Dan Schutte
Encyclopedia
Daniel L. Schutte is an American composer of Catholic
liturgical
music and a contemporary Christian songwriter
best known for composing the hymn Here I Am, Lord
(1981).
and graduated from Marquette University High School
before entering the Jesuits.
He was one of the founding members of the St. Louis Jesuits
who popularized a contemporary style of church music
set to sacred texts sung in English as a result of the liturgical reforms initiated by Vatican II.
He released nine collections with the St. Louis Jesuits
and a 30 year anniversary collection in 2005. Other members of the St. Louis Jesuits are Bob Dufford
, Roc O'Connor, John Foley
and Tim Manion. He left the Jesuit order in 1986.
His compositions are primarily written for liturgical
use, particularly in Catholic
worship. Some of the more notable include "City of God" (1981), "Only This I Want" (1981), "Blest Be the Lord" (1976), "You Are Near" (1971), "Though the Mountains May Fall" (1975), "Sing a New Song" (1972), "Glory and Praise to Our God" (1976) and "Table of Plenty" (1992).
Many Christian artists such as John Michael Talbot
and Amy Grant
have recorded his compositions.
He has also released ten solo collections through his publisher OCP
.
In 2006, he wrote the component of a major catechetical program for teachers on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola
and the use of music in prayer.
In 2009, Twenty - Third Publications released a new book "Walking the Sacred Path - Spiritual Excercises for Today". He continues to compose new music, write about spirituality and presents concerts and workshops worldwide on spirituality liturgy and music.
In addition to his Jesuit formation, he holds two masters degrees from The Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. He later studied music with the other members of the St. Louis Jesuits
under the direction of Fr. Kevin Waters S.J. at Seattle University
.
Schutte presently is Composer-in-Residence at the University of San Francisco
.
today. This music continues to have widespread success throughout the English speaking world, in spite of some critics of the post-1960's influence of folk music on traditional Catholic music.
Many of Schutte's compositions, often based on sacred texts, have found wide use.
A recent poll conducted by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians found among members that one of Schutte's hymns came in second among "songs that make a difference". In 2004, a similar survey conducted by The Tablet
, an international Catholic magazine, reported Dan Schutte's hymn, "Here I Am, Lord" as reader's favorite. Other polls conducted by major Catholic music publishers and copyright license requests show a similar trend that Schutte's music is among some of the most requested by pastoral musicians for Catholic liturgy
.
Around 2008, the United States Bishops Committee on Divine Worship, announced a new Vatican directive regarding the use of the name of God in the sacred liturgy. Specifically, the word “Yahweh” may no longer be “used or pronounced” in songs and prayers during liturgical celebrations" which affected the use of Mr. Schutte's famous song, "You Are Near". This directive however, did not include the singing the song in its original form using "Yahweh" for personal prayer or outside of "liturgical celebrations". The song his since been revised for liturgical settings.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
liturgical
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
music and a contemporary Christian songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
best known for composing the hymn Here I Am, Lord
Here I Am, Lord
Here I Am, Lord can refer to one of two hymnsThe first is composed by Dan Schutte in 1981 after Vatican Council II. Its words are based on Isaiah 6:8 and 1 Samuel 3...
(1981).
Biography
He grew up in Elm Grove, WisconsinElm Grove, Wisconsin
Elm Grove is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,249 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elm Grove is located at ....
and graduated from Marquette University High School
Marquette University High School
Marquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
before entering the Jesuits.
He was one of the founding members of the St. Louis Jesuits
St. Louis Jesuits
The St. Louis Jesuits, a group of Catholic composers who popularized a contemporary style of church music through their compositions and recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. The group, made up of Jesuit seminarians at St...
who popularized a contemporary style of church music
Church music
Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
set to sacred texts sung in English as a result of the liturgical reforms initiated by Vatican II.
He released nine collections with the St. Louis Jesuits
St. Louis Jesuits
The St. Louis Jesuits, a group of Catholic composers who popularized a contemporary style of church music through their compositions and recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. The group, made up of Jesuit seminarians at St...
and a 30 year anniversary collection in 2005. Other members of the St. Louis Jesuits are Bob Dufford
Bob Dufford
Robert J. Dufford, S. J. is a Jesuit priest, a former member of the St. Louis Jesuits musical group, and a composer of Catholic liturgical music...
, Roc O'Connor, John Foley
John Foley (musician)
John Foley, S. J. is an American composer of Catholic liturgical music and and a professor of liturgy at St. Louis University. Among his better known compositions are "One Bread, One Body" , "Earthen Vessels" , "Come to the Water" , "The Cry of the Poor" , "For You Are My God" , and the album...
and Tim Manion. He left the Jesuit order in 1986.
His compositions are primarily written for liturgical
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
use, particularly in Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
worship. Some of the more notable include "City of God" (1981), "Only This I Want" (1981), "Blest Be the Lord" (1976), "You Are Near" (1971), "Though the Mountains May Fall" (1975), "Sing a New Song" (1972), "Glory and Praise to Our God" (1976) and "Table of Plenty" (1992).
