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December 2003 Table of Contents
Musical Insights
An Interview with Robert Sterling and Deborah Craig-Claar
TC: The two of you have teamed up several times before for Word - giving us dramatic musicals like The Christmas Post and One Voice, and narrated works like At the Name of Jesus and last year's big Easter work, A. D. But The Resurrection and the Life appears to be something different altogether.
RS: That's right. It's a collection of some of the most dramatic scenes from the life of Christ - each with a carefully chosen song to amplify the drama of the scene. For anybody who does a Passion Play or Easter Pageant, we hope this book will become a mainstay for them - a resource they can go to year after year.
DC-C: The title, The Resurrection and the Life, is a fairly accurate description of the book's contents. There are eight musical scenes from the final week of Christ's life, including the Triumphal Entry, the Last Supper, Peter's Denial, several songs chronicling the Crucifixion sequence and, of course, the discovery of the empty tomb. We've also included four "bonus" numbers depicting events from Jesus' ministry: the baptism, calling the disciples, a teaching scene with children, and an extended healing sequence.
TC: So where exactly did this idea come from? Why this sort of book?
RS: This is an idea that DC-C and I have talked about for years. Every year we both hear from music ministers around the country that are looking for new, exciting music that can be used dramatically in their seasonal productions.
DC-C: I can remember many Easters when my minister of music was frantically searching for a "Gethsemane song"...only to discover that it wasn't long enough to accommodate the full garden arrest, or a song for the Resurrection sequence that was written in present tense with solos for the women and disciples who discovered the empty tomb. These songs seem few and far between, and as more and more churches discover the extraordinary power of visual communication and desire "show" and not just "tell," the more these songs will be in demand. To be honest, I found myself thinking, "If I had a ‘wish list' of musical scenes to help build an Easter production, what would it include?" And that pretty much became the outline of the collection.
TC: I'm looking at the list of songs and noticing some old standards in the list of titles - sprinkled in with some new material. What made you decide to use those songs?
RS: You mean like, "In Remembrance?"
TC: Exactly.
RS: The song list was mostly Deborah's doing. She was writing all the drama for the songs - so she had to be confident that the songs would work well in that capacity. She let me have a vote - but I think I went along with pretty much all of her suggestions. This means either I have a lot of confidence in her judgment - or I'm afraid to cross her.
DC-C: (laughing) And now you see why we've been able to work together all these years! My decision to use some "old standards" had largely to do with the tremendous emotional power they carry with an audience. For instance, think how moved you are whenever you hear "Amazing Grace" or even "The Star Spangled Banner." It goes beyond the quality of the song itself; it touches a lifetime of memories and a very deeply felt communal history. A song like "In Remembrance," which is over 30 years old, has three decades of ministry behind it. All I tried to do was put the song in a unique setting and use it theatrically. The Holy Spirit does the rest.
TC: So, RS, what was it like to do such a unique treatment of "In Remembrance" or "Shout to the Lord" - or even "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?"
RS: I love to arrange and orchestrate songs when there are no preset expectations. Each of those songs is so familiar to congregations, that I felt free to take them someplace new - someplace different. That's always fun.
TC: And the new songs - did the two of you write them?
RS: Mostly. We especially wanted to create new, expanded numbers for the Triumphal Entry and the Resurrection. But there are others who contributed to this project - Claire Cloninger, Scott Krippayne, David Hamilton. My wife, Cindy, co-wrote one of the songs with me - "Thy Will, Not My Will" - from an early musical of mine called The Choice. DC-C had me rearrange it, and add the music for the Garden Arrest sequence. I think that scene worked out particularly well.
DC-C: I think so too. That scene is one of the most dramatic in the Easter story and hence has many staging challenges. RS did a great job of creating the necessary momentum and build, yet allowing time for all the action that must occur. I also think that RS's new song, "Take Me Down," is wonderful. It's a haunting, Celtic dirge that was created to accompany the lowering of Christ's body from the Cross, the sorrow of His mother, and the removal of the body to the tomb. It is a uniquely powerful event and the song captures the mood perfectly.
