Hymns connect us to something larger: traditions spanning back centuries.

Each note carries a story connecting us to a higher power. The melodies lift our ears towards the sky, breathing life into the mundane. Folk musician Bob Stewart has reimagined 25 classic hymns in a beautiful new collection called Front Porch Sanctuary.

Growing up in Thailand as the child of missionaries, Stewart was exposed to all manner of sacred music. He’s been working on Front Porch Sanctuary for nearly 10 years, meticulously crafting the arrangements of these beloved songs. Collaborating with mandolin player Zeke Hutchinson on certain tracks, Stewart weaves and dances with Hutchinson until the two are one in spirit.

From the opening notes of ‘Tis the GIft to the Simple’, it’s clear Stewart holds these songs in high regard. His fingerpicking recalls the styles of Appalachian greats like Elizabeth Cotten or Merle Travis. Martin Luther’s incredible ‘A Mighty Fortress’ gleams with bright strings and country comfort. There’s a reason Stewart titled this collection Front Porch Sanctuary. When I close my eyes and listen, I can smell breakfast cooking and hear the whippoorwills chiming along in harmony. Stewart and Hutchinson team up for a splendid rendition of ‘Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing’. Even on the darker tunes like ‘Wayfaring Stranger’, Stewart’s guitar is filled with joy. There’s a light in his guitar playing that can’t be extinguished by the darkness of this world.

These hymns live in Stewart’s blood. It’s clear from each strum that he has spent years honing these arrangements. Front Porch Sanctuary offers us the chance to slow down and lift our gaze to the heavens. In this age of endless distraction, it’s beautiful to hear something so human and so present.

“My hope is that this music provides an escape from the madness.”

Do you have a favorite hymn?

Honestly, no. But that isn’t to say that there aren’t several hymns on this project that make for very special guitar (or guitar+mandolin) arrangements. ‘Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing’ is a good example of a hymn that works especially well for the two instruments. And ‘Tis the Gift to the Simple’ lent itself to a very guitar-friendly arrangement.

How did you decide which songs to add to Front Porch Sanctuary?

Hymn books are full of hymns that just aren’t long enough to develop into instrumental arrangements, so in the main it was important to select hymns that were more than a couple of staves of music. It also was important that we could find a variety of ways to play the hymns who that the verses didn’t repeat the arrangement again and again. I’ve heard a number of instrumental hymns that seem to fall into that pattern, which we wanted to be able to avoid. Also, the hymns needed to be familiar to give listeners a musical experience that would resonate with them.

What do you hope listeners take away from the album

We live in a time of political and economic chaos for lots of folks. My hope is that this music provides an escape from the madness, to give a person the chance to slip into neutral for an hour and just let go of their troubles for a spell. Maybe they’ll be able to re engage with the world with a calmer spirit.

Bob Stewart Website / Instagram