Sacred Heart Playlist

Sacred Heart Playlist

We have created a collection of Mark's songs that mention the Loving Heart of Our Lord or have the Sacred Heart as its theme. These are the songs:

1. Home is Where the Heart Is

2. Forever

3. Carry On (live)

4. Jesus

5. Make Me Free

Make Me Free's first verse is directly based on the Sacred Heart Prayer that I memorized as a teenager after my conversion experience. Enjoy!

CLICK on this!

Sacred Heart Playlist on Spotify!

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

Ave Maria....

Ave Maria....

"Hail Mary" song Click this to listen!

Mike has worked up a new song version of the "Hail Mary" prayer on GarageBand. It's beautiful! In Latin, that is "Ave Maria". During the times of persecution, the earliest Christians used various monograms on the walls of the Roman catacombs where they hid. One of the commonest was the 'chi-rho', a 'p' over an 'x', symbolizing Christ, which most of us are familiar with, or the 'p' with an 'e' under it for the keys of St. Peter. According to archaeologist Margherita Guarducci, another popular monogram was an 'A' over an 'M', for "Ave Maria". The words of the Angel Gabriel were being used as a prayer even then. "The Almighty has done great things for me....all generations shall call me blessed...."

There are many wonderful versions of the "Ave Maria". We are happy to present one created by one of us, Mike McBride, that is pretty wonderful. Enjoy!

Peace & Love & JOY,
Mark LaJOIE!

“When He Came Into My Life" He set my heart on FIRE! 2017

“When He Came Into My Life" He set my heart on FIRE! 2017

c. 1978; left 2 right:  Mark Lajoie, Danny Gagnon, Chuck, Jimmy, Joline, Mike & Dave out of sight

"When He Came Into My Life" Click this to listen!

This is a VERY old song written by Danny Gagnon & Dave Bourque back at the very beginning in the 70's. Mike's been busy using GarageBand himself, so! I thought I should get off the snide and do something, too.

In the early days, Danny & his brother Jimmy Gagnon were in the group. Jimmy was our drummer for those first few years and also with our secular band which we called Siloam [another water reference; that became a problem to pronounce just like in that movie “That Thing You Do” where no one can figure out “The Oneders” is pronounced “Wonders” and not “O-need-ers”!]. Danny played guitar and sang and he really wanted to write songs, too. Dave Bourque seemed to help him every time (except for “He’ll Be There” which involved Beth Medeiros?) It’s funny because sometimes Dave and Danny could get testy with each other, too, but they did manage to write some good songs. The one song the group embraced totally and used extensively was “The Lord Will Come” and I sure wish we had that one on tape somewhere! It included an awesome bass line contributed by Dave and I think the dancers did something, too. I have one flash of memory of Danny singing that song for the Steubenville Youth Conference (1978?) and it was wonderful! It got quite a reaction.

I do have one song to offer in regards to Danny. I took one song he and Dave wrote and tried to write it up on the Noteworthy Composer midi program you see featured on this site. In the process, I altered the arrangement and presentation. I had always imagined a bass line in my head for this that was never actually done and that is what I put down here. In that regard it’s similar to “The Lord Will Come”: Gagnon melody, Bourque-like bass line.

I asked Danny if it was OK to use his song and he said it was. I like the simple emotion of the lyrics: ‘He really helped me when it was bad; He can help you, too’! That’s what Danny is still saying I guess in everything he’s doing now.

Enjoy!
Mark Lajoie

Mike & Mike Again!

Now...and then! Mike now with his daughter, Clio, & back in the day with Eddie McKay & co.

Mike & Mike Again!

Mike has been hard at work, not in the studio, but by himself now, using GarageBand. He is especially doing re-makes of our old Living Waters concert songs written by him. (Btw, Mark, now that he's done teaching, has also produced something new from something very old on GarageBand.) We thought it would be interesting to put the old and the new side-by-each and let everyone take a listen.

First, let's listen to one of my favorites, "You Were There". We have often - and recently - used it for our weddings. First, let's listen to a classic (shortened) concert version:

"You Were There (live)"

and, then, the new version! The lyrics are a little different:

"You Were There 2017"

Mike has also re-done "With You I Am" into a totally different style. Here, we have an old 'classic live' version from way back and the brand new creation!:

With You I Am (classic live)

With You I Am 2017

Mike has also done his own version of a "Hail Mary". He is on fire!! Stay tuned for more from him...and me!

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!