A group of musicians recorded 22 of Sister Aimee’s original songs, and they are now available to download.
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Aimee Semple McPherson, known for staging original theatrical dramas and oratorios in Angelus Temple, wrote five operas and more than 200 songs and hymns.Years after Sister Aimee’s death, a group of musicians including vocalists Aleta Phelps, David Hotopp and Wil Keene recorded 22 of these original songs, and now they are available online for free download.
The Songs of Aimee Semple McPherson was originally released as an album in 1990 produced by her son, Rolf K. McPherson. The collection includes arrangements by Jonathan Neal, and the musical talents of Tom Keene and John Wackerman.
Titles range from ballads, such as “Castle of Broken Dreams” and “Blue Monday,” to more worshipful anthems, such as “All Hail Thou King” and “Enter His Courts With Singing.” In between, there are more jazz/gospel-inspired tunes, such as “Over Yonder” and “I Ain’t Gonna Grieve.”
Focusing on Sister Aimee’s evangelistic roots in the mission field, this collection also features “Our Brother’s Keeper,” about the call to take Christ to the world, and an appeal to Christian service in the song “Building for Tomorrow’s Sunrise.”
For many, these tunes will be an interlude down memory lane. And for an entirely new generation, these songs will provide a momentary musical glimpse into the past of The Foursquare Church and its founder—and perhaps a source of inspiration for the future.
