Books by Dale Harris

Books by Dale Harris
A Feast of Epiphanies

Though I Walk, A Novel

Daytime Moons and Other Celestial Anomalies, a book of poems

Second Wind

Second Wind
An album of songs both old and new. Recorded in 2021, a year of major transition for me, these songs explore the many vicissitudes of the spiritual life,. It's about the mountaintop moments and the Holy Saturday sunrises, the doors He opens that no one can close, and those doors He's closed that will never open again. You can click the image above to give it a listen.

The Song Became a Child

The Song Became a Child
A collection of Christmas songs I wrote and recorded during the early days of the pandemic lockdown in the spring of 2020. Click the image to listen.

There's a Trick of the Light I'm Learning to Do

This is a collection of songs I wrote and recorded in January - March, 2020 while on sabbatical from ministry. They each deal with a different aspect or expression of the Gospel. Click on the image above to listen.

Three Hands Clapping

This is my latest recording project (released May 27, 2019). It is a double album of 22 songs, which very roughly track the story of my life... a sort of musical autobiography, so to speak. Click the album image to listen.

Ghost Notes

Ghost Notes
A collections of original songs I wrote in 2015, and recorded with the FreeWay Musical Collective. Click the album image to listen.

inversions

Recorded in 2014, these songs are sort of a chronicle of my journey through a pastoral burn-out last winter. They deal with themes of mental-health, spiritual burn-out and depression, but also with the inexorable presence of God in the midst of darkness. Click the album art to download.

soundings

soundings
click image to download
"soundings" is a collection of songs I recorded in September/October of 2013. Dealing with themes of hope, ache, trust and spiritual loss, the songs on this album express various facets of my journey with God.

bridges

bridges
Click to download.
"Bridges" is a collection of original songs I wrote in the summer of 2011, during a soul-searching trip I took out to Alberta; a sort of long twilight in the dark night of the soul. I share it here in hopes these musical reflections on my own spiritual journey might be an encouragement to others: the sun does rise, blood-red but beautiful.

echoes

echoes
Prayers, poems and songs (2005-2009). Click to download
"echoes" is a collection of songs I wrote during my time studying at Briercrest Seminary (2004-2009). It's called "echoes" partly because these songs are "echoes" of times spent with God from my songwriting past, but also because there are musical "echoes" of hymns, songs or poems sprinkled throughout the album. Listen closely and you'll hear them.

Accidentals

This collection of mostly blues/rock/folk inspired songs was recorded in the spring and summer of 2015. I call it "accidentals" because all of the songs on this project were tunes I have had kicking around in my notebooks for many years but had never found a "home" for on previous albums. You can click the image to download the whole album.

random reads

36 reasons I'm glad to be alive (besides the obvious)

It's the big 3-6 for me today; not to get too reflective, but I started putting together this 36-item list of simple things I love about life. Harder than it sounds, but good for the soul.

1. The first snowfall of winter
2. The feeling of thaw in the air at the start of spring
3. The way herbs like thyme and basil leave their scent on your hands when you brush them gently
4. The way our dog is always in tune to the movement of the family as a unit
5. The sound of bagpipes being played off in the distance
6. Sleeping with the fan blowing and the window open on a cooling summer night
7. The poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins
8. Rain
9. Hunting for four leaf clovers with my kids
10. Tolkien's description of the demise of Smaug in the The Hobbit
11. Putting on a freshly-ironed shirt
12. The way a good cup of coffee relaxes and stimulates at the same time
13. Seafood
14. Playing Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring on the piano
15. The smell of fresh-baked bread
16. Being from Saskatchewan
17. The prayer of St. Francis
18. Draining a three-pointer
19. A properly poached egg and buttered toast
20. Waking up to the sound of birds singing
21. Leading the church in communion
22. Writing
23. Reading the work of aspiring writers
24. Building a camp fire
25. Canova's Eros and Psyche
26. Elixir guitar strings
27. Used book stores
28. Staying at a nice hotel room
29. Landing that shot in squash where you hit it against the back wall
30. Playing crib (especially with my Grandma)
31. Lentil stew and rice
32. Talking to children seriously
33. Reading N. T. Wright
34. Loading a moving truck (especially when it's not mine)
35.Reading in the tub
36. A good joke

3 comments:

Jon Coutts said...

Wow, happy birthday young old man!
Great list there. Some of that I'll have to experience for myself, or enjoy via your enjoyment. And I'm thoroughly glad to have been the victim of that squash one, since it means so much to you!

Anonymous said...

my stomach did flips as I read many of these . . . some I have no idea of - haven't read the poetry, for example . . . but coffee, squash, NT Wright,leading the church in communion . . . I now am appreciative of my own experience because of your reminders. My next b-day will be the big 3-6 too - for now I'll appreciate being way younger than you!

Clayton P.

Anonymous said...

Cool. I can relate to much of what you said.