These priests sing as a hobby

MANILA, Philippines - Father David Delargy was in high spirits. His fellow Irish, Fr. Michael Sinnott, just got his freedom after being kidnapped in Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur.

“We’re delighted over his release,” Fr. David said during an exclusive phone interview. “We’ve been following the news and praying for his safety.”

Fr. David, like Fr. Sinnott, is Irish. But unlike the freed Columban missionary, Fr. David — together with fellow priests Eugene O’Hagan and Fathers Martin O’Hagan — have turned their debut album into a worldwide hit.

The trio, also known as The Priests, now holds the Guiness World record title for releasing the “Fastest-selling UK Debut for a Classical Act.” Time Magazine has devoted pages to them. The trio has played in venues around the world, playing live before 3,000 people in Sydney and 6,000 persons in a homecoming gig.

 The president of Ireland and The Prince of Wales have personally invited The Priests to perform for them. They are, in other words, certified stars.

The best part of it all is they don’t behave like one, and have no plans of behaving like one.

“Fame is not something we give much importance to in our day-to-day life,” says Fr. David. The guy is so soft-spoken you wouldn’t think he and his colleagues’ album has sold two million copies in more than 40 countries.

Nothing has changed for him. He’s still the same shepherd of his flock who “sits at my desk and does everything I did before” at the Church of St. Joseph and Church of St. Peter the Rock. After he goes on tour with Fathers Eugene and Martin O’Hagan to promote Harmony, their second album, Fr. David will still be singing the hymns himself for the traditional Christmas Masses.

The only sign that The Priests has hit the big time lies in the making of Harmony (released by Sony Music). The three fathers went to the famous Abbey Road Studios and liked what they recorded there.

Mike Hedges, who has worked with U2, produced Harmony. The trio also had a free hand in choosing the tracks.

“Harmony is similar to our first album. It also contains sacred songs. Among them are such staple sacred songs as Amazing Grace and Silent Night, which people are familiar with,” relates Fr. David.

This time though, they went out of their way to compose a song, King of Kings, on the piano.

“It’s inspired by a prayer called Divine Office which nuns and priests usually sing,” states Fr. David. “I played the melody on the piano and Sally Herbert did the orchestral arrangement.”

Don’t take this as a sign that the priests are looking at songwriting as a third career.

“Composing takes a lot of time,” observes Fr.David. And the last thing he — and his colleagues — want is time away from their respective flocks.

That’s why they’re not that concerned about Harmony duplicating the success of their debut album.

“I don’t feel any pressure about measuring up to the first album’s success. I have no expectations about this one. The fact that the first album was a success is but a bonus,” he muses. “This is not our livelihood.”

Their main concern lies not in the here and now. It’s in the life after.

That’s why they see their albums as mere adjuncts of their priestly calling. For this, they don’t mind taking time off from their religious duties and ministering to a bigger flock.

The trio has agreed to donate the staggering sales of the first album to building schools in Uganda, Cambodia and Thailand.

“We reached this decision after looking at requests from charitable institutions,” reveals Fr. David.

The kind gesture doesn’t end there. The priests are awaiting sales reports for Harmony to find out if they can again donate proceeds to charity.

In literally and figuratively blessing others, The Priests are blessed. Let’s hope — for the sake of those they plan to help — that Harmony will be as successful as the first album.

Nothing can be more apt, now that the season of giving and sharing is upon us.