Spark+Echo Arts: Music

Spark+Echo Arts: Spoken Word and Storytelling

"I'm Small" is from a song cycle, "Cities", personifying biblical cities. It is sung from the point of view of Bethlehem, specifically inspired by the passage in Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

The bulk of this song was written a few years ago before my wife Emily and I had kids, imagining a small Bethlehem embracing this news, but it didn't come into focus until jamming with my then 20-month old Walter. I guess it takes playing with someone small to finish a song about smallness.

Jonathon Roberts: vocals, piano, drum programming 
Emily Clare Zempel: vocals
Ariana Rosen: violin
Kevin Gosa: soprano and alto saxophones, backing vocals
Meaghan Burke: cello, backing vocals
James Hall: Trombone, backing vocals
Walter Roberts: backing vocals

Music, lyrics, and production by Jonathon Roberts

Buy on Bandcamp

I'm Small

Christina Hanson's dramatic compositional piece uses a woodwind quintet to explore the story of Paul's conversion found in Acts 9:1-9, 17-22 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The story of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9 is a staple in most Christian households. Oftentimes believers miss the truly dramatic nature of the story. Saul “breathes murderous threats” to the believers, sees a vision only he can see that tells him to change the trajectory of his entire life, and ends up preaching to the world the very thing he persecuted so fiercely. In "Damascus Catalyst," I let the text inspire the musical shape of the piece, beginning with the formation of Saul’s “murderous threats”, following his transformative journey on the road to Damascus, and ending with his proclamation of the Gospel.

This piece uses some contemporary compositional idioms but injects them into styles that are familiar to many, especially the style of hymns. I was inspired in part by two hymns, which can be heard fragmented throughout this piece: "Jesus Christ is Lord Today" (an obscure hymn tune I have only found in one hymnal but evertheless fell in love with) and "Christ be our Light" (a more modern Catholic hymn tune). By using these fragments as a backbone for the whole piece, Saul clearly appears as a character that transforms as the thematic material transforms.

The style of the piece is somewhat derived from musical theatre, using dramatic tension to tell a story. To this end, I was inspired by the versatility of the woodwind quintet—its ability to be as quiet as a small wisp of a thought, be as frightening as an unexpected vision, and to capture the jubilant cries of a recent believer as he proclaims his newfound beliefs. Loosely, Saul’s character is “played” by the horn, and you can hear his thought process rattling around in his head throughout the piece. By following the thread of the story from the beginning of Damascus Catalyst to the end, the listener can experience this vignette of Saul’s life—God’s presence, as a catalyst on the road to Damascus, transforming Saul from ruthless tyrant to relentless advocate of the Gospel.


ARTIST BIO

Christina Lauren Hanson is a composer, music educator, pianist, violinist, student, accompanist, and entrepreneur based in Appleton, Wisconsin. She is currently a candidate for the Bachelor of Music degree in Composition at Lawrence University in Appleton and has studied under Joanne Metcalf, Asha Srinivasan, and Lawton Hall. Her compositional career began in at a very young age, and since then she has written pieces for a wide variety of instruments including piano, strings, and woodwinds. As she studies composition, she finds myriads of ways to showcase God’s beauty through the medium of music—a medium that has been used to worship God since the beginning of time!

Christina frequently performs with her string trio, The III of Us, and lends her talents as an accompanist, pianist, violinist, and leader for choirs and worship teams in the Fox Valley (including for Bended Knee Ministries and Lawrence Christian Fellowship). Currently, by teaching piano, violin, and music theory, writing music for commissions, using her entrepreneurial skills, and trusting God’s guidance, she is putting herself through college so she can further hone her compositional craft to glorify the Creator. In the future, she plans to keep exploring music as a channel to reach others for Christ not just through composition but also through teaching and performing.

When Christina is not doing any of the above, she enjoys the company of her many friends and comrades, taking care of plants on her family’s apple orchard (she has thriving succulent and vegetable gardens), drinking coffee and tea, reading, improvising on her grand piano, listening to Christian radio drama, swing dancing, and volunteering in the children’s ministry at her church.

Damascus Catalyst

Damascus Catalyst - Christina Hanson

Singer-songwriter Anthony LaMarca worked with his brother to bring us a beautifully thoughtful song in response to suffering and Revelation 21:5 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

FROM THE ARTIST: 

This song is based on Revelation 21:5. This past August I found out I had multiple myeloma. It was a big shock and ultimately resulted in my having to have a bone marrow transplant in January. Before I went into the hospital my sister-in-law and her kids made me this painting that had that verse written on it. For the two weeks I was in the hospital that painting was something I could return to and find peace and reassurance. I was scared and uncomfortable. I missed being home. I missed cooking. But I knew that that verse was true. My body was being renewed. Learning to trust and face fear head-on is not easy. It’s hard to give up control, but it is also freeing to realize when you are in a situation that is out of your control. So, this song aims to illustrate a change from fear to reassurance and peace.

