The Blog.

Hey folks!  I wanted to do a quick update to let you know what’s going on with me. In just a few days, I’ll be moving to Wisconsin for college. Over the next few days, I’ll be finishing up my packing and everything, and doing all the things that need to be done before I … Continue reading “Personal Update”

I’m sure we all know the sound. The thunderous blast of the organ as stops are pulled out, the manuals are played, and the pedals are pressed. There’s nothing quite like it, and it’s the only instrument that can rival the volume of an entire orchestra—the sound it was meant to imitate, actually. But, how … Continue reading “Why Is the Organ Going Away?”

by Ashton Harat Not long ago in my church, one of the songs sung was Rejoice Hymns #106 – How Deep the Father’s Love for Us. As the second pianist, I know the song as a simple Eb reflective piece with an odd 5/4 – 3/4 rhythm (and a seemingly optional refrain.) But what makes … Continue reading “Thoughts on Modern Sacred Music”

By Ashton Harat — July 4, 2023 Well friends, if you live in the United States, we all know that today is a very special day. Today is the day that our great nation came into existence, some 247 years ago. On that stormy day in 1776, delegates from all over the colonies came together … Continue reading “Thoughts on Christian Patriotism”

Ideally, song schedules should be assembled with great care and attention to detail. And doing it well in advance is usually best. However, that is not to say that an effective service cannot be selected last minute. Let me show you a method of choosing songs that can be done in mere minutes, yet result in a meaningful time of worship for a congregation.

By Ashton Harat Hey folks! We’ve just released a demo recording of Praise the Triune Lord on our YouTube channel, ValleybrookTV. The tune of this song—NETTLETON—is the tune of Come Thou Fount, my Mom’s favorite hymn. Thus, it is fitting that we publish this video on Mother’s Day. Go check it out—we hope you enjoy … Continue reading “New Hymn Demo on YouTube”

By Ashton Harat We’re excited that the first episode of ValleybrookTV (our YouTube channel) is available to watch! And we have more videos coming out soon! In the video, I discuss what Valleybrook is and why we exist. I give a little of our history and purpose. I also talk a little about our vision … Continue reading “ValleybrookTV, Ep. 1 — Welcome to Valleybrook”

By Ashton Harat — March 29, 2021 The other day, I was getting in the car to take a drive, and I put on a pair of new sunglasses. I had never worn these before—they were a gift. The effect was pretty cool, and it made my surroundings more bluish than they actually were on … Continue reading “Salvation and Sunglasses”