Today’s arrangement is about power. The power one single name can have, if not literally then spiritually, to millions of people.

Today’s release is based on the hymn, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” Often called the national hymn of Christendom, this hymn was written in 1779 by a missionary to India named Edward Perronet. Translated into almost, if not every, language in which Christianity is known, this hymn is sung the world over to several different tunes. When addressing this piece, I wanted to call to mind the importance of this name, this person, Jesus Christ, who sits at the center of the most radical change in the relationship humans have between God. There are striking contrasts between the sections of this piece. It begins like the rising of the sun, strings providing a subtle backing texture to the sound of a lone female voice, singing praise. As the piece progresses, the singing and strings are joined by winds, and gradually the message of this arrangement becomes clear as the thundering of drums and timpani come crashing down upon the listener against a swell of brass.

Yours in Music, as in Life.