Theater of the Imagination
Join award winning composer Peter Link as he presents his life's work in 'Theater of the Imagination.'
Theater of the Imagination
Series 1, Episode 9 Part 2: Sacred Sunday Morning Volume 2
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Sacred Sunday Morning Volume 2 – Parts 1&2 is an exploration of stories and concepts from the Bible. With Guest Artist, Julia Wade, both Link and Wade discuss and investigate through song and conversation some of their favorite Bible stories and themes. The amazing work and voice of Julia Wade gets a beautiful presentation here as she performs and delves into her process of preparation to record. We also hear from Mindy Jostyn and The Jenny Burton Experience.
Scattershot Symphony is presented by Watchfire Music. Learn more about this episode at their website watchfiremusic.com
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Peter
This is Sacred Sunday Morning Vol 1 - Part 2
Peter
We’re here today with Guest, best selling artist, President of Watchfire Music and wife, Julia Wade. And we’ve been exploring songs from the Bible and their impact on our lives. When Julia and I first fell in love, one of the first things I did was to take her to one of my favorite places on the planet, Jamaica, in the Caribbean. For a decade,
I had owned a house in Antigua, an Island off the coast of South America also in the Caribbean, and then for another decade, I had the use of a villa in Jamaica. I would often go south to write and enjoy the world beyond the steel and concrete of New York City. I could never imagine falling in love and then skipping the wonders of Jamaica. So off we went.
Each morning we would rise early and run the roads in the heat, and upon returning, fall fully dressed, exhausted, into the pool and then sit down to a breakfast of mangoes and papaya, de breadfruit, de Johnny cakes and fresh pineapple juice. Then Julia would retire to her hammock with a book in the shade of de Banyan Tree and I would grab my guitar and sit on the balcony overlooking the sea and write. Sometimes I would even wake up early and write on the balcony as the sun rose before me from the sea. This next song, another staple in the repertoire of Julia, came from just one of those mornings.
It’s lyrics were from the feathered pen of King David, one of my favorite writing partners of my life in music. And is it any wonder? The beauty of these thoughts and the way he put these words together can only be described as one of the most beloved and gorgeous inspirations of poetry in the history of mankind. We’ll never know of his melody, his music. Sadly that’s been forgotten. So, I hope I have done it justice. Be with me now on that balcony as the red sun rises from a pink sea and the blue black sky turns golden.
Julia Wade — Psalm
Psalm
Music by Peter Link
Lyrics by King David
How precious are your thoughts oh God
How great is the sum of them how grand
If I could count them all oh God
They are more in number than the sand
Whither shall I go from thy spirit
Or whither shall I flee from thy care
If I ascend up into heaven
You are there
You are there
And if I make my bed with the devil
Behold
You are there
In the halls of heaven
You are there
Watching over me
If I take the wings of the morning
And I dwell
In the uttermost parts of the sea
Even there your left hand shall lead me
And your right shall always hold to me
For you are there
You are there
On the wings of morning
You are there
Always holding me
If I say surely the darkness
Shall cover me
Even the night shall light my way
Yea the darkness cannot hide from thee
But with you the night shines as the day
And I will praise thee
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Yes I will praise thee
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made
How marvelous are thy works oh God
And that my soul knows right well
How precious are your thoughts oh God
How great is the sum of them how grand
If I could count them all oh God
They are more in number than the sand (x6)
Peter
Revelation, the last chapter of the New Testament in the Bible, has often been called “Saint John on the isle of Patmos on Psychedelics.” It is the visionary imagination of John delving full bore into both spiritual and religious imagery — both poetic and other worldly. Some of John’s visions are far beyond my own spiritual imagination, but within the chapter of Revelation are many immaculate images of Truth.
I’ve spoken several times in past episodes of a production I created that ran in New York City both at Lincoln Center and Off-Broadway called The River. I needed a powerful closer for this show that was a spiritually based Gospel Concert. I decided to take a shot at the chapter of Revelation and spent a great amount of time pouring over the chapter to find a basic theme for the song that would use some of the best of John’s poetry. The writing of this song was, for me, a total immersion into the chapter and produced a 9 minute opus that closed the show on a most powerful note. Subsequently, the song found its way into the performances of The Jenny Burton Experience and then as the closer of our NY concert, Is Anybody Listening? as well. Sacred Sunday Morning would be incomplete without this seminal collaboration between Saint John and me. Here is the recorded version performed so definitively by The Jenny Burton Experience.
