I first wrote about Fernando Ortega almost 30 years ago when I initially encountered his music in the late 1990s. That piece for Christianity Today (where I was serving at the time as associate editor) was titled, “The Hard Songs of Fernando Ortega,” noting his unique blend of plaintive supplication and staid hope in God that defied cliches and self-focus of much of contemporary Christian music of that era. His songs reflected the tension between real human sorrow and God’s faithfulness, sometimes using the lyrics of hymns and psalms, and more often summoning his own poetic renderings, painting a vivid picture of family life growing up against the backdrop of New Mexico’s magical landscapes.
His new single, “Every Time You Leave” (to be released July 31) continues those themes, though now from the vantage point of an older Fernando and one over whom life has worked its ravages. Co-written with Elaine Rubenstein and accompanied by the harmonies of Rachel Robinson, the song—in keeping with Fernando’s pattern of exploring family themes—springs from his post-divorce struggle to see his beloved (then) young daughter, Ruby, whose visits were brief and short-lived. The song captures the heartache of saying repeated goodbyes amid the agonizing rhythm of her coming and going, inevitably being left with only the gnawing silence after every goodbye. An invisible consolation comes, unsurprisingly, in the form of a sparrow (Fernando is an avid birder): “Our little sparrow at the window, is he checking in on me, looking in to see if you are here? . . . I know his song, his solitary tune, should be soothing as a gentle rain; things will turn around again the moment you come in . . .”
The melody is classic Fernando: plaintive without self-pity, elevating without sentimentality. His piano and supporting instruments are woven together in a way that allows the emotion to rise organically, neither maudlin nor contrived. The song builds to an emotional arc—the weight of those brief, precious visits—then recedes into the acquiescence of waiting until the next visit. It is not a resolution; it is a surrender that (knowing Fernando) is touched invisibly by God’s grace.
“Every Time You Leave” confers the dignity of honest human longing held in tension with unspoken trust in God. This new release is a gift to his devoted audience, as if to offer an update from a much-loved old friend.
~ ~ ~
Available July 31 on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and similar platforms.
For the latest updates, check his official site (fernandoortega.com), Instagram (@fernandoortegamusic), or Facebook (Fernando Ortega Music).