'from dust to heaven's lights' is a project that has grown out of the collaboration between an artist, a poet and myself (a musician and composer). The process of using poetry as a basis for many of these compositions has been interesting. Trying to capture the essence and feeling of a poem and then turning that into melodies and harmonies is awesome and also fairly subjective. All of these pieces try to capture a story and I love the way that music is able to express so many things at once and you, as the listener, may have a completely different story in mind as you listen to these…that is allowed, imagine away! Art is often a way of making sense of life and of expressing the intricacies and sheer delight and terror of being alive. It is my hope that as you listen to this music, you will realise that you have a story to tell, dreams to dream and a very specific purpose in being alive.

I decided to go for a very 'honest' studio recording and did not auto tune every single note (in fact I think we only auto tuned about 5 notes) in an effort to have a raw and real feel to this...our stories are raw and real and wonderful and I wanted to capture this in the recordings. I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible. This is a dream that I have had since I was a little girl and seeing it become a reality is incredible.

from dust to heaven's lights

I Want To Be Honest

At The Right Time

Bergen Belsen

Be Gentle With Yourself

The Word

The Moon

The Half Cast in The Corner

This is a brand new piece that I wrote and recorded just last week. I was reflecting on how we all have longings in our hearts...maybe you long for love, a baby in your arms, for silence, for companionship, for freedom, for real conversation, for social justice, a good laugh, a great meal...whatever it is, we all feel it. This was written in a personal moment of longing.

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” C.S. Lewis

Longings Of The Heart

The beginning of this year has been one of changing seasons and rather a lot of unknowns. I have found myself in spaces where I had to draw deep on my courage and felt like this was an opportunity to enter deeper levels of trust. These times of growth are always tough but we come out more refined and better for them if we choose to. 

There has been a Deep Peace, amidst all the change, and for this I am so grateful. I wrote this piece in the middle of this space and it is my hope and prayer that wherever you find yourself that these notes will cover you with Peace, like an all encompassing mist. 

Photo cred. for this track image: My incredibly talented friend, Kate Mc Lluckie. You can see more of her amazing work at www.katemcluckiephotography.com

My Peace

This is a composition that I wrote in 2014 and have wanted to rework and extend for a while now. I recently re recorded and produced this track, extending the theme as well. This piece was a real gift to me during a really difficult time in my life. The consistency of the moon, the way it rises and falls each night and the light it lends to the dark to make the dark less inky is a great reminder that dark nights do end and seem to have a beauty of their own.

{When hope is fleeting, stop for a moment and visualize, in a sky of silver, the crescent of a lavender moon. Imagine it -- delicate, slim, precise, like a paper-thin slice from a cabochon jewel.

It may not be very useful, but it is beautiful.

And sometimes it is enough.}
― Vera Nazarian

The Moon :II

This piece is a reflection on the last few months of my life. After a very busy and, in my mind, successful year last year I have found myself in new spaces in 2017. Much of what I have known for the last number of years has been in a state of upheaval and transition. This has been unsettling to say the least. In this silent space I have found that there were things to mourn and remember. In the absence of the noise of busyness I have found myself with many unanswered questions and have felt quite lost at times. 

But at the same time this quiet has been so wonderful. I have had to dig deep and have found that there is more substance there than I thought. Gratitude in the small and big things. A transition to something more. Engaging in the secrets that silence has revealed to me. That Still Small Voice, that same voice that boomed loud and clear in times past, has been a constant companion albeit in a sometimes inaudible way; championing me on and teaching me how to be in this new territory. At first the silence was confusing and I felt as if I must have done something wrong; being shunted into a naughty corner. I guess I underestimated the Kindness always directed at me. The Love with which I am handled and the way that He really does know better than me.

An arrow pierces the promise and brings with it the wonder of a new day. It is a relief to still feel a heartbeat in my chest and this is a sure sign that the silence will not always remain, but the secrets I learned there will. 

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be" - CS Lewis.

Secrets in Silence

This week has been a tough one. As my nation has been weeping at so many terrible crimes against women and the stories just keep pouring out. At times it's been hard to breath and it's brought to the surface so many things that are often just shoved down because to live in consciousness of these things all the time is just not a viable option. 

I feel that it is important though to mourn and at the same time to hope and speak life. This is my tribute (and possibly a way that I am trying to process) to all women, the ones who deal on a daily basis with the complexity of this. To the ones who don't feel seen and heard - know that you are Seen and Heard by the Gentlest Heart you can every imagine. Jesus wept. We weep. And we believe for a different story and a Hope filled future.

Womanhood

This is my latest composition project and I worked on this EP as part of a collaborative project with write and illustrator, Tina Cloete.

Wonder

Taste And See

Peace

Fierce Love

Ecstatic Joy

I am a composer, muso and producer based in Cape Town, South Africa. I love people and I love stories. I always try to tell a story with the music I write. Sometimes that is my own story and sometimes it's my take on someone else's story. I aim to write music that touches people in some way. 

{Let Wilderness turn cartwheels, animals, come dance. Put every tree of the forest in the choir - Psalm 69:12}

Contact: caroljoywilliamsmusic@gmail.com

Carol Joy Williams

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