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

The Storm Before the Calm

In a previous post about my burn-out, I shared some thoughts on the difference between self-care and self-medication, and I alluded to the irony, that often when we neglect self-care, we turn to self-harm as a way self-medicating.  This is another song I wrote early on in the dark time, which sort of deals with all that.  Sometimes it's easier to say in verse what we can't say in prose.



The Storm Before the Calm

Here comes the adrenaline rush burning to my cheeks
Here comes relief from things that I haven’t felt for weeks
And it breaks across the sky
And it breaks against the skin
Like the lightning when it crashes to the ground
And the thunder rolls off ominously but it doesn’t make a sound

Here comes the whipping wind like a slap across the face
Here comes the fire storm that doesn’t leave a trace
And I’d stop it if I could
But it feels pretty good
And it feels even better when it stops
You wanna ride that fire storm all the way to the top
(of the bottom)

It’s the storm before the calm (don’t worry)
Just the storm before the calm
I know the hurt inside is a lousy way to feel alive
Ride that storm out till it’s gone

Here comes an answer to a question I didn’t ask
Here comes an answer tracing cracks across my mask
Cause the clay is wearing thin
And the heart behind the skin
Is fraying on the edges of my sleeve
There used to be a signal there but I don’t think
I can receive it any longer

It’s the storm before the calm (don’t worry)
Just the storm before the calm
I know the hurt inside is a lousy way to feel alive
Ride that storm out till it’s gone

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