ARTIST BIO:

Anthony LaMarca is a musician from Youngstown, Ohio. He currently plays in The War On Drugs, sometimes with Dean & Britta, and previously with St. Vincent. He and his brother, Angelo, make records as The Building. He also has a wonderful German Shepherd named Petra.

All Things New

All Things New - Anthony LaMarca

We are thrilled to feature a follow-up version of Noah Lekas’ solo blues song, “Don’t Let Me Be Put to Shame.” This song was originally commissioned by Spark and Echo Arts in 2011 and is a response to Psalm 25 and Psalm 91. Now with a full band, Kenyon Adams & American Restless have ramped up the original and will be releasing “Shame” as part of their debut EP.

FROM THE ARTIST:

Noah Lekas: I really liked the idea of contending with God for His name’s sake – as if to say, “I know I am not worth helping, but You have to help me because of who You are.” So the song is sort of exploring that and this idea of being completely out numbered and surrounded in a Psalm 91 sort of way, with nowhere to turn but to the Lord.

ARTIST BIO:

The personal histories of Kenyon Adams and Noah Lekas (American Restless) have converged at the crossroads of the blues, where black music of the American south meets the Midwest, much as it did during the 1950's as many southern blacks (including Muddy Waters and Little Walter) headed north from their sharecropping communities to seek job opportunities and play for dollars on the city streets.

The blues was never nihilistic but presented a gut-wrenchingly honest spirituality which was, in its deep concern for the human situation, both theologically and philosophically concerned. The music of Kenyon Adams & American Restless seeks to represent these aspects of the blues in our post-postmodern setting in which we live among a generation which, while being privileged and educated to an unprecedented degree, is perhaps more confused and discontented than any in recent history.

To this picture and in this scenario we wish to contribute our own "cries" out to God in solidarity with all who struggle to reconcile inner longings with the besieging cruelty of the mundane.

Band Instrumentation: Inspired by Muddy Waters Band, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Little Walter, Jimmy Hendrix, Elmore James, among others.

Shame

Shame - Kenyon Adams & American Restless

Actor and sound designer Matt Bittner presents an intriguing musical exploration of the meal Zacchaeus shared with Jesus, and the change it had upon his life. This work is in response to the theme of “meals” and was inspired by Luke 19:1-10 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
When I first began to think about this project, I was attempting to view modern day meal experiences through a biblical lens. For example, a question I asked myself early on: “How can I somehow extract the beauty of the gospel (or the trinity, or Love) through the picture of a shared meal?” Then I thought of a small portion of a sermon I had heard during Lent. The speaker, as part of a larger theme, briefly examined the significance of Jesus sharing meals with people. He spoke of the act not as some spiritual gesture (or as a physical gesture wherein the spiritual world was magically accessed) but as the real life, every day, human event of sitting down to talk and eat. That event is necessary. So, I imagine, because Jesus knew this, much of his time of uplifting, teaching, nurturing, and redeeming was spent sitting down to talk and eat with people. After all, when we eat, we truly rid ourselves of all pretense of being anything other than simple humans with needs. And only then (it seems) can we begin to practice the world-toppling exercise of seeing others as simple humans with needs too.
 
I then reinvested in the project with a different approach: to find a biblical example of a shared meal as it ought to be. Suddenly the story of Zaccheus, which I’d known seemingly forever, took on a new meaning. There is an embittered, unloved outcast working selfishly to fortify himself against a world of which he is so wholly terrified and with which he is so wholly angry. He hears tell of a man that selflessly gives himself to a world with which he is so wholly in love and by which he is so highly esteemed. The outcast pushes himself to his physical limits just to catch a glimpse of what it must be like to truly live in communion with others. When Jesus spots the lost soul alone in a tree, he calls him down. Not to offer a sermon, not to lay hands on him, but to ask if Zaccheus would like to experience true community through hosting a group of people and eating with them. (I understand that the text does not clearly state that food was part of the deal, but culturally it would have been implied.) Zaccheus finally experiences the wonderfully simple reality of communion. The result? He does not suddenly have friends thronging to his house. Nor does he begin to preach. He doesn’t even leave his home to follow Jesus as so many did at the time. He instead subverts a lifetime of fear with a brave leap into generosity. He begins a new life of love and community.
 
This is the story I hope to have captured with this song.

ARTIST BIO:
Matt Bittner is an actor and sound designer based out of Ridgewood, Queens. He has composed original music and designed sound for collegiate, regional, and NYC theatrical projects. He holds an MFA in acting from Rutgers University and his musical education comes primarily from church and participating in choral groups in school. He is currently performing in Much Ado About Nothing — the first of this year’s Free Shakespeare in the Park productions.

