More than a hundred years ago, a well-known Protestant preacher, Dwight L. Moody, shared a story of a ship trying to enter the Cleveland harbor on a very stormy night.
The ship’s captain could see the bright light of the Cleveland harbor lighthouse. However, the lower lights weren’t visible at all. The lower lights were the way that ships identified the centerline of the safe entry to a harbor.
Because the lower lights were not burning that night, the ship missed the entrance to the harbor and crashed into rocks. Many lives were lost.
At the end of his sermon, Moody said, “Brethren, the Master will take care of the great lighthouse; let us keep the lower lights burning.”
Philip Paul Bliss was inspired from Moody’s sermon to write the hymn “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy.”
A group of more than 40 musicians was also inspired by this story and decided to name the group “The Lower Lights.” They also included Bliss’ hymn on their new album.
Paul Jacobsen, a member of The Lower Lights, said, “In the metaphor, Christ is obviously the lighthouse, and we (not just our group, everybody) are responsible to be the lower lights. We hope we can help people rediscover the hymns and maybe hear them in a context that resonates with them.”
The Lower Lights got together in October 2009 to reconnect to the hymns in new, personal ways. They captured them in the studio so others could rediscover these hymns as well.
“The truth is that we simply set aside five days in the studio and invited people to come down when they could make it," said Scott Wiley, a member of the group who also produced its album. "We didn’t know which songs we would record; we didn’t have any notion of what the exact instrumentation or arrangements would be. At the end of those five days, we had 30-plus songs recorded, at which point we began the painstaking process of narrowing them down to one album. ... Any vision we may have had before recording was simply to be sure we captured the spirit of the song and did our best to perform it with the reverence and enthusiasm it deserves,”
The debut album, “A Hymn Revival,” is exactly that — 15 heartfelt revived hymns with fresh voices and organic instrumentation.
As I’ve listened to this album, I’ve rediscovered the messages of these hymns, and the messages have become more meaningful in my life.
Ryan Tanner, another member of group, said, “When we were figuring out how to record and sing these songs, I gained a much deeper understanding of the words. They are such well-crafted songs; the melodies are so beautiful.
“The reason we did this project was to get people singing and thinking about these songs. I think the connection to the hymns ran deeper in the early church. They would sing for comfort and strength from God. It was something that brought people together. Today (some of us) get a drink or skip out during the last song. I don't think these songs were ever meant to be taken lightly.
“There is something that happens when you lift your voices in song together. Music will heal us, music will comfort us, and music will teach us if we (will) sing. This project has made me a firm believer in this."
Through these beautifully revived hymns, The Lower Lights is inspiring others to rediscover the messages and power in these hymns.
The Lower Lights is playing a show on Nov. 20 at the Post Theater in Salt Lake City. Keep your eyes out for the release of a documentary in early 2011 about the process of recording and starting the group. For more information, visit thelowerlights.com.