making music together while scattered
This project was conceived as a community body of work. Our church is full of deep talent, and Covid had us all stuck at home wishing we were together. So we made something together, a gift back to our community in the form of song and spoken word. In the summer Pastors John Jay and Leslie began discussing what it would look like to shift our Advent planning into a collaborative album, which was something we could work on no matter what 2020 threw at us. Turns out the winter has proven tough, and the traditional candlelight carol service would not happen as in years past—which only makes this album all the sweeter, since it reflects the intention and themes of our yearly carol service. From the first song to the last, these songs are improvisations on our long tradition, filtered through the strangeness of 2020.
listen closely and quietly
There are some hints on how to listen to this album so that you can experience the fullness of the story being told in each song. The entire album is an extended conversation between the chaos of the world and the promise of the Gospel. You will notice that the first song begins with the ambient noise of the streets, fading from noise to song. The last song reverses the movement, with the sounds of chaos peaking through again, reminding us that Advent is a story that is still looking for fulfillment when Christ returns to set all things right. At various points in the album you can hear the chaos fighting to take hold again, while the voices and music push back against the shadows with the light of love and peace.
One important element that you will hear woven through multiple songs is the prayer and protest we organized at Pasadena City Hall in early summer in response to the killing of George Floyd and the pervasive sin of racist violence and injustice. This content features heavily in Do You Hear What I Hear. In that song you can hear a swell of commotion under the music at verse two, and that swell is the sound of 8 minutes of noise from the protest, which was meant to signify the 8 minutes that George Floyd cried out for relief. Placing this set of sounds underneath the questions posed in the song creates a strong tension, fitting for the season of Advent. These sounds also appear in the O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
In several songs you will hear our community choir, most of whom recorded their sections at home (often on a phone recorder app!). Some of our recording was done at Sunset Studio and Tritone Recorders under the guidance of Harriet Tam as sound engineer and producer. Speaking of Harriet, this project would not have been possible without her gifts and hustle. A million thanks.