Julia
The Jenny Burton Experience — The Revelation Of Saint John ...
and Peter Link
Revelation
Music by Peter Link
Lyrics by Saint John
I was in the spirit on the Lord's day
And I heard behind me a great voice
As of a trumpet
Oh yes and I was in the spirit
On the Lord's day
And I heard behind me a great voice
As of a trumpet
Saying I am alpha and omega
The beginning and the end
I am alpha and omega
The beginning and the end
And I turned to see the voice
That spake unto me
And I saw seven golden candlesticks
And seven heavenly stars
And one like unto the son of man
The son of man
And his eyes were as a flame of fire
And his eyes were as a flame of fire
And his eyes were as a flame of fire
And his voice was as the sound of many waters
Was as the sound of many waters
Was as the sound of many waters
Saying I am he that liveth
And I am he that died
And now behold I am alive forevermore
I am he that liveth
And I am he that died
And now behold I am alive forevermore
Write the things which thou hast seen
And the things which are
And the things to be hereafter
Write the things which thou hast seen
And the things which are
And the things to be hereafter
Write the things which thou hast seen
(I am he that liveth)
And the things which are
(And I am he that died)
And the things to be hereafter
(And now behold I am alive forevermore)
And I saw as it were a sea of glass
Mingled with fire
And I saw the dead
Small and great
Stand before God
And the dead were judged
From the book of life
According to their works
Yes the dead were judged
Every man
According to their works
And whatsoever was not found written
In the book of life
Was cast into the sea of fire
And whosoever was not found written
In the book of life
Was cast into the sea of fire
And the devil went down in the sea of fire
Into the sea of glass into the sea of fire
The devil went down in the sea of fire
As the flames rose higher
In the sea of glass
And the flames rose higher
In the sea of fire
And there was no more sea
And heaven and earth were passed away
And there was no more sea
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth
And the holy city New Jerusalem
And a great voice out of heaven said
Behold God is with men
And they shall be His people
And He shall dwell with them
Yes they shall be His people
And He shall dwell with them
And God shall wipe away all tears
And death shall be no more
Neither shall there be the pain
And sorrow from before
Behold He shall make all things new
Write these words
For these words are true
These words are true
Write the things which thou hast seen
And the things which are
And the things that be hereafter
Write the things which thou hast seen
And the things which are
And the things that be hereafter
For I am alpha and omega
The beginning and the end
I am alpha and omega
The beginning and the end
And he that overcometh
Shall inherit all things
And I will be his God
And he shall be my son
And he showed me a pure river
Of the water of life
And I sang hallelu
And he showed me a pure river
Of the water of life
And I sang halleluia
And he showed me a pure river
Of the water of life
And I sang halleluia
Clear as crystal
Coming from the throne of God
Clear as crystal
Coming from the throne of God
And he showed me a pure river
Of the water of life
And I sang hallelu
And he showed me a pure river
Of the water of life
And I sang halleluia
And he showed me a pure river
Of the water of life
And I sang halleluia
Clear as crystal
Coming from the throne of God
Clear as crystal
Coming from the throne of God
Halleluia (x9)
Julia
OK, now I have a question for you.
Peter
OK ...
Julia
Years ago you wrote a song for me to sing entitled, “The Christ Lives On.” It debuted on my first album with you, Upon The Mountain, which still sells well today. However, the actual song never sold well as a single. A few people bought it, but, though I thought it was a beautiful song, it seems that nobody else did. We’ve had so much success together, but why do you think that song wasn’t particularly successful?
Peter
Hmmm, good question. That surprised me as well. It was probably not the music that sabotaged it. More likely the lyric. I remember that I wrote the song from the point of view of Mary Magdalene who, as we know, was present at the Crucifixion of Jesus. It was written for Easter. I imagined that when they took his body down from the cross, that she was there still caring for him. She wanted to make sure that even if he had passed, that the soldiers would respect him and deal with the body conscientiously.
Mary, like many of the other disciples, was not yet of the elevated mentality to understand that the body of Jesus was not the Christ. Remember, that in those days the Bible never used first and last names, but rather a first name and then often instead of a last name, the person was known for what they did, not just another name — like Peter, the Fisherman, John, the Baptist, John, the Beloved, Herod, the King.
So his name was Jesus, the Christ. The Christ was what he did, or what he brought to the world. The body of Jesus had died, but The Christ Lives On. Mary says to the soldiers:
If you want his body
Take it down
I can’t bear to watch
Hold his head be gentle
Don’t let what went on before
If you want his body
Take it away
Do the things you do
But close his eyes be gentle
I just can’t take anymore
I will not watch
I will not weep
But I’ll not ever let him go
For in the way he lived his life
He taught me all I know
Now the man is gone
Yet in me the Christ lives on
Perhaps your average church goer thought the lyric was just too graphic, too human. I, for one, liked the human touch, the love of Mary caring for Jesus, while in her the Christ idea of the man lived on.
Julia
I think, for the worldwide congregations I was singing to, your gorgeous song was an idea ahead of its time. Yeah, it was more human than they were used to. The Board of Directors of the international church actually met and had a discussion about whether I could sing this. They were truly interested in it. But for the worldwide congregation, it was deemed, like you said, more human than would be accepted.
I’m so glad that today, this song is finally getting a much wider opportunity to be heard. It deserves to be brought forth and sung.