Fellowship, Food, and Redemption

Fellowship, Food, and Redemption - Matt Bittner

Banjo player Cameron DeWhitt joins us for a look at yeast in his new piece Leavener. The work is in response to the theme of “meals” and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Recently I made the switch from commercial yeast (like, from the packet) to wild Philadelphia yeast. And boy, it’s sure made a big difference in my bread. I got my sourdough starter from my neighbors, who got theirs from a friend, so I like to think that all of our loaves and boules and baguettes are related.
I had a conversation with my good friend Jon Roberts about baking sourdough and maintaining a starter. Apparently some starters are very fragile; the yeast inside will die if they have any competition for the available sugars. He used to work at Sullivan Street bakery in Hell’s Kitchen, and when he’d try to bring home a lump of starter it would start producing acetic acid before he could use it. Once removed from its sheltered existence in one of America’s finest bakeries, it couldn’t handle the pressure of the real world, and allowed itself to be eaten up and turned to vinegar.
So, I’m proud to eat bread with the hearty and worldly yeasts of Kensington, Philadelphia. It’s yeast is like it’s people: determined to survive, willing to fight, and not deterred by a little pollution or systematic oppression. This is how the Kingdom of Heaven is spread. It’s a resilient culture, and it’s all around us, waiting to be fed.
If your culture is eating itself, and getting sour in all the wrong ways, throw it out, and start a new one. Maybe you need something a little less fragile, a little less pretentious. A culture that won’t disintegrate at the first sign of stress.  Chances are, you know someone who can help get you started.

Special thanks to Christian Guerrero for mixing this song. 

ARTIST BIO:

Cameron DeWhitt is an American clawhammer banjoist and songwriter born in Portland, Oregon. His live show is interactive, with sing-along sections, open discussions about song themes, and storytelling. His self-titled record is available on Bandcamp.

Cameron’s songs explore themes of love, death, marriage, judgment and forgiveness. His lyrics display a quick, profound wit, enriched throughout with weighty metaphors and literary cross-references. Through personal and biblical stories, he prompts the listener to contemplate the definition of love, the character of God, and the human struggle towards hope and redemption.

Cameron has developed a unique, melody-driven banjo style. While fluidly shifting modes and meters, he quotes popular melodies, improvises with other musicians, and makes musical jokes. His songs feature trumpet, string bass, drum set, complex vocal counterpoint and improvised solos.

Cameron lives with his wife, Rebecca, in the East Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, where he is a part of the Circle of Hope Community. He plays an Ome Jubilee banjo with a Moon bridge and a John Balch goat skin head.

Leavener

Leavener - Cameron DeWhitt

We are thrilled to welcome the band, Lowland Hum, to Spark and Echo Arts with a new song in response to the theme of poverty and 1 John 1:5; 2:4, 9-11 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“The Father” was written on a day off during our first cross country tour. As we read through the scripture in 1 John, a few ideas struck and inspired us. The passage dramatically draws attention to the disparity between our identity as children of God and the way we treat one another. The subject that we were assigned by Spark and Echo was “poverty” and as we read the scripture we recognized our own poverty in a profound way. How can you say you love the father if you hate your brother who is made in His image? It is so easy for us to take a self-protective stance, putting others down, even if its just in our minds, to escape our own darkness and inadequacy. The story of this song is written in hopes of drawing attention to the lack inherent in our love for one another, especially in our families. At the end of the song, we hope to refocus on the freeing and glorious character of God, our only way toward wholeness. In the contrary way of Jesus, we aim to tear our eyes from our inadequacy and to dwell on His goodness and overabundance. In this act we are on the path toward healing, change and we are given the strength to love. In our poverty, He is rich.

ARTIST BIO:

Lowland Hum is Daniel Levi and Lauren (Plank) Goans. Hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina, the duo met in 2010. They married in 2012 and spent their first year of marriage touring the East Coast. During this time they began writing the songs that would become their first album, Native Air.

Since releasing Native Air in August 2013, Lowland Hum has performed for 70 audiences in 13 states. Combining Daniel’s musicianship and Lauren’s inclinations in visual art, Lowland Hum’s shows are a multi-sensory experience, engaging sight, sound, smell, and touch–inviting listeners to be fully present and reducing the space between artist and listener. During performances, Lowland Hum readily shares the stories behind their songs and invites listeners to offer real-time reflections.

Lowland Hum tours full time, playing house shows, listening rooms, colleges and universities, and other spaces conducive to an intimate listening experience.