Many Christian artists such as John Michael Talbot
John Michael Talbot
John Michael Talbot is an American Roman Catholic singer-songwriter-guitarist who is founder of a monastic community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.-Biography:...
and Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
have recorded his compositions.
He has also released ten solo collections through his publisher OCP
Oregon Catholic Press
OCP is an American liturgical publisher based in Portland, Oregon. The not-for-profit company publishes liturgical music, books, choral collections, hymnals, missals, and support materials for the Catholic Church...
.
In 2006, he wrote the component of a major catechetical program for teachers on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola
Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, are a set of Christian meditations, prayers and mental exercises, divided into four thematic 'weeks' of variable length, designed to be carried out over a period of 28 to 30 days...
and the use of music in prayer.
In 2009, Twenty - Third Publications released a new book "Walking the Sacred Path - Spiritual Excercises for Today". He continues to compose new music, write about spirituality and presents concerts and workshops worldwide on spirituality liturgy and music.
In addition to his Jesuit formation, he holds two masters degrees from The Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. He later studied music with the other members of the St. Louis Jesuits
St. Louis Jesuits
The St. Louis Jesuits, a group of Catholic composers who popularized a contemporary style of church music through their compositions and recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. The group, made up of Jesuit seminarians at St...
under the direction of Fr. Kevin Waters S.J. at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
.
Schutte presently is Composer-in-Residence at the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
.
Recognition
- Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, University of ScrantonUniversity of ScrantonThe University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
, 1980. - Doctor of Music, Honoris Causa, Creighton UniversityCreighton UniversityCreighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
, 2006. - Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, University of San FranciscoUniversity of San FranciscoThe University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
, 2009. - The Jubilate Deo Award, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, 2011.
- Alumni Merit Award, St. Louis University, 1981.
- Distinquished Alumni Award, Seattle University, 1983.
- Numerous Grammy Nominations with The St. Louis Jesuits, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1980 and 2002.
- Song of the Year 2001, United Catholic Music and Video Association, Here, I Am, Lord.
- Number One Favorite Hymn poll by readers of The TabletThe TabletThe Tablet is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Contributors to its pages have included Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Paul VI ....
, 2004, I, the Lord of sea and sky/Here I am, Lord.
His music in contemporary Catholic culture
Schutte continues to be one of the most influential composers of contemporary Catholic liturgical musicContemporary Catholic liturgical music
Contemporary Catholic liturgical music encompasses a comprehensive number of styles of music for Catholic liturgy that grew both before and after the reforms of Vatican II...
today. This music continues to have widespread success throughout the English speaking world, in spite of some critics of the post-1960's influence of folk music on traditional Catholic music.
Many of Schutte's compositions, often based on sacred texts, have found wide use.
A recent poll conducted by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians found among members that one of Schutte's hymns came in second among "songs that make a difference". In 2004, a similar survey conducted by The Tablet
The Tablet
The Tablet is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Contributors to its pages have included Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Paul VI ....
, an international Catholic magazine, reported Dan Schutte's hymn, "Here I Am, Lord" as reader's favorite. Other polls conducted by major Catholic music publishers and copyright license requests show a similar trend that Schutte's music is among some of the most requested by pastoral musicians for Catholic liturgy
Catholic liturgy
The Catholic Church is fundamentally liturgical and sacramental in its public life of worship.-Liturgical principles:As explained in greater detail in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its shorter Compendium, the liturgy is something that "the whole Christ", Head and Body, celebrates —...
.
Around 2008, the United States Bishops Committee on Divine Worship, announced a new Vatican directive regarding the use of the name of God in the sacred liturgy. Specifically, the word “Yahweh” may no longer be “used or pronounced” in songs and prayers during liturgical celebrations" which affected the use of Mr. Schutte's famous song, "You Are Near". This directive however, did not include the singing the song in its original form using "Yahweh" for personal prayer or outside of "liturgical celebrations". The song his since been revised for liturgical settings.
Discography
- Neither Silver nor Gold (1973) St. Louis Jesuits collaboration
- Earthen Vessels (1975) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- A Dwelling Place (1976) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- Gentle Night (1977) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- Lord of Light (1981) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- The Steadfast Love (1985) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- Let Heaven Rejoice (1997) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- Lift Up Your Hearts (1996) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- May We Praise You (1997) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- Lover of Us All (1989)
- Drawn By A Dream (1993)
- Always and Everywhere (1997)
- Here I Am, Lord: Anthology 1970 - 1985 (2001)
- Glory in the Cross (2001)
- You Are Near: Music For Quiet Reflection (2003)
- Prince of Peace: Music for Advent and Christmas (2004)
- Morning Light (2005) St. Louis Jesuit collaboration
- All My Days: Instrumental Music for Quiet Reflection (2006)
- One Lord of All (2007) St. Louis Jesuits Instrumental collection
- God's Holy Gifts (2008)
- Table of Plenty: Anthology 1985 - 2000 (2008)
- Here I Am, Lord: 30th Anniversary Edition (2009)
- Companion music for Walking the Sacred Path (2009)