The Mater Dolorosa Project (Sangtuary Records) is a philanthropic recording project with proceeds going to feed, clothe and provide free music education for children through the various missions of Sangtuary Church. The Mater Dolorosa, or Sorrowful Mother, appeared first in the 13th Century Christian hymn Stabat Mater which draws its imagery and theological foundation from Simeon’s prophecy in Luke 2:35 where he tells Mary “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  His words are considered the foundational first of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.

In our present day, it serves as a visceral reminder of the suffering of women and children, a topic which had long occupied the mind of the creator of the project, Tatia Rose who serves as Deacon at Sangtuary. “It had been placed on my spirit while I was teaching a young piano student the Ave Maria. I had a vision of this song touching the world and bringing everlasting support to programs that could help children. After some meditation on the matter, I chose the Vladimir Vavilov version for its close proximity in feel to that of the Stabat Mater and there the Mater Dolorosa Project was born.” The Ave Maria differs from the Stabat Mater in the timeline of prophecy. It is the prayer rooted in the Archangel Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:28-33) where he foretells of the birth of Jesus and the favor God has found with Mary. It is the beginning of her journey, and rightly the first song in the project.

The song was produced by 4 time Grammy Winner Tommy Sims, arrangement and piano performance by Tatia Rose, cello performance by Cremaine Booker and vocals by Lenesha Randolph. The instrumental track was recorded at the Fisher Center on Belmont’s Campus in Nashville with vocal tracking at Covered Bridge Studio. Photography for the record took place at The Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville (Misfit Studios International).