The Father

The Father - Lowland Hum

Musician Aaron Kruziki brings us this beautiful and intricate song in response to the theme of “lies” and Ephesians 4:25 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“When We Lie” is a piece based on Ephesians 4:25: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” Because we are all part of one body, we are part of one another. Humans are all part of a collective consciousness that bends and folds, opens and closes, much the same as a lotus flower. As a lotus flower opens at dawn, it’s neighbor  opens as well. At dusk, when the flower starts to close, it’s neighbor follows suit. Much in this manner,  humans open and close, often simultaneously with our neighbors, friends, lovers and strangers. When we close off, we don’t see others closing, and often assume we’re the only ones that are closing. This closing is the lie. This lie, whether it comes from family, friends, or ourselves, is this act of closing. We  are dishonest and go about our lives in a state of denial, making these lies sound true and be true. With  this new false-truth, we start to close, often not realizing how the lie affects those around us. When we  face the righteous truth within us, we start to open, and often find others open around us. Like the lotus flower opening with the sun and closing with the moon, we are all connected. The lies we tell neighbors and ourselves connect us, just as the inner-truth connects us. We have to make a choice: to choose the inner truth or the false-truth. We make the choice to either face our demons or to avoid them.

ARTIST BIO:

Wisconsin born and bred, Aaron Kruziki is a dynamic musician and composer, educator and producer.  Residing in New York City, Aaron’s training in jazz and classical music, his inherent ability to find good in all music (from David Bowie to American Barbershop), and his belief that every person may reinvent themselves to find happiness, sustains his artistic output.  As a saxophonist and clarinetist, Aaron has received consecutive degrees in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory and Western Michigan University, studying with George Garzone and Trent Kynaston respectively.  Aaron has received grants that include the Emerging Artist Grant from the Greater Kalamazoo Art’s Council, and in 2012, was commissioned by the Chelsea Music Festival to compose music based on John Cage’s “Lectures on Nothing”.  Aaron frequently performs with Andy Milne’s “Dapp Theory”, and is an active member of the Brooklyn D.I.Y. scene.  His voice moves fluidly from woodwinds to synths and vocals, performing in genres ranging from avant-pop to education reform rock and jazz.  Aaron has had the honor to perform at major music festivals in Canada, Europe, Africa and America.  In his spare time, Aaron likes to garden and practice yoga.

When We Lie

When We Lie - Aaron Kruziki

Guitarist and composer Mark Lettieri’s “Spark and Echo” explores God’s role as the one true judge of man. This work is in response to James 4:12 and the theme of destruction for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

James 4:12 states, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?” (NIV).
I came across this verse while researching the biblical theme of destruction. I had planned on composing a piece about the literal destruction of something physical. I wanted the song to be dark and maybe even violent (which led me to Revelations first, of course). But when I found this verse, I ended up writing a song about destroying something emotional; ultimately a song about love. What I took from this verse is this: without God, we’re constantly tempted to judge and chastise others, as if we’ve always lived a life free of sin ourselves. This song is about the idea that as Christians, we must destroy that desire to judge, and replace it with a showing of His love instead. The heavy layered rhythm guitars, drums and strings represent the tearing down of this judgmental attitude, with the bright melody representing a reconstructed view built on love and respect.

ARTIST BIO:

Mark Lettieri is a guitarist, composer and producer residing in Fort Worth, TX. Originally from Menlo Park, CA, Lettieri moved to Texas to attend Texas Christian University, earning a B.S. in Advertising/Public Relations. After graduation in the spring of 2005, began pursuing his music career.

Since 2008, Lettieri has been a member of jazz/fusion band Snarky Puppy. The band tours heavily, performing an average of 150 shows a year in the US, Europe, Asia and most recently South America. In January 2014, the group received the Grammy Award for “Best R&B Performance,” for their collaboration with Lalah Hathaway on Brenda Russell’s song entitled “Something.”

Aside from his work with Snarky Puppy, Lettieri also travels occasionally with neo-soul songstress Erykah Badu, and NBC’s The Voice: Season 2 contestant Anthony Evans.

When not on the road, Lettieri is a session guitarist in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Proficient in a multitude of styles, he records and performs in virtually every genre of popular music. He works with several independent artists as well as major labels. Recent recording sessions include work for 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Adam Levine, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, LeCrae, Keyshia Cole, and Xzibit. He is also a member of Team SKP, a production collective led by award-winning producer Symbolyc One (Kanye West, Beyonce).

Since 2010, he has been a member of the house band for “Marcus & Joni,” a morning talk/variety show broadcast in 200 countries on Daystar, a Christian cable network.

As a composer, Lettieri has released two guitar instrumental recordings, “Knows” in 2011, and “Futurefun” in 2013. Through tours with Snarky Puppy and social media network shares, both records created sizable buzz in the indie guitar community. Lettieri looks to tour abroad with his trio in the next year.

Spark and Echo

Spark And Echo - Mark Lettieri

We are proud to debut this new work by spoken word artist Baraka Noel aka grandmaster mumbles. This piece grew out of the theme “Beginning” and was written in response to passages listed below. Mr. Noel was selected to participate in Spark and Echo Arts’ Bible illumination project by 2012 Curator and poet Emily Hazel.

