Skip to main content

"Be Thou My Vision" by Son Francisco: Updating a Traditional Christian Hymn for the Modern Times.


Originally, "Be Thou My Vision" is a Christian Hymn that traces its roots to Ireland and Scotland. It is one of the most popular Christian Hymns in the United Kingdom. It has been interpreted multiple times by contemporary artists, mostly retrieving the Slane tune. I've heard the different versions of the song, most notably the one interpreted by contemporary artist Audrey Assad. But Son Francisco's version is a breath of fresh air. Composed and arranged as a ballad/lullaby, it evokes a Leonard Cohen-type song (though on the softer side of rock). I mean, there are really no replacements for the solemnity and the purity of the original hymnal version. But this is the type of arrangement that you can bring out to the secular world and transform the song into a more modern version.

Son Francisco - Be Thou My VisionI love the subtlety of how Francisco attacks the opening lines of the song "Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my hear Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art…." It flows beautifully with the soft strum of the acoustic guitars without diverging too much from the solemn melody of the original version. The succeeding verses follow naturally from that lead, with breaks and transitions to the next verses being interspersed by Francisco's artistry. Those breaks are what make him own the song, wherein Son puts the stamp of his artistic input on the song, with just a mix of right timing while paying tribute to the original version. And as we head on towards the final minute of the song, Francisco is accorded some space to play around by incorporating modern musical instruments that range from electric guitars to synthesizers. This artistic expression makes this song a worthy version to crossover to modern times.

And why not? The Lord should always be first and foremost the source of our inspiration on how we should be able to live our lives. To see ourselves following in His footsteps and fulfill the promise that He prepared for us. And that is eternal life with Him.

(Related scripture: Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 3:5-6; Colossians 3:1; Matthew 6:33)

Connect with Son Francisco

Would you like to hear more CCM music? Then check out our Christian playlists on: https://www.christiandance.eu/playlists

Tags:

Popular posts

"How Glorious" by Red Letter Society: Why This Song Unites the Church

"How Glorious" by Red Letter Society is a Trinity-focused song that pulls you into worship. Written by Justin Tweito and Jordan West, the song calls us to return to the heart of our faith. The opening line, "How wonderful is the cross of Christ,"  draws us into praise.  The song invites us to repentance and faith, but more importantly, the lyrics magnify the Trinity: the Father's eternal plan, the Son's sacrifice, and the Spirit's ongoing work in us. The song celebrates how every part of God is involved in redeeming us!  Have you ever wondered how a song can feel so unifying? That's the beauty of this song! It calls us, the Church, to stand together in bold praise. Instead of focusing on what divides us, it points us upwards, looking to our God who is glorious in love, power, and purpose. It encourages us to see the love of the Father, the blood of the Son, and how it is applied by the Holy Spirit.  There's no abstract theology in this song… the ...
More >>

"Your Love" by Kevin Winebarger - When Mercy Becomes Your Identity

Kevin Winebarger teamed up with Joshua Frerichs and Benji Cowart to create this beautiful song. "Your Love" tackles that discouraging voice we all hear from time to time, the one that whispers that we're not enough and that we are defined by our past. "Once a liar, always a liar," and all kinds of variations along this same line of thought. This song isn't about wallowing in shame. "Your Love" is a celebration of the grace that changes everything.  The opening lines hit hard: "I could believe that I'm not enough // It's clear to see I don't measure up." Yep, we've all been there! But this isn't how God want us to be defined… He loved us first! "It's just what You've done // Because of Your love." That's the heart of everything.  Kevin places the change the God brings into perspective, "I could believe that my mistakes // Will follow me down into the grave // But I'm not who I was....
More >>