Pursue Me

Danielle Rose

This selection of country-tinged, folk-styled songs features gentle arrangements showcasing acoustic guitar and Danielle Rose’s pure, melodic voice.

The CD was recorded just days before Danielle entered a convent to discern a religious vocation. Its theme is the potent biblical metaphor of God as the great lover in passionate pursuit of the human soul.

This theme is heralded in the opening track, “In the Silence of the Heart”, drawn from the beautiful words of Hosea, chapter 2: “But now listen, I will allure her. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her heart …”

The content of most other songs is similarly drawn directly from Scripture, including “Wonderfully Made” (Psalm 139) and “Anointing at Bethany”, which expresses an ecstatic love for God in terms of the woman of Bethany’s lavish anointing of Jesus with perfume.

The CD’s concluding song, “Gates of Heaven”, written and sung by Danielle’s father, Dan Skorich, poignantly evokes a parent’s complex emotions on relinquishing a child to the religious life.

The songs on Pursue Me do have a similarity of sound that tends to deflect highly focused listening, but this allows development of a serene ambience that soothes the tired or restless spirit.

Attractively designed liner notes include lyrics, striking photographs and reflections on discerning a religious vocation. All royalties from sales of the CD go to support vocations to the religious life.

Danielle herself has since left the convent, identifying her calling as the sharing of a musical gift that is richly evidenced by this CD.

Katrina Samaras