ARTIST REVIEWS AND MORE INFO:

“like the best of Rakim or Nas’ first record”
– okayplayer.com

“citizens of sleep seem to resurrect the golden era of hip-hop”
hiphoplinguistics.com

“one of the best traveling poet live acts on the planet.”
– illiterate magazine


grandmaster mumbles of Sons of Razi:

barakanoel.com
youtube.com/barakanoel
citizensofsleep.bandcamp.com
merchantsofreality.com
soundcloud.com/merchants-of-reality	

Kings&Prophets [chapter13]

Kings&Prophets [chapter13] - Baraka Noel aka grandmaster mumbles

Sarah Gregory continues our focus on Psalm 107 with this beautiful song in response to Psalm 107:17-22 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

On Psalm 107:17-22

Who doesn’t like food? I could not fathom the fools described in Psalm 107 who “loathed any kind of food and drew near to death.” At any given moment, I’m either eating or thinking about eating. It’s the only thing in my life that has my loyal attention. So, I tried to imagine the kind of state I’d have to be in to truly dislike food. And then I remembered, oh yeah, just last week I ate a huge plate of fries right after I’d just eaten a huge bagel dripping with cream cheese and afterward I never wanted to taste, smell, touch or even see food ever again. So I suppose these idiots in Psalm 107 filled up on all the crap food and completely lost their appetite for food at all. But then these jerks did the smartest thing anyone can ever do when she screws it all up: they started crying. That cry that you cry when you just finally give up. You don’t care anymore about your embarrassment over the massive plate of french fries and the jumbo bagel. I admit it, I’m an idiot and I just don’t want to be an idiot anymore. Please, I just don’t want to feel this way ever again. So you cry to the only thing that can pull you out of this misery, this misery that is yourself. And then, hot damn, He actually pulls you out of the misery. You get saved from a literal drowning in french fries and bagels. You move from the gates of hell to God’s house where the twenty four hour chef makes you hand crafted salads that actually taste delicious and you have more energy throughout your work day. Then at dinner He pours you a perfectly portioned glass and a half of chardonnay – just enough to give you the happy buzz but not so much that you start silently panicking about your career choices and fixating on your husband’s flaws. Then, buzzed from that beautiful buttery wine, you sit down together in front of a crackling fire, pull out the guitar and sing a sappy love song about how I love you more, no way, I love you more.

Except the french fries are sin, and the salad is Jesus? Something like that.

ARTIST BIO:

Sarah Gregory’s lush and quicksilver vocalism is most frequently showcased in her work with the online music-comedy quartet The Gregory Brothers, who are responsible for The Double Rainbow Song, The Bed Intruder Song, and other viral hits that have garnered the group two Comedy Awards, three Webbys, a gold and a platinum record and over 600 million YouTube views. In the last ten years since moving from her home state of Texas to New York, Mrs. Gregory has crooned all over town with her soul band The Stanleys and has lent her voice to many amazing artists and projects, such as Kelley McRae, Andrew Rose Gregory, Pony of Good Tidings, The Welcome Wagon, Sufjan Stevens, BiFrost, Dishman + Co., The Key of Awesome and Josh Rutner’s Twelve Gates. Here Mrs. Gregory lays forth a rare vulnerability, stripped of both her precious autotune and her usual co-conspirators.

I Was a Fool

I Was a Fool - Sarah Gregory

Composer Sidney Marquez Boquiren explores the theme of healing through passages from Ecclesiastes, John, and Revelation in his new work, "folia ligni."

ARTIST STATEMENT

"folia ligni" takes as its inspiration three sets of Biblical verses: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; John 14:27; and Revelation 22:2. The work itself is a diptych that consists of meditations on the verses from Ecclesiastes and the Gospel of St. John, written for piano, with the title (“leaves of the tree”) taken from Revelation 22:2 which is the verse that undergirds folia ligni: “The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” It is this healing of nations and (by extension) of peoples that I tried to get at, not in the sense of a direct depiction of some process of healing but more as a sort of struggle to achieve this healing, a striving to reach “a time of peace.”
 
Et in terra pax.

ARTIST BIO

Sidney Marquez Boquiren is a composer-performer who grew up in the Philippines and Saudi Arabia but has spent most of his life in the United States. He collaborates with artists on various projects that include opera (Independence Eve with Daniel Neer); Biblical illumination (folia ligni for Spark and Echo Arts); and multi-media (The Gretel Project with Lauren K. Alleyne, Catherine Chung, and Tomiko Jones). As a pianist, he performs regularly with Rhymes With Opera and pulsoptional.

A MacDowell Fellow, Sidney is currently the Chair of the Department of Music at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, where he teaches music theory and composition. He is also a cantor and sings in the choir of The Church of St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan, New York.

folia ligni

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - Sidney Marquez Boquiren

By Kelley McRae In response to Psalm 93 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project. 

