Various scores, recordings, articles, and projects of note:
In July, 2025 I was notified that I am included on the Aquinas Institute of Theology “100 Alumni, 100 Years” list, in celebration of their centennial year.
A feature article on daily Masses and progressive solemnity appeared in the April, 2025 issue of NPM’s “Pastoral Music” journal. View a preview version of the article here.
In an article on commissioning new works, found in the November, 2024 issue of NPM’s Pastoral musician, I’m mentioned regarding the process of crafting music for a parish’s 150th anniversary celebrations. You can check out a preview of that article here.
The music ministry of St. Margaret of Scotland, where I am director, was featured in the November 1, 2024 edition of the St. Louis Review. Click here to read the article at their website, or click here to view the article as a PDF.
A feature article based on my recent Liturgical Press book, Incarnate in Word and Song, appeared in the June/July, 2024 issue of NPM’s “Pastoral Music” journal. View a preview version of the article here.
I was interviewed for an article, “On Music & Art as Prayer,” for the March, 2024 issue of The Aquinas Way, the alumni magazine of Aquinas Institute of Theology. View the whole issue online here, or a PDF of it here.
In Late 2023 had a short article published in GIA Quarterly based on my LitPress book “Incarnate in Word and Song,” discussing the relationship of music, preaching, and living the Word. Click here for more info on GIA Quarterly, or view a sample PDF here, in both English and Spanish.
In August, 2023 I had an essay published in Catholic Update (Liguori Publications) on liturgical music titled “Sing Well, Pray Twice,” discussing (rather briefly) the purpose and functions of liturgical music through time and space, through to present day. Click here for more info.
My composition “True Presence Now Among Us” was named winner of the 2023 Archdiocese of Detroit Hymn and Song Composition Contest in Support of the National Eucharistic Revival. Click the thumbnail for a preview of the tune and text, soon to be published by OCP. Click here to watch and listen to its debut performance at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, June 11, 2023. Additionally, the Detroit Catholic reported on the competition and the piece, read that article here on the web or via a saved PDF here.
In June, 2023, Living Liturgy for Lectors 2023 (from LitPress), a project I co-authored, was awarded an honorable mention in the 2023 Catholic Media Book Awards in the liturgy category.
In June, 2023, I was profiled at VoyageSTL. Read the brief article online here. A simplified PDF of the same is available here.
In October 2022, I was delighted to be part of an interview with composer Dobrinka Tabakova on St. Louis’ classical music radio station, promoting an upcoming St. Louis Chamber Chorus Concert with a world premiere Missa Brevis by Tabakova. Take a listen here.
In May 2022, I was nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction in the St. Louis High School Musical Theater Awards (SLHSMTA), as was the pit orchestra and the overall production (Oklahoma!), among several other nods.
Oddwalk (Shannon Cerneka and me) had a lot of fun at our “Fun and Humor” event at NPM 2021 in New Orleans. Here’s a spread of photos from the September 2021 NPM Pastoral Music Magazine highlighting the event.
In April 2021, two projects I collaborated on were named finalists in the 2021 Association of Catholic Publishers Excellence in Publishing Awards: The 2021 edition of “Living Liturgy” from LitPress in the “Resources for Liturgy” category, and “Fill Us, O God” (published by WLP/GIA) in the “Song of the Year” Category. You can find out more about them on the My Books and Publications and Recordings pages of this website.
In February, 2021 I had a short article on the Psalms (history, context, usage) published at Simply Liturgical Music. Click here to view an archived PDF of it.
In January, 2021, I was quoted in an article from the National Catholic Reporter, covering the USCCB document on Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church. Click here to view a PDF of it.
In November 2020, I was invited to give a 30 minute concert as Part of NPM’s lunchtime concert series, with the help of Shannon Cerneka and Kate Basi. You can watch it here.
In Summer 2020, I and friends Shannon Cerneka and Kate Basi. were honored to present an event at the virtual NPM Convention, “Living Waters: Let Mercy Flow” — an hour of music, scripture, stories, and prayer. Learn more about it here.
NPM Pastoral Music Journal, 2020 – I had a brief article published in the April, 2020 edition, describing the successful annual “NPM Epiphany Festival” I have been organizing for our local chapter and branch. Click here or on the thumbnail to view a PDF of the article.
Sts. Joachim and Ann, 2019, “A New and Glorious Morn” — A CD of Christmas music from the parish’s various ensembles. One sample (piano improvisations from me) below, more samples at: https://stsja.org/our-cds
In 2019, I was featured in the WLP AIM magazine. Click here or on the thumbnail to view a PDF of the article.