Peter
Julia Wade — The Christ Lives On
The Christ Lives On
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link
If you want his body
Take it down
I can't bear to watch
Hold his head be gentle
Don't let what went on before
If you want his body
Take it away
Do the things you do
But close his eyes be gentle
I just can't take anymore
I will not watch
I will not weep
But I'll not ever let him go
For in the way he lived his life
He taught me all I know
Now the man is gone
Yet in me the Christ lives on
So if you want his body
Do what you will
Lay him in his grave
But let me wash his feet first
Then you may take him away
And through the darkness of these hours
I must not let my weakness show
For as he lived so then shall I
And that is all I know
Now the man is gone
Yet in me the Christ lives on
And in the years that lie ahead
The world will learn to love this man
The way he lived
The things he said
The way it all began
Now the body's gone
But through it all
The Christ lives on
Julia
We all know the story of Mary Magdalene, finding the body of Jesus missing, three days after his crucifixion, at the sepulcher, when someone had rolled the stone away.
But then, Peter, you went again into your imagination and wrote another song from Mary’s point of view, that took place at the last morning meal by the sea, when Jesus advised the disciples who were fishing to re-cast their nets on the right side.
I loved how you placed me high on a cliff overlooking the beach, the sea and the boat —me -- the thirteenth disciple, a woman, who probably could not hang out with the men in those last moments, but still was there ... watching from afar.
I remember that morning so well. I remember … I was there …
Peter
Julia Wade, as Mary Magdalene — I Was There
I Was There
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link
I was there on that morning by the sea
As the sun broke purple through the haze
I was there as they cast their nets in sorrow
And the waters yielded nothing
As the sky was all ablaze
I was there as he stood upon the shoreline
Watching those he loved struggle on
I was there as he whispered 'cross the waters
"Cast your nets now on the right side
For the night is surely gone"
Yes I was there with the master
In the purple light of dawn
I was there as we all went struggling on
I was there
And the catch that day was a billion souls
And it's happening again
He's teaching us to pray
He's teaching us to heal
And then we too can be
Fishers of men
I was there when he told them how he loved them
And his words burned a purpose in their hearts
As the fire turned to ashes then he left them
But the gift of God stayed with them
In the inward parts
I was there
Peter
Julia, we haven’t dealt much with Jesus’ power to heal. Let’s make this closing song reflect the incredible works of the Master on just that subject ... on healing. I can’t think of a better song to do that than yet another of your repertoire classics, There Is A Balm In Gilead. Tell us about your experience with this classic song ... and give us some insight into its lyric.
Julia
There is so much I could say about this amazing song. It has a long history, we know it originally as a spiritual that came from a verse in the book of Jeremiah which asks
“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?”
This Old testament verse was later re- interpreted to mean that Jesus the Christ was the balm that came to heal us of our wounds. It was so natural to take this song further and write new verses to tell the story of Jesus’ healings and how that Christ -- his balm -- is still with us today.
Peter
And finally ... Julia Wade — There Is A Balm In Gilead
There Is a Balm in Gilead
Traditional Lyrics based on Jeremiah 8:22
Additional Lyrics by Peter Link and Clara M. Brooks
Arranged by Peter Link and Margaret Dorn
Background Vocals Written, Arranged, and Produced by John Danny Madden
Sometimes I feel discouraged
And think my work's in vain
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul
They came in search of healing
They came in such despair
With lame and halt and withered
With more than life could bear
He healed the leper and the sinner
And he chased the clouds away
He healed the deaf, the dumb, the blind
Christ's with us here today
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul
The heav'nly touch of spirit
Has wondrous healing power
To banish your diseases
Be healed this very hour
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul
To heal the soul
There is a balm in Gilead
He raised the dead he freed us
He holds us in his care
He is the balm of Gilead
Yet Christ is everywhere
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul
Peter
So there ya’ have it. Scattershot Symphony, Episode 9, Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2
Julia
Next, Episode 10, On My Way Home – An Immigrant’s Lament.
We’ll look at the writing of this new song from the pen of Peter Link and discuss with guest artist and Videographer, Skye Malone, the making of the new Music Video.
Peter
Also, please rate and subscribe ...
Peter
The lyrics from the song, Creation, come from the prose writings of Mary Baker Eddy.
Julia
Thank you to Jenny Burton and Peter Link for joining me on Isaiah 40.
The Background Vocalists on Isaiah 40 were Darryl Tookes, LaTanya Hall and Margaret Dorn who also did the vocal Arrangement.
Peter
The Jenny Burton Experience singing Revelation was comprised of Margaret Dorn, Keith Fluitt, Steve Abrams, Stephanie James, John James, Don Corey Washington, Andricka Hall, Chrissy Faith and Branice McKenzie … and of course, Jenny.
Julia
There Is A Balm In Gilead’s lyrics are Traditional, based on Jeremiah 8:22 with Additional Lyrics by Peter Link & Clara M. Brooks.
The Background Vocals were Arranged by John Danny Madden.
And thanks to Watchfire Music, Nathan Burgdorff and the entire staff for all your work in producing and promoting this podcast.
A very special thanks also to Stuart Barefoot, our Associate Producer for all your invaluable knowledge and good vibes.
And a posthumous thanks to Ludwig Van Beethoven for your opening 4 bars.
Julia
(over playout music)
This podcast is presented with loving care by the staff at Watchfire Music. If you liked what you heard, we got lots more where that came from. In the meantime, you can find the songs you just heard on watchfiremusic.com. There you can purchase the singles or albums and have access to all the lyrics. Also, there you will find all previous podcasts and future scheduling.
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