"Hymn In The Valley" (feat. Ike Ozaraga & Anthony Feliciano) by Mary Oz: Finding Peace When Fear Draws Near
Peace and fear can share the same valley.
Mary Oz knows it well; peace and fear can indeed share the same valley. She wrote “Hymn In The Valley” as the ninth track on her upcoming album “A Side of Grief”. Mary shaped the song like an old hymn: gentle, repetitive, almost a melancholic shanty. She opens with her acoustic guitar. Anthony Feliciano’s piano slips in. Then Ike Ozaraga’s saxophone arrives, dancing around Mary’s voice through three interludes while soft strings wrap everything in warmth.
The song’s lyrics don’t pretend. “Sometimes troubles come,” Mary sings, “they won’t make a sound.” Later in the song, she faces the hardest truth: “Death’s a breath away.” Then she asks what many of us whisper in the dark: “Where is peace?” The answer follows a few lines later: “He’ll be here to stay.”
This answer is rooted in Psalm 55, written by David when anguish gripped his heart and fear pressed in on him from every angle. David didn’t hide his anguish and fear. He brought it to God and received a promise: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Look at that verb that is used here: “cast”. You don’t tiptoe up to God and politely set your burden down before Him. You may cast (throw) it! So what is gripping your heart and mind today? Name it. Share it out loud with God in prayer, in the morning, noon, and night, just like the song encourages you to do.
Peace may feel out of reach, but it’s never out of His reach! You weren’t made to hold grief alone, and admitting it isn’t a form of weakness. It’s where His strength begins.
Give the song a listen. Let the song carry what your own words can’t, breathe slowly, bring it before the Lord, and let your heart settle. “Lay your burdens down.”
(Related scripture: Psalm 55:22; Psalm 46:10; Matthew 11:28)
Background:
It's called Hymn in the Valley. It is inspired by Psalm 55. This very simple, gentle acoustic song is written like a hymn, repetitive, almost like a melancholic shanty, with a message that hopes to bring comfort as it reminds us that as death draws near, there may be fear, but Peace is here. This is the 9th song on my album, "A Side of Grief".
It starts simple with an acoustic guitar, slowly joined by piano. Then the saxophone joins in starting at the first of 3 interludes, soloing and dancing around the vocals, guitar, piano as a soft orchestral arrangement warmly wraps all elements together.
Release date: October 14, 2026
Connect with Mary Oz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryozmusic/
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/maryozmusic/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryozmusic
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/05w0yASPYbEZ05m1CWfF0p
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