes the place of the “altar” in the liturgical celebration of the Mass.

Be Still – The psalm “Be Still and Know That I Am God” (Ps46:10), adapted into a mantra style meditation, is used across the Wollongong diocese as part of the staff retreat prayer experience.

Pure Hearts – This song alludes to a moment in the Emmaus story where the disciples eyes were opened at the table of the Lord and their hearts set on fire. With pure intentions, and pure hearts, they were able to recognise Christ and in turn they received great strength and nourishment to spread the good news.

Psalms – This album also features two Psalms, one for ordinary time and another for Lent.

Tim leading worship for Catholic Schools Week

What titles will our users now be able to bring to their catechesis and Children’s Liturgies?

Do This – Intended for use during Communion, this song goes a little deeper and is useful in teaching a key doctrine as it recounts the Last Supper event when Jesus instituted the Eucharist. The simple chorus lyric, “Do, do, do, do, do this in memory of me” is instantly appealing to a young audience.

Thanks Be to God – When we are sent forth at the end of Mass we are instructed to “go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” “glorifying the Lord by our lives.” In this moment of the Mass we are reminded that we are called to be a sign of Christ through every aspect of the way we live. This is our “Mission.”

This upbeat recessional song featuring drums and electric guitar aims to capture the essence of being sent forth, leaving the church and going into the world as a sign of Christ for others, doing good works. The chorus also works as a resource for teaching children the response to the dismissal.

Good Shepherd – This Scripture is often a core part of the early learners’ curriculum. This song describes our relationship with the loving Shepherd. The use of African drums, maracas, and tone blocks aims to capture a desert-like shepherd field atmosphere. Listen carefully and you can hear the bells of the sheep ringing as they make their way back to the fold. The use of percussion makes this song ideal for engaging youngsters through music performance as they play along keeping the beat and counter rhythms.

Father & Child / Mother & Child — These two songs are very dear to Tim. The songs feature his daughter Eden who at the time of recording was three and four years old (respectively for each song). The songs capture that very special and personal connection between a parent and their child. This is not unlike our own relationship with God, who is often depicted as a loving merciful and protective parent. Used as a devotion to mothers and fathers (particularly on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day) these songs are sure to bring a tear to the eye.

What can our users look forward to from you in the year to come?

In 2019 Tim hopes to further put energy into creative ministries.

Following the momentum of Pure Hearts Tim will be working on liturgical movement video resources for teachers to use in the Religious Education classroom.

Tim will also be working on a second album.

Are there any other divisions, catalogs, or sub-companies with your publishing house that our license holders would recognize?

Tim Hart is part of the Butterfly Music Family established by Andrew Chinn and Friends.

http://www.butterflymusic.com.au/shop/by-artist/tim-hart

 

Two of Tim’s five children, Cecilia and Bede recording in the home studio.

Tim Hart – Biography

A family man, singer-songwriter, and primary school teacher Tim lives his Catholic faith through the vocation of marriage, music-ministry and Catholic Education.

Tim and his wife Nicole have been married since 2006 and have five children – Eden, Cecilia, Bede, Pascale and Bon. Family, music and faith are very much an interconnected aspect of Tim’s way of life.

Tim began his career as a primary school teacher in 2003. Since that time, Tim has held various classroom positions, teaching in a number of primary schools within the Sydney and Wollongong dioceses in NSW, Australia. Throughout his career, Tim has experienced various leadership positions, including the significant role of Religious Education Co-ordinator, a role that has given a depth of nourishment to his passion for faith, religious education and music. Tim also has experience working as an Education Officer for the Catholic Life, Education and Mission team – Catholic Education Wollongong. In this role Tim has supported the diocese in the areas of liturgy direction, spiritual formation, youth ministry, pedagogy in RE, and Mission identity.

Tim began song writing in high school composing songs to commemorate significant events and celebrations. When Tim began teaching in Catholic Education his gifts truly found expression serving the faith community, leading the music ministry at school and parish Masses, setting psalms to music for students to sing, and composing songs for use in the Religious Education classroom.

Sharing the gift of music has been a blessing in Tim’s life, providing a great sense of purpose meanwhile bringing joy to the school and parish communities he has journeyed with.

Apart from the incredible journey shared with so many Catholic school communities, some career highlights for Tim so far include: leading music ministry at WYD2016 – Poland, for the combined Cairns, Armidale, Toowoomba, and Wollongong group; composing the 2017 Australian Catholic Youth Festival theme song, “Joyful Generation”, and being a featured artist at the festival; and supporting the Australian Culture Mass at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress 2015.

 

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