Artist Statement:
I really love the language in Psalm 93 that 'the seas have lifted up their voice.’  And it's clear from the different translations that it's a raging sea. It’s a storm. 

The song obviously works in metaphor and (I hope) can be interpreted in different ways. But I mainly had in mind the storms we bring on ourselves and on our children. By what we have done and by what we have left undone. It's hard to see how we might find mercy for the destruction we cause. This song comes out of that struggle.

Photo Credit: Darin Back

RISING

The water's rising.
We don't have a choice.
The seas have lifted.
Lifted up their voice.

And it doesn't matter if you believe
That the punishment doesn't fit the crime.
Cause the sad sorry truth, that no one would choose
Is that our children will be doing the time.
Our children will be doing the time.

The waves are breaking.
Breaking on our shores.
The floods are rising.
Rising to our doors. 

CHORUS

Is there mercy enough for us?
I stand at the scene of the crime.
Is there mercy enough for us?
My children will be doing the time.
My children will be doing the time.
My children will be doing the time.

The water's rising.
We don't have a choice.
The seas have lifted.
Lifted up their voice.

Rising

Rising - Kelley McRae

Inspired by Psalm 126

Music by Joshua Stamper
Daniel Delaney – cello
Amy Christmas Halteman – clarinet
Joshua Stamper – guitar
Dance by Lea Fulton
Photography and Edit by Ben Stamper

Watch the Video and learn more at http://www.sparkandecho.org/we-were-like-those-who-dream_stamper-fulton-stamper/

We Were Like Those Who Dream – Joshua Stamper

Spark and Echo Arts 2013 Resident Artist Emily Ruth Hazel’s poem in response to the theme of Fools as explored through her experiences in Ghana. The poem is in response to:

Proverbs 1:8–9
Proverbs 10:14, 10:21
Proverbs 17:12, 17:28
Proverbs 19:13
Proverbs 29:20
Ecclesiastes 10:12

Learn more and read the text at:
http://www.sparkandecho.org/circling-the-waist-of-wisdom_emily-ruth-hazel/

Emily Ruth Hazel is a New York City-based poet and writer whose work
wrestles with themes of relationship and faith. As a believer in poetry that feels accessible and lived-in, she aims to capture the beauty, hope, and humor that can be found in everyday experiences.

From the Artist: 
Throughout the book of Proverbs, the foolish and the wise are defined by their contrast with each other—so writing about foolishness naturally led me to explore the tandem theme of wisdom. Proverbs are also an essential part of the rich oral tradition of African cultures. As the meanings almost always hinge on metaphors, proverbs lend themselves to poetic play and reinterpretation. As I learned from African friends in college—both in the United States and in Ghana and South Africa—there is a sense of humor that translates through many African proverbs as
well. (One of my personal favorites is, “A leopard is chasing us, and you are asking me, ‘Is it a male or a female?’”)
I was interested in creating a poem in which biblical and African proverbs could be in conversation with each other. Framing the poem partly around my own experiences as an American traveling in Ghana, I incorporated eight biblical proverbs, five common African proverbs, and eleven specifically Ghanaian proverbs—a bicultural exploration that deepened my appreciation for the universality of wisdom.

Notes on the Poem (Specific to Ghanaian Culture)
Asantehene: the highest traditional ruler of the Asante people of Ghana
Baobab: African tree with an extremely wide trunk—a symbol of wisdom
Batik: commonly worn fabric, dyed using a wax-resist method to create patterns
Cedis: Ghanaian currency
Harmattan: dry season during which the wind blows dust from the desert
Kente: traditional hand-woven cloth featuring bright colors and designs
Legon: suburb of Accra, the capital city of Ghana
Tro-tro: mode of public transportation—a van that operates similar to a bus

for Spark and Echo Arts

Circling the Waist of Wisdom - Emily Ruth Hazel

From a post by 2016 Artist in Residence Lauren Ferebee wherein she shares the final development of her "Book of (H)ours," reflects on her presentation of the work, and looks forward to how she would like to continue the development of her piece that illuminated Proverbs 8 for Spark and Echo Arts.

Book of (H)ours

in the morning

in the morning - Lauren Ferebee

Singer Ileana Santamaría wrote a poem that she then brought to musician Raffi Dimoian to produce a an intimate spoken word piece imagining Eve’s response to Adam from Genesis 2:21-24 for Spark & Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.