TC: Any other song or songs in particular that became your favorites?
RS: I have always loved "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." It was a privilege and a challenge to arrange it for this project. The last verse of that hymn blows me away every time - gives me goose bumps. I wish I could say it is my brilliant arranging. But the truth is - those words and melody are one of the great musical marriages of all time.
TC: There is something vaguely familiar about the opening theme of that arrangement.
RS: DC-C and I are both huge fans of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." The opening statement and the coda are my little salute to that marvelous piece of music.
TC: What about you, DC-C? Any favorites?
DC-C: I must admit that my favorite scene is the healing sequence. I have long felt that Darlene Zschech's classic worship song, "Shout to the Lord," would provide a stunning musical framework for one of Christ's public healings. I chose the events from Luke 8:40-56, which include the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, directly followed by the raising of Jairus' daughter. This allows the song to be interpreted in two very different ways: first, as a tender, personal expression of faith, delivered directly to Jesus, and then as a joyous, corporate praise anthem by the crowd after the deliverance of the dead girl. There is something incredibly moving to me to think of first century believers and twenty-first century believers being united in a common statement of worship.
TC: DC-C, this one's for you. This book looks like a pretty flexible product. What are some of the ways you can see churches adapting it, and working it into their programs?
DC-C: Well, we've already mentioned that it should prove to be a valuable resource collection, providing a dozen different musical scenes that can be easily incorporated into existing productions. However, I know that some churches prefer to perform a musical that is thematically linked by narration. So I've also written a two-person narration that incorporates all the songs and scenes, in chronological order, thus allowing churches to present a seamless retelling of the Easter story. This narration can be found at wordmusic.com.
TC: RS, any word to the music ministers about what they can expect in the choral writing?
RS: I think they will find it all very "sing-able." Not too difficult at all, really. I work pretty hard to make the choir sound big without going to six or seven parts. I pay attention to voice leading and doublings - you know, all the good things they taught us in music school. There are some wonderful solo opportunities for both the men and the women.
TC: What about the orchestrations?
RS: Some of the songs are centered on a standard rhythm section. Others have no rhythm section at all, just piano and orchestra. It depended on the song and what it needed. Above all, I always try to make sure the orchestra parts are both playable and interesting. I was an instrumentalist once - a hundred years ago - so I know that it's fun to play something interesting.
TC: And DC-C - tell us what sort of resources will be needed to stage these scenes dramatically? Anything out-of-the-ordinary?
DC-C: I don't think there is anything "out of the ordinary" that churches today can't tackle! The musical scenes were all created with theatrical staging in mind; the choir can be consistently used as a believable crowd, the many of the most memorable characters (Peter, Mary Magdalene, John, and of course Jesus Himself) are given very dramatic solos. Having said that, I also made sure that each of the numbers could be successfully presented through the use of media.
TC: I'm assuming that there will be the standard array of support products and resources offered by Word for this musical.
RS: Definitely. Orchestrations, split trax, stereo trax, rehearsal trax, listening CDs, cassettes. Did I leave anything out?
DC-C: Just the on-line resources! There will be a comprehensive set of production notes available at the Word Music site (wordmusic.com). Because I didn't have any space limitations trying to fit the notes into the book, I was able to really explore each of the twelve events depicted in the collection. I've tried to offer a wide variety of staging ideas for choirs large and small, on any budget. We've also provided links to a many additional production resources (individuals and companies) that can offer you assistance with your specific needs. Finally, everyone is invited to e-mail me personally through this web site with his or her individual questions concerning The Resurrection and the Life. I would like to think that we could create a "cyber-production-forum," where we can all exchange ideas and encourage one another.
TC: Thanks for taking the time to visit with us. Both of you. Any final thoughts?
RS: I'm hoping this project will become a standard resource for churches. There is a timeless quality to much of this music. Nothing would make me happier than for churches to use this book year after year for the next twenty years.
DC-C: And I know nothing would make us both happier than to hear how many lives are changed eternally this Easter through the labor of music ministries all over the country. Please write and tell us about it...we'll be praying for you!
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