Michael Daly’s passion for music is evident in every song he sings. His first album, Ireland From Glen to Glen, perfectly represents the best of Irish music over the last few centuries, while one of his more recent albums, Singing God’s Glory, offers Michael’s embodiment of spiritual songs of hope and inspiration. “Bless This House”, the seventh track on Singing God’s Glory, has been a beloved hymn and prayer in the United States for nearly 100 years, especially around Thanksgiving time.
“Bless This House” was written in 1927 by friends Helen Taylor and May Brahe. The two women wrote many other songs together, including “I Passed By Your Window” in 1916. Brahe was actually a very successful Australian composer who had more than 290 of her 500 songs published throughout her lifetime, with 248 of those songs under her own name. This made her the only female Australian composer to earn international recognition in the first half of the 20th century.
After Taylor and Brahe wrote “Bless This House,” it was recorded by tenor John McCormack, who also sang songs of Irish heritage. McCormack and other singers like Doris Day and Perry Como helped to make “Bless This House” a famous tune. It is now commonly associated with Thanksgiving and often used as a prayer since it emphasizes the blessings of a family’s home.
With lyrics like, “Bless this house, O Lord we pray, / Make it safe by night and day… / Bless these walls so firm and stout, / Keeping want and trouble out / Bless the roof and chimneys tall, / Let thy peace lie overall,” Brahe’s song is a true inspiration to help Christians be thankful for their blessings. The song goes on to say, “Bless the people here within, / Keep them pure and free from sin / Bless us all that we may be, / Fit O Lord to dwell with thee.” The words encourage hope, thankfulness, and faith.
Michael Daly offers his own beautiful Irish Tenor version of “Bless This House” on his Singing God’s Glory album. You can listen to his rich, warm voice convey this message of spirituality by purchasing the song or entire album on his website, www.michaeldalytenor.com.
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