Gentle Shepherd

Many of us yearn for quieter, more contemplative lives. Benedictine Father Tobias Colgan can't take us behind the sturdy walls of a traditional monastery, but his peaceful, prayerful music can.

Like its familiar title song, Gentle Shepherd strives to translate the spirit of Gregorian chant into modern idioms. It includes some of his best-known songs as well as versatile new compositions. Some tracks strongly evoke the flow and modalities of chant while others have a folk or an early-American Shaker flavor.

The arrangements for Gentle Shepherd are deliberately simple; the songs can be sung by any parish assembly. They include songs for Gathering, responsorial psalms, gospel acclamation, communion and sending forth, as well as morning prayer, evening prayer, and times of meditation.