A Christian Meditation Music Series

Our house at Azucena Street, in Olongapo City, was built in 1969 through the hard work of my dad and mom as government employees. Growing up there, I realized that music made that place a home especially when vinyl records (45s and LPs) are heard through our Radiowealth Stereo. These housemakers would dance the cha-cha, tango, foxtrot, and boogie. I tell ‘Ya they’ll beat the guys on today’s dance contests on TV.

At a time, I hear daddy singing along with Jerry Vale. And when mommy writes her lesson plan, she spins Patti Page Sing’s Americas Favorite Hymns LP. My interest in music grew out of listening to records. When I began to identify my kind of music, I played my Boston, Queen’s Rocks album, and Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water on the same stereo.

Looking back, I realized that the development of the sound recordings was sonic considering the sound of my folks’ vinyl and mine. In the final analysis, that old stereo trained my ears and gave me the savvy for aural satisfaction and fulfillment. My interest in sound recording production sprang from an appliance that was always on those days, creating the atmosphere I know as home.

My mother, Bienvenida Dumlao Azores, better known as Bening, should be 92 years old today! I can never give back all she has given to me. But as I remember her listening to her favorite album, Patti Page Sing’s Americas Favorite Hymns, I realized that she will be very happy to hear me perform some of those hymns for she has been my number one fan ever since. She wasn’t the kind who reminded me of spirituality and salvation. Instead, with her simple way of listening to these hymns while I was growing up, the words and melodies shaped my personality. I am assured that we shall “meet at Jesus’ feet” for the memories that these hymns inspired these personal renditions.

So, I have decided to release a series of hymns. It shall be called Hymns For Him: Christian Meditation Music Series (CMMS). It will be a collection of vocal renditions accompanied by an acoustic guitar and spiced up by some musical instruments or sample sounds to bring about a piece of meditation music that is soft to the ear and spiritually refreshing for Christians. More songs of worship for Jesus will be released one after another.

The first song which launches today on Mommy’s birthday, is my Auntie Aurora Dumlao Corpuz’s favorite hymn, In The Garden by Charles Austin Miles (1868–1946). While this was recorded at a time when Metro Manila was locked down with the resurgence of covid-19 in my bedroom, Erik Joseph Payumo patiently took my notes in mixing the digital tracks and mastering this first offering conveniently at his house.

Here’s the lyric video of In The Garden as created by Michael Perez Cagape. Please listen… prayerfully.