August 2003

The media is already covering the "controversy" of Mel Gibson’s new film, “The Passion”. Was it the Jews that killed Jesus or the Romans? What direction will the Mel Gilson movie take? Do the media want the name of Jesus on the tongues the general public? How far have we traveled away from Christ that people are afraid of the story of His death on the cross for us? What if it was the new Star Wars movie and the media wanted to stop it? We should all be in line now to see this movie about the suffering that Jesus endured during his final 12 hours.

Luckily we can see a glimpse of what Christ did for us in a DVD release by the group Radix, also called The Passion.  It features Doug Barry of the group performing a one man act that is mesmerizing. Barry takes you on an emotional journey through the critical last hours of Our Savior. It is a brilliant and gripping story that demonstrates not only the depth and power of God’s love, but His ability to transform a symbol of death-- the cross – into a symbol of hope and everlasting life. The music in this production is breathtaking and helps echo the emotion of each scene. Composed by Eric Genius, the arrangements will take your breath away as they blend with the drama. The DVD comes with extras including a concert by Eric Genius and a behind the scenes in the making of The Passion .

The depth of what Jesus did for us on the cross is echoed throughout the CD by Keith Roberts called Deeper. It is a collection of songs that gives examples of what Christ did for us and how we must make that move to Him and to trust Him. The CD has an acoustic/modern, alternative sound to it that blends well with Roberts engaging vocals. Thinking back about how it would be to walk along beside Jesus is the theme to the song “Apostles Dream.” It has a reflective feel as if you were one of the disciples. A song to Mary at the foot of the cross after Christ is laid in her arms is called “The Pieta (Mary’s Song).” It conveys the pain Our Lady must have felt. “Sweet Mary mother of God, As a baby you wiped his tear drops, And now as you take him from the cross, As You mourn for the son you’ve lost...” The music has a beautiful guitar solo near the end that is awesome!  "Wounded Hands" is a song of thanksgiving to Jesus for guiding us on the right path. All the work he has had to do to keep us going has helped to wound His hands even more. This is reverberated in the uptempo “I’m Alright.”  No matter what pain the world brings, knowing our life is in His hands is where we find peace.  There are times when we feel we are lost and there is gray all around us.  These are the “Storms” in our life, according to Roberts. This song is a plea to Christ to calm the raging waters of our life. The title track “Deeper” has double meaning. It is based on St. Peter walking on the water, and like him we are all called to follow Jesus and to go deeper our trust for him. Keith Roberts as proven he has a great musical talent with Deeper.

 Long Distance Sunday is the new CD by Joe Zelek. The CD starts off with “God In Me And You,” a song that will get your head moving and you foot tapping. The title speaks for itself--we should see God is everyone we meet everyday. If we did that--wow!--what a great day we would have. The music on this piece is an awesome mix of jazz and rock and I love that cool fake stop in the end of this song. Zelek picks up the guitar and demonstrates his singer/songwriter chops as well as his Catholic faith on the track, "Long Distance Sunday," and on upbeat, confessional, "There Were Days.”  It tells of the days when he did not follow his faith.  Zelek had forgotten about God and what He does for us everyday. This song fades into “Sleepyhead,” a wakeup call to the light and peace of Christ: “Wake up, you sleepyhead.. and rise yourself up from the dead….”  The acoustic tune “Consider Me” tells of finding God and having your own personal Pentecost. Zelek takes two popular Catholic prayers and turns them into wonderful songs. They are “Hail Mary” and “Just Like You,” which is derived from St. Augustine’s prayer to the Holy Spirit and rocked up a bit. Awesome!  Joe Zelek has said that making Long Distance Sunday has been both a spiritual journey and a time of growth for him. "Recently I've been experiencing a renewal in my Catholic faith," said Zelek, adding that he'd never envisioned himself as a typical Christian songwriter.  "I don't want to shy away from the Christian message in my songs, but I do want the songwriting to stand on its own." Long Distance Sunday makes that stand.
 

“Journey with me through the music tonight and we’ll sing to the core of your life...” are the beautiful lyrics to the song “Come As You Are” by singer Kristen Fisher. Her new CD is called Keep The Faith and it contains 13 original songs and arrangements of peace and hope. Fisher has a comforting and soothing voice that helps to convey this peace. It reminds me of Amy Grant, Tori Amos, and maybe a little Kate Bush, too. The CD is full of gentle tunes including "A Prayer For Peace," about facing personal struggles and seeking a place in the Lord’s arms. "Hymn of Trust" is based upon a poem from 1930. It lets us know that God is always with us. "Even in our darkest hour the light of the Lord will fill our hearts" is the message of “Shadow Of Doubt.” Fisher sings this in a duet with her friend, Chris Dincher. Their voices blend together well and they come together again in “On Our Hearts,” a song that asks our hearts to proclaim His will. My favorite song on this CD has got to be “In Your Eyes (A Song For Mary Magdalene.).” Fisher takes the place of the Saint and sings of the joy of finding acceptance from Jesus and what is was like to be withouth Him. The emotion that Fisher puts into this piece will cause a tear to come to your eye. It is powerful.  Also on this CD is the old folk hymn “Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley,” and "Amazing," a variation on "Amazing Grace." You might think the whole CD has a gentle feel to it, but then comes “Back In His Heart.” Fisher lets her hair down and gives an almost soft Delta blues performance with this tune. It tells of the goodness of God. Keep The Faith has a calming affect and will help bring you closer to God.

Kristen Fisher debut CD is also available at CatholicMusicNetwork.com. My Soul Doth Glory contains the hits of Amy Grant, Ray Boltz, Twila Paris, and more. Songs include “Mary Did You Know?,” “You Are Mine,” Jesus, King of Angels,” Faithful Friend,” “Mary’s Song,” and many more. Fisher's voice has been likened to "the voice of an angel” on this CD.