Album Notes

A REVIEW...

I've been following Mark Mallett's career since his first CD, deliver me from me, debuted in 1999. Back then, the quality of the performances, songwriting and production were unmatched. Mallett began on a mainstream contemporary Christian path but more and more has turned to devotional, distinctly Catholic projects. His rosary CD Through Her Eyes: A Journey to Jesus broke new ground in presenting a devotional recording that was not only prayerful, but very artistically satisfying. The Divine Mercy Chaplet takes the same path but again breaks new ground by adding a much deeper dimension to the familiar devotion begun by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.

Mallett uses the stations of the cross to enhance the prayer and it is a brilliant stroke. Moreso, he uses the stations celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1991 which vary from the traditional stations. To many, following these stations will be a new experience and that in and of itself will breathe new life into the meditations for the divine mercy chaplet. The 15 stations are broken up into 3 sets. Thus, you end up praying the entire chaplet 3 times, with one station to meditate on for every set of 10 prayers said.

Mallett has composed a new Our Father that has one of the most accessible and singable melodies I have come across in a long time. He has also composed melodies for the opening Eternal Father prayer (a different melody for set of prayers) and the ending Holy God prayer.

Fr. Don Calloway, a young American priest whose dramatic and miraculous conversion story has been likened to that of St. Augustine's, recites the prayers.

Darcy Phillips has again composed beautiful original music scores for all the meditations; these scores really enhanced the meditations and made them come alive.

Mallett also provides several new songs on the themes of mercy, love and healing, and even throws in a beautiful 'unplugged' version of the first song from his first album, "Jesus, Set Me Free."

I found this project to be immensely soothing, healing and prayerful. I listened again and again and meditated on each prayer, each song. It's a wonderful companion for a long commute or drive. On this project, Mallett has truly achieved that intimacy and authenticity through his music that has the power to touch and change hearts.

Susan Bailey
Grapevine Magazine