ARTIST STATEMENT

This piece, “Eve’s song”, came about as a response to Genesis 2:21-24 and to the beautiful idea of a helpmeet* – Ezer in the Ancient Hebrew, a helper suitable for man, a companion on this Earth that was given first to him and then to her and their progeny. In a way, it was also a response to the deeply moving response to the same passage conceived by Spark and Echo Band in their first album. Titled “Flesh”, that work – in itself Adam’s response to this wondrous creature made from and for him, marked by an exuberant, childlike joy and excitement in showing her around the garden and declaring giddily, ‘I was waiting, I was waiting for you’, made quite an impression on me. Recently I was reminded of that fascination with the idea of Eve after reading a blurb from Christian author Gary Thomas’ book Cherish, in which he espouses the notion of Eve being the only woman on Earth as a guideline for men struggling with temptation, calling on them to cherish their wives (hence the title) as the sole woman on Earth, the precious gem crafted for and given especially to them. The seedling of an idea was thus born and lay dormant in me until recently, namely, that of responding to this Scripture by assuming Eve’s voice as she responds to Adam about her calling from and to his side and their calling together.
 
It is our hope and prayer that “Eve’s song” will capture something that will speak to and, in keeping with the spirit and the objective of this wonderful Spark and Echo Arts project, illuminate some aspect of the person of Eve, who and what she was made to be before the Fall, beyond the infamous fruit of the tree she is perennially associated with. The piece aims to tie in that destiny “redeemed, restored”, as one line reads, into the redemption of our humanity in Jesus Christ, and in particular, of the aspect of woman as partner – a femininity that goes way beyond one-dimensional stereotypes back to its true roots in gentle yet fiercely loving strength and capacity to love and serve and to follow our Lord together with man through the hardships of this life.
 
 
* helpmeet, help·mate
 
ˈhelpˌmāt/Submit
 
a helpful companion or partner, especially one’s husband or wife.
 
Origin: late 17th century (as helpmeet ): from an erroneous reading of Gen. 2:18, 20, where Adam’s future wife is described as “an help meet for him” (i.e., a suitable helper for him). The variant helpmate came into use in the early 18th century.

Eve's Song

Eve's Song - Ileana Santamaría

Comedian Paul Schissler explores the unseen side of the comedian's life in response to Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination project.

ARTIST STATEMENT
There's a side to comedy that the audience doesn't see. A side that's not filled with laughter. So often people question what it's like being a comedian-- how hard it is, what's the motivation, what's the goal? You work obsessively on something that results in mostly failures, setbacks and self-doubts. It's incredibly lucky to "make it" in comedy, and often feels futile. Like chasing the wind. This bedtime story is an honest look at the rollercoaster feelings inside a comedian-- hope, determination, joy, self-doubt, hopelessness.

ARTIST BIO:
Paul Schissler is a NYC comedian and co-founder of Comedywire.com. Paul's been part of the NY Comedy Festival and seen on The Steve Harvey.

A Comedian's Bedtime Story

A Comedian's Bedtime Story - Paul Schissler

Playwright Caroline Turner Cole explores Jude 1:20-23 through the lens of addiction and the path of recovery in this one act script with a reading performed by Stacy Ann Strang, Alexandra Hulme, and Taylor LeBaron for Spark & Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.


"But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."


Read the script and Caroline's artist statement at: www.sparkandecho.org/steps_caroline-turner-cole

Writing

Steps

Steps - Caroline Turner Cole

Actor Laurie Schroeder Callen brings us two monologues in response to the theme of healing in the doctor-patient relationship as well as Psalm 6:2-3 and Romans 12: 6-8.

Written by Laurie Schroeder Callen
Performed by Philip Callen and Laurie Schroeder Callen
For Spark+Echo Arts

1. Patient: Call and Response - Laurie Schroeder Callen

Iranian composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh explores the poles of love and hate and the paradoxical existence of prophecy from Joel 3:17 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

No One Is Born Hating Another Person

No One Is Born Hating Another Person - Niloufar Nourbakhsh

This soulful piece by Nehemiah Luckett is reminiscent of church choirs combined with Broadway, composed in response to Joel 2:3 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project:

"Before them fire devours,
    behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
    behind them, a desert waste—
    nothing escapes them."

Devouring Fire

Devouring Fire - Nehemiah Luckett

Letting the text 'speak' to directly inspire his creative process, composer and musician Ezra Haugabrooks​ wrote, performed, and recorded this song in response to Joel 2:1-11 for Spark+Echo Arts Bible Illumination Project.

Read about his artistic process at: sparkandecho.org/illumination/joel_ezra-haugabrooks

Joel

Joel - Ezra Haugabrooks

2017 Artist in Residence Lily Maase presents her nearly-completed song cycle, Buried in Wicked Light inspired by Revelations 9:10-20; 11:3-7; Isaiah 8:11; Proverbs 4:23 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project. 

Interact with her creative journey athttps://sparkandecho.org/illumination/artist-in-residence_lily-maase

1975

03 - 1975 [Rough] - Lily Maase

This rich song by Peter Mawanga draws jointly from the beautiful cultural heritage of Malawi and from Habakkuk 1:2-5 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible illumination project.

FROM THE ARTIST
The music is drawn from the Manganje beat which is commonly danced by the Lomwes from the Southern region of Malawi.

The words in the song are drawn from Habakkuk 1:2-5.