The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus asked me to write an encore for their 2018 Christmas Concert: an arrangement of SLANE with a new text written by me. It was then recorded by the SLCC for their Spring 2020 CD, titled “St Louis Premieres.” Preview the track and the whole album on YouTube, Spotify, or iTunes (and lots of other places). Read the Gramophone review at their website or archived here as a PDF.
I was commissioned in the fall of 2018 to write a few songs and some incidental music for a production of “The Imaginary Invalid” at Chaminade College Prep in Creve Coeur, MO, where I assist with liturgy and drama.
In 2018, Oddwalk recorded some new audio as a resource for a book of prayer services we authored. Two of these pieces are below: an instrumental of an original hymn by me, “Watching for the Lord,” and my arrangement of “What Wondrous Love is This,” performed by Shannon Cerneka and me.
For more information on my arrangement of the Israeli song “Lo Yisa Goy,” commissioned by Ben Silvermintz and Parkway Central High School’s Standard Time Vocal Jazz for the January, 2018 Missouri Music Educator’s Association Conference (and featured in a 2023 Missouri ACDA Summer Conference reading session), please click here!
Sts. Joachim and Ann, 2015, “Mother of Mercy” — A CD of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary accompanied by piano improvisations (my own) on Gregorian Chants. One sample below, more samples at:
https://stsja.org/our-cds
Oddwalk, 2015, “Mercy at Work” — 12 original pieces of faith under the name Oddwalk Ministries (for use at youth events, worship, etc.) by myself and Shannon Cerneka (or by us both). Both a CD and a guitar/vocal songbook available.
https://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog/lyrics-audio/mercy-at-work-lyrics-audio/
https://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog/merchandise/
In 2015, Bradley J. Behrmann and I completed work on a full length musical based on the book of Esther titled “Just Pretend” (with a few minor edits in 2016). It had its world-premiere at Youth Sing Praise 2015. It is available for other performances! Audio, video, score, and libretto samples available!
In 2014, I had a setting of “Canticle: Isaiah 40” premiered at Thursday Morning Prayer of the NPM Convention in St. Louis, MO. Video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyFl7rhww5A
A song by me and Shannon Cerneka, “We Will Go, Lord” (from the “Walk Away Different” collection above) was recorded by the music ministry of St. Margaret of Scotland on their CD “Be Still and Know” in 2013.
My song, “My Name is I Am” (from the “Walk Away Different” collection above) is included on the CD of the parish music ministries of Sts. Joachim and Ann on their 2013 CD “I Will Bless and Sing.” Audio samples at:
https://stsja.org/our-cds
My voice is on several recent recordings of the St. Louis Chamber Chorus. A simple, uncredited arrangement by me of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” may be found on the Christmas From St. Louis collection (2011). The arrangement is available for downloading from my “Freebies” page.
In 2011, my Mass setting, “Ever Ancient, Ever New” (unpublished) was featured as a part of a DVD on the texts of the new missal translation, “Praying the Mass Today,” produced by Oblate Media and Communications (no longer in business). The full Mass setting is available for downloading from my “Freebies” page. A sample of the video which features my Glory to God may be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8MmQSWlKFU
I wrote the soundtrack for a short film by Allan Piper – filmed and scored entirely on iPhones – titled “U Snd Me” and which was a part of the 2011 New Media Film Festival. View the film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gv5n8LUSGs
Publisher website bios:
OCP (Oregon Catholic Press):
— Orin Johnson
https://www.ocp.org/en-us/artists/100000/orin-johnson
https://ocpmusicpub.com/music/orin-johnson/
GIA Publications:
— Orin Johnson:
https://giamusic.com/bios/orin-johnson
— Oddwalk Ministries (me and Shannon Cerneka):
https://giamusic.com/store/artists/oddwalk
E.C. Schirmer (Galaxy Music):
— Orin Johnson:
https://www.ecspublishing.com/composers/j/orin-johnson.html
Simply Liturgical Music (SLM):
— Orin Johnson
https://slmusic.org/composer/orin-johnson-2/
View my pieces in the J.W. Pepper catalog here.
Older recordings from Oddwalk Ministries (2005, 2006, 2010):
https://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog/?page_id=4715
— and —
https://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog/?page_id=6002
Three CDs produced at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, featuring a few unpublished compositions and arrangements:
— Songs of Mary (2002)
— Songs of Healing and Hope (2002)
— Songs of Christmas (2003)
Orin Johnson 