Bob Hurd

Bob Hurd has served as a teacher, composer, recording artist and liturgist in various pastoral and academic settings, including Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley and St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He currently teaches in the summer program of Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry.

He began composing music shortly after Vatican II when the need arose for new music in the vernacular, music that the whole assembly could sing. Thus began 45 years of composing music for the liturgy. Bob is also known as an early pioneer of bilingual and multilingual music, with compositions like "Pan de Vida" and Misa de las Américas. One of his latest offerings, The Bread of Your Word, includes eight songs for Advent, Lent, Holy Thursday, Easter season and Ordinary Time as well as the complete Santa Clara Mass. With songs that flow wonderfully like gentle streams, The Bread of Your Word offers music with a cohesive quality in terms of both melody and text.

Our Common Home was inspired by Pope Francis' Laudato Si' encyclical, with songs for liturgy and prayer from well-known OCP Publications composers who speak to themes of care for creation, poverty and solidarity. The collection is the brainchild of Bob Hurd who turned up rather empty-handed in his search for music that dealt with our responsibility to be good stewards of creation. After writing "Every Creature Is Sister and Brother," a song highlighting the connection between the Eucharist and environmental concerns, he decided to invite several composers to join him in writing songs based on Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home.

Bob’s book, Compassionate Christ, Compassionate People: Liturgical Foundations of Christian Spirituality (Liturgical Press, 2019) reflects his years of teaching, writing, composing and serving as a pastoral musician. In 2005, he received the Good and Faithful Servant award of the Southwest Liturgical Conference. In 2010, he received NPM’s Pastoral Musician of the Year award.

Bob lives in Claremont, California with his wife, Pia Moriarty, who has collaborated with him on much of his bilingual music.