This Is the Day (Este es el día)

Author: Pablo Sosa

Pablo Sosa (b. 1933 - d. 2020) grew up and was educated in Argentina, the U.S. (Westminster Choir College), and Germany. For years he pastored a large Methodist congregation in Buenos Aires, Argentina while composing songs, leading choirs, editing hymnals, producing religious broadcasts, and teaching liturgy and hymnology at a seminary. Meanwhile, life in Argentina pushed him to question his assumptions about what’s best for congregational singing. During Argentina’s “dirty war,” two young women from his church were disappeared, possibly for working among the poor. As Catholic and Protestant churches hesitated whether to speak out, remain silent, or support the government, many people lost faith. Economic meltdown after the war… Go to person page >

Translator: Mary Louise Bringle

(no biographical information available about Mary Louise Bringle.) Go to person page >

The author/composer has incorporated elements of his Argentinian culture in this dynamic paraphrase of Psalm 118. In particular, the melodic patterns of the refrain are intended to suggest the way cowboys (gauchos) greet each other when they ride out to their work in the morning.