Recorded in 2004 by outstanding musicians, who are now instrumentalists in some of the world’s top orchestras.
The aim of the release was to showcase a new quality of sacred music, focused on the coherence of instrumental accompaniment with the content of the sung Word. Judging by the album’s reach and the number of translations, the goal was achieved…
The music from the album “Mass of Mercy” exceeded not only the expectations of the publisher but also the composer, as it became part of the repertoire of the best choirs in Poland (including Musica Sacra, the Polish Chamber Choir, The Choir of The Centre for the Thought of John Paul II, Rondo Vocal Ensemble) and abroad. The compositions have also been translated into dozens of languages, including Syro-Arabic, Korean, Taiwanese, and Norwegian, to mention a few among many European languages.
In the year of its release, Paweł Bębenek had the opportunity to present this recording to St. John Paul II. Songs from this album were also used during the liturgy at World Youth Day in Kraków in 2016, attended by over a million faithful from around the world, and later performed at three concerts in Chicago in November 2016. An undeniable confirmation of the universal appeal of this music is its use by other denominations, including Protestant, Greek Catholic, and Orthodox congregations.
A prime example is the piece “Aniele Boży” (dedicated to the composer’s daughter Maria), which was wonderfully translated and sung by the St. Petersburg Metropolis Choir, the cultural capital of Russia.
Each track on this album has a unique creation story, and “Thanks Be to You, Lord” annually opens Europe’s largest worship concert in Rzeszów, One Heart One Spirit. Some of the pieces from the “Mass of Mercy” album have been used in various film productions, the most notable being the movie Johny, about Father Jan Kaczkowski. It’s worth noting that several compositions from this album have been published in well-known Polish hymnals: Siedlecki and Kościelny.