In my Week 38 entry for the VIBES Web3 Music Competition, I shared a solo piano performance of the timeless hymn “My Faith Looks Up to Thee.” Writing this as Ray Palmer in 1830, and set to the tune “Olivet” by Lowell Mason, the hymn has long served as a prayerful expression of faith, trust, and worship. I wanted to honor that tradition while bringing my own heart into it.
https://youtube.com/shorts/cpWawhshzks?si=rshTIBb_TEMG2AIi
The performance opens with soft chords, each held just long enough to allow space for reflection. As the melody unfolds, I subtly shift dynamics to accompany the lyrical plea—“take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly Thine.” With the left hand grounding the harmony and the right hand articulating the main tune, I sought to mirror the hymn’s prayer: sincere, vulnerable, hopeful.
Visually, the video is simple and reverent—a piano bench in a softly lit room, candles flickering on the frame. My focus remains on the keys and the expression in each phrase, as though speaking to God in song. Feedback from fellow VIBES contributors praised the intimate atmosphere and the emotional clarity of the delivery. For me, this performance was more than a contest entry—it was an offering of faith and trust, guided by a melody that has lifted countless faithful hearts for nearly two centuries.
My promo video: https://youtu.be/IiCoeX-u57o?si=QrjpC3-7DWwNGLc4