Watch Now: Live From Thomas Merton’s Hermitage

See the full band performing “Words and Silences” in November, 2022

A video still from Words and Silences performed at Merton’s hermitage.

Last weekend, I attended the International Thomas Merton Society’s annual conference. It felt strange to go to South Bend, Indiana, right after returning home from Berlin. But that is what I did, and I managed to find places of curiosity and beauty in such a vastly different landscape. It was fascinating to be among scholars and enthusiasts focused on the writings of Merton, and who were from all manner of disciplines: religious studies, sociology, artists, politics and advocacy, psychology, and even economics (this was particularly interesting, as the scholar was searching for ways to incorporate contemplative practices into economics, and was focused on Merton’s understanding of both, including his commentary on Marx, among others). 

While there, I presented a video of my album Words and Silences, performed live at Merton’s hermitage in November, 2022. This performance took place the day after the project’s premiere, and I took the entire band down with me to Kentucky (I already wrote about this experience, and you can read more about it here). Needless to say, it was a very moving and joyful experience, and it made me deeply appreciate the adaptability, camaraderie, and sheer raw talent in the members of the band: Katie Porter, Jeremy Woodruff, William Lang, and Phil Rodriguez (these musicians have incredible solo careers, and it is worth checking out their work).

Now, I would like to share these videos with you, too. I’ve created a Youtube playlist, where you can watch the entire performance in eleven sections. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this experience is the fact that we brought the recordings Merton made in 1967 back to the very room in which they were recorded. I was interested in this process for several reasons: first, it was fascinating to explore the room’s acoustics, and hear how Merton’s voice resonated there; second, the hermitage was often used as a gathering place for groups of writers and thinkers and contemplatives and artists (in fact, it was designed to do this) and bringing the band to perform there felt strangely appropriate; and most importantly, there was a feeling of return, of a project reaching full-circle, and of experiencing the haunting and moving qualities of simultaneously time-traveling back to when Merton lived there and of hearing a ghostly voice fill the room in the present so that we may perform alongside it.

So, I hope you can find time to watch these videos. I’m proud of how they turned out. A special thanks goes to videographer Kevin Davison, who did an excellent job filming and editing the footage. His use of multiple cameras and split screens also allowed a relatively small space to feel more expansive. We only had four hours at the hermitage, which turned out to be just enough time to set up, record the entire album/show, and pack up. The playlist takes you through the project’s structure in the same order as the album (which corresponds to the dates on the Merton tapes, in case you were curious). However, feel free to skip around, or find the videos that resonate with you the most (I am partial to “Breath, Water, Silence” and its stunning ending, where Jeremy/sax is soloing on three notes and ends together in harmony with Phil/trumpet — a beautiful moment). 

Ironically, we performed at the hermitage for no one other than ourselves. This, too, felt appropriate: what initially seemed foolish and a bit absurd became full of deep meaning and fulfillment. It was really a special day, because of the generosity of the monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani, and of the performing musicians.

The Words and Silences band at Merton’s hermitage. From left to right: Phil Rodriguez, Jeremy Woodruff, Katie Porter, Brian Harnetty, and William Lang.

Happy listening,

Brian