Habakkuk was complaining to God about the problems he was going through and the Lord answered him by promising Habakkuk that He was going to do something in his days—things that he would not believe.

The title of this song, NDAUPENYA, meaning "I have seen your greatness," is inspired by Habakkuk 3:1-4. This is a prayer from Habakkuk the prophet in shigionoth.

NDAUPENYA is a Chichewa word drawn from a verb PENYA which means "Look or Watch."




Starting June 25, 2018 learn more about his project at https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/ndaupenya_peter-mawanga

NDAUPENYA

NDAUPENYA - Peter Mawanga

The sound of this song by musician, singer-songwriter, and performer Peter Mawanga offers an energetic and joyful feel that complements the words from the work's originating inspiration: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-6 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible illumination project.

ARTIST STATEMENT
This song is inspired by the words of 2 Thessalonians 1:3-6, "Thanksgiving and Prayer."

The song opens with the words "TIZIYAMIKA MULUNGU NTHAWI ZONSE IYE AMAPEREKA MWAULERE,"
meaning: "We ought always to thank God for you brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more."

I go on to say, "We ought to thank God for he gives us all freely."

ATISAMALA means HE CARES.

*  *  *

Explore this work further at https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/asamala_peter-mawanga

ASAMALA

ASAMALA – Peter Mawanga

This song by returning multi-disciplinary artist Aaron Beaumont beautifully captures a sense of ache and hopeful longing felt in the midst of suffering in response to 2 Thessalonians 1:5,11; 2:15-17 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible illumination project.

Read about the project and Beaumont's creative process by visiting https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/lightness-of-the-pines_aaron-beaumont

Lightness of the Pines

Lightness of the Pines – Aaron Beaumont

This quirky one-act play by playwright Adam Szymkowicz​, performed in this audio recording by a talented group of actors, responds to the book of Titus as a whole for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible illumination project.

Read the play and learn more about the project starting Monday, November 5, 2018 at https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/berbert_adam-szymkowicz.

CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
T: Anna O'Donoghue
Angie: Nandita Shenoy
Paul: Robert Manning Jr.
Berbert: Michael Markham

Berbert

BERBERT — Adam Szymkowicz

Poet Chauncey Beaty explores the complexity of the Apostle Peter in this beautiful poem responding to 2 Peter 1:3-10 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible illumination project.

You can find out more about the project and read her work at https://sparkandecho.org/cms/entries/illuminations/the-recipe-or-peters-pantoum_chauncey-beaty starting December 10, 2018.

The Recipe (Or Peter's Pantoum)

The Recipe (Or Peter's Pantoum) — Chauncey Beaty

Marc Morin offers this impassioned spoken word reflection on the struggle to do the right thing in the face of ongoing adversity in response to 1 Samuel 24:3-7.

You can find out more about the project and read his work at https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/caves-and-echoes_marc-morin starting February 3, 2020.

Caves and Echoes

Caves And Echoes — Marc Morin

In this collaborative project, musician Peter Mawanga and visual artist Nicora Gangi teamed up to produce a multi-sensory response to John 16:33 for Spark+Echo Arts' Bible Illumination project. 

Engage with the whole of the project at https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/yimbira_peter-mawanga_nicora-gangi

Yimbira

YIMBIRA — Peter Mawanga (and Nicora Gangi)

Sapient Soul (Marlanda Dekine) has invited the audience to join her creative process as they reflect on Job 10:10-12:8 to create “Diptych: Unpacking the Self,” the first poem in a collection as Spark+Echo Arts’ 2020 Artist in Residence.

Read her poem and explore her process at  https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/artist-in-residence_marlanda-dekine

Diptych: Unpacking The Self

Diptych: Unpacking The Self - Sapient Soul Marlanda Dekine

Musician and composer Peter Mawanga wrote this song of confession, pointing to hope for deliverance, in response to Judges 6:1-18 for Spark+Echo Arts’ Bible Illumination project. 

Visit https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/ulemu_peter-mawanga to learn more about his work.

#Bible #Judges #Confession #Hope

ULEMU (Live Studio Version)

ULEMU (Live Studio Version) – Peter Mawanga

Based on Acts 4:10-12, musician Peter Mawanga brings his joyful signature sound in this song exploring the role of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Learn more about his work within Spark+Echo Arts’ Bible Illumination project at: https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/nambala-wani_peter-mawanga

Nambala wani

Nambala Wani — Peter Mawanga

This hauntingly beautiful song by indie singer-songwriter Mara Measor explores the importance of experiencing darkness to know light in response to Isaiah 60:2.

Learn more about the project at https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/weight-of-the-dark_mara-measor

Weight of the Dark

Weight Of The Dark — Mara Measor

Spark and Echo Arts is creating or commissioning a work of art, music, theatre, poetry, dance, or film in response to every verse of the Bible.

Spark and Echo Arts

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