Irene O'Connor | The Red Pony Review #1

Sister Irene O’Connor: The Psychedelic Music of an Australian Nun

In the world of rare and unusual music, certain albums gain a cult following not because they were meant to be revolutionary, but because they turned out to be something no one expected. One such hidden gem is Fire of God’s Love, a 1973 album by an Australian nun named Sister Irene O’Connor. Mixing traditional religious themes with eerie reverb, hypnotic rhythms, and early synthesizer sounds, the album is a fascinating blend of the sacred and the psychedelic—exclusively in musical and aesthetical terms, not as a proponent of the use of psychedelic drugs.

Who Was Sister Irene O’Connor?

Sister Irene O’Connor was a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, an Australian Roman Catholic order. She dedicated much of her life to teaching and composing liturgical music, a path that eventually led her to the recording studio. During the 1960s, she spent time in Singapore, where she taught and worked within religious communities. It was there that she met Sister Marimil Lobregat, a fellow nun with whom she would later collaborate on her most well-known musical project.

The Making of Fire of God’s Love

By the early 1970s, Sister Irene had already been involved in recording devotional music, but Fire of God’s Love was something different. It was recorded in 1973 at the Catholic Radio and Television Centre in Sydney, with Sister Irene herself taking on multiple roles—composer, vocalist, and instrumentalist. Unlike traditional church music, this album had a distinctly modern sound for its time. Early analog synthesizers hummed beneath her vocals, while the production techniques created dreamlike atmospheres and intricate structures.

Although the recording process itself wasn’t elaborate—being a self-contained project without external producers or session musicians—the result was surprisingly innovative. Sister Marimil Lobregat contributed to the album, though the extent of her involvement remains less documented. The equipment used reflected the era’s early electronic experimentation, giving the album a sound that feels both timeless and ahead of its time.

The Music: A Blend of Devotion and Psychedelia

At first glance, a religious album from the early 1970s might not seem like a candidate for underground music fame. But Fire of God’s Love defies expectations. The album consists of six tracks, each steeped in liturgical themes but musically arranged in a way that resembles some San Francisco underground psychedelic band from the sixties.

The use of early synthesizers adds to the album’s mystique. In an era when electronic music was still largely experimental, hearing these textures in a devotional album is both unexpected and mesmerizing. The result is music that feels reverent but also avant-garde, as if designed both for the appeal of very traditional and devoted christians worshippers and record collectors drawn to the most obscure, eccentric and experimental music.

A Limited Release with a Lasting Impact

Upon its release in 1973, Fire of God’s Love had a modest distribution, mainly within religious circles connected to the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. There was no major commercial push, and it likely remained unknown outside of its intended audience for years. However, as the internet era dawned, music collectors and crate diggers began unearthing unknown recordings, and this peculiar album started gaining attention.

The reissue of Fire of God’s Love in recent years has solidified its place as a cult classic. Online music databases and forums have helped preserve its legacy, with fans praising its unexpectedly experimental nature. While some additional recordings by Sister Irene O’Connor exist from the 1970s and 1980s, none have reached the same level of intrigue as Fire of God’s Love.

Why Does This Album Matter?

In a world where music genres often stay within their expected boundaries, Fire of God’s Love is a reminder that creativity can emerge from the most unexpected places. Sister Irene O’Connor likely never intended to make an experimental masterpiece; she was simply creating devotional music with the tools available to her. But by blending sacred themes with forward-thinking sound design, she inadvertently created an album that still captivates listeners decades later.

Today, Fire of God’s Love stands as a unique artifact—a bridge between the religious and the psychedelic, the traditional and the avant-garde. It’s a testament to the idea that sometimes, the most intriguing music comes from those who aren’t trying to make history but simply expressing their truth with their available resources.