Songs of the Saints Releases First Recording

In mid-March, All Saints Dallas released its first recorded song. “Be Thou My Vision” by Songs of the Saints is now available to stream and download wherever you typically listen to music. This is the first recorded song coming directly out of the church and done completely “in-house”: the singing, instrumentation, visual art, production, engineering and mixing.

Songs of the Saints will serve as an extension of the music ministry already happening at All Saints Dallas. According to David Belt, music director, “My desire is that we simply create music in response to the beauty of God and his work in our church family. I’m excited to see how the many different musicians, singers and artists will equip our church with beautiful songs to sing throughout our liturgical seasons and rhythms of worship.”

The lyrics for “Be Thou My Vision” were originally penned by an Irish poet sometime shortly after St. Patrick spread the gospel message to Ireland in the 5th century, thus the song’s release date just before St. Patrick’s Day. It was translated into English much later and was finally tuned to the Irish folk tune “Slane” in the early 20th century. It’s one of the oldest hymns that the Church can sing, and she is still singing it today.

The people behind the recording – by David Belt, Music Director, All Saints Dallas

I wanted the first song that we recorded as a church to include All Saints’ first and second music directors, Jay+ Wright and Ryan Flanigan. Their influence and fingerprints are all over our church’s music ministry and my own personal life. They have helped lay the foundation of musical beauty that we get to now build on. Nothing the Church creates is ever done in true novelty or isolation. Jay+ recorded the song’s piano part in our sanctuary, and Ryan sang on verse 2 and harmonized on the following verses.

The cover art for the song is by Tim Hudson, one of our own church members. You’ll notice themes of light, darkness, heaven and earth that correspond to the song lyrics.

Kissy Blanchat, Sunday service team leader for All Saints Dallas, made the logo for Songs of the Saints. Kissy describes her journey of creating it with her own words:

Simplicity, texture, whimsy and God’s Word were on my heart as David asked me to participate as a visual artist.

This collage is made from an assortment of white handmade cotton papers in a seven-layered expression of the All Saints logo. The Lord asked me to focus on the circular shape of the logo to point to his eternal design for us. Then he pointed out how it’s marked with a sort of floral cross at the center of a sort of bridge-like cross. At the very center of the floral cross, I imagined highlighting the names of God. I used a semi sheer handmade paper to list the names of God.

Then I wrote as many names as I could in white and yellow pastel pencil and white ink. As a sort of wink at the four Gospels, the name Jesus along with His names from Isaiah 9 were written in white ink on the four spheres between the cross and the circle on a textured off-white paper. Then, I imagined the wall in the All Saints sanctuary and saw a theme of bricks, and then the Lord showed me a picture in my mind of stones. The paper stones or bricks cut in various sizes “walk” the circle and approach the cross. May this collage bless your own walk as you call upon his glorious and majestic name, Jesus.

All Saints Dallas’ violinist, Rachel Bundy, recorded the string parts. Her music has accompanied us through many years of singing and worshipping together. The Advent Choir from December 2024, led by Bethany Ring, sings on the final verse with gusto! Jordan Combs, who serves on the worship and audio team each Sunday, produced and mixed this song. His creativity, expertise and vision for this has truly made it what it is.

Listen to “Be Thou My Vision” here.