Monthly Archives: March 2015

“Body & Soul: A Worship Collective” equals a theolgically-rich, musically-relevant music experience

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

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Body & Soul cover

In a blog recently brought to my attention worship leader Dan Cogan writes about his journey away from contemporary music. One of the reasons he cites for the change is that “the content of hymns is almost always vastly more theologically rich…

“Rather, the theology in the hymns is typically more sound or healthy than much of contemporary worship music. As I said earlier, contemporary songs engage our emotions more often, where the hymns engage our hearts by way of the mind.” (http://www.dancogan.com/my-journey-away-from-contemporary-worship-music)

To which I reply: have you listened to the Body & Soul: A Worship Collective CD?

Headed by Jeremy Zeyl, part of the folk roots trio Isabelle Gunn, Body & Soul: A Worship Collective is a theologically-rich, musically-relevant worship experience which engages the heart and soul as well as the mind and emotions. Recorded over two nights late last year at the Talbot Street Church in London, Ontario, the two-CD set features a worship team made up of musicians and singers from churches in London.

Some history is in order. Body & Soul has its roots in Jeremy’s 2013 CD Heidelberg: Songs from the Catechism, released in celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Reformed teaching. And one of the reasons for Heidelberg‘s release was to create a new body of worship material for churches to use.

Body & Soul is the latest step in Jeremy’s journey to bring theologically-driven music to the masses. While Jeremy may be the driving force behind the project, it truly is a team effort. Writing credits also go to Jeremy Jongejan (electric guitar), Janelle Lightbourne (vocals) and Brian Van Arnhem (bass).

While some contemporary worship music displays a theological shallowness, Body & Soul certainly doesn’t. What other contemporary worship songs recognize the imagery of the Old Testament Tabernacle with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus (“Jesus Our Tabernacle”)? “The poignant “Lord, Are You There?” echoes the question many of us ask when life is difficult, while acknowledging that God is in the silence. And “Not My Own” is a musical version of the first question and answer in the Heidelberg catechism.

Musically the songs run the gamut from Jeremy’s folk-roots stylings (“They Were Waiting,” “I Am Not My Own”), country (“Nothing in Creation”) and gospel (“Jesus Our Tabernacle,” “Jesus My Red Sea”). The collective works well together, with no single person outshining the other. Highlights include vocalist Janelle Lightbourne’s rich vocals on “Jesus Our Tabernacle” and “Jesus My Red Sea” and lead guitarist Jeremy Jongejan’s work on “Nothing in Creation”.

Body & Soul doesn’t suffer from the production flaws many live CDs have. It’s a clean and crisp with a mix that melds the vocals and instrumentals into a cohesive whole. It’s truly a listening pleasure.

Whether you like songs that make you think while you listen to them or just enjoy excellent worship music, Body & Soul: A Worship Collective is for you.

For more on Body & Sould: A Worship Collective, check out http://www.bodyandsoulcollective.com/#body-and-soul-event

Lost & Found Theatre’s “Kimberly Akimbo” is funny, poignant and deeply moving

20 Friday Mar 2015

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Lost and Found Theatre - Kimberly Akimbo

One of my pleasures is live theatre and the Lost & Found Theatre company’s latest production, Kimberly Akimbo, is one of the reasons for my love of theatre.

The Kitchener, Ontario-based company doesn’t describe itself as a “Christian theatre company” even though most of the company’s core cast are Christians. But the works they choose to produce frequently resonate with Christian values and definitely look at the challenging and redemptive aspects of human relationships.

Kimberly Akimbo does just that. Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire’s play introduces us to a mother (Christy Ziss) about to give birth to her second child and worried about about diseases she’s never been diagnosed with; a rarely sober father (Andy Pogson) who constantly makes promises he never keeps and 15- turning 16-year-old, Kimberly who tries to navigate the turbulent waters of a budding teenage romance, a dysfunctional family (that also includes an aunt with a sketchy past) and her own mortality.

Cast as Kimberly, is Kathleen Sheehy portrays a teen who struggles with a rare condition that causes her body to age faster than it should. Faced with an uncertain future, she also has to cope with her parents avoidance (bordering on denial) of her condition despite her desire to live a normal teenage life. When her aunt Debra (Jennifer Cornish) shows up with a get-rich-quick scheme, Kimberly’s world falls apart as simmering family secrets boil to the surface in heated arguments and accusations.

And when the family secrets no longer remain secret, instead of ending the dysfunction, it serves to drive the wedge between Kimberly and her parents in deeper, forcing her to forge her own path and find her own happiness.

Thrown into the mix is a Jeff (in a stunning professional debut by Alten Wilmot), a geeky wannabe boyfriend who uses anagrams portray his true feelings. Using a school project as a ruse to get a chance to talk to Kimberly, the budding romance survives awkward silences, their own dysfunctional families and Kimberly’s overprotective father.

Kimberly Akimbo is funny, poignant and deeply moving, often in the space of a single line. It’s a must see.

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Kimberly Akimbo runs until March 28 at the Registry Theatre (122 Frederick St., Kitchener). For ticket details go to http://www.lostandfoundtheatre.com. (Warning: Coarse Language, 13+)

And check out Lost & Found Theatre’s Radical Hospitality initiative where a limited number of tickets for the Saturday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 24 will be available at no cost.

Is the message more important than the medium?

12 Thursday Mar 2015

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Here’s a conundrum: how do you critique “bad” art without coming off as someone who doesn’t understand that the “message” is more important than the work?

Let me define a couple of words in that sentence first:

“Bad” is being used in the context of art that still needs work. Art that probably could have used a bit more skill or technique before being presented to the public. Or art that simply doesn’t make the grade.

“Message” is being used in the context of the Gospel message and/or general biblical message.

I’ve often found myself in this conundrum. When I was worked at a secular newspaper, I had to attend the performance of a local, amateur musical theatre group which specialized in Gilbert & Sullivan musicals. This particular performance of “The Pirates of Penzance” was truly terrible. Most of the singers were past their prime and if you can’t hit the notes, G&S musicals are unforgiving. Fortunately I didn’t have to write a review, but just report on the fortitude of the players in producing the play.

I’ve also found myself in this situation as a Christian journalist, and now blogger. Theatre performances that just didn’t hit the mark. Books that could have used better writing or editing. Musicians whose songs could be better written or CDs better produced. In most cases, I’ve tried to be gracious in my comments, often biting my tongue to keep my more cutting opinions from being voiced.

Occasionally I’ve found a few people with whom I could share honestly. In many cases they’ve actually recognized the shortcomings and have learned lessons to be used for the next time. And the conversations we have about improving the art form have both been encouraging and enlightening.

Most of the time, though, when I’ve voiced criticisms, I’ve be accused of missing the importance of the message in the medium. I’ve been told it’s not important the book be better written or the play be better performed. People have been exposed to the Gospel and that’s all that matters.

The implication is that God can use art in spite of the quality, or lack thereof. There’s truth in that philosophy. E.g. God used an ass to get his message across to Balaam (Numbers 22: 21 to 41). Therefore God can use bad art to get across His message of salvation.

But why should He have to? When I look at the scriptural record describing the construction of the Tabernacle or any of the versions of the Temple, I see artisans who were so humbled by the responsibility that they produced the best work they possibly could.

My intent has never been to be curmudgeon or to disparage the art or artist. But I believe we can all strive for excellence in our art. Any choice to be satisfied with less than excellence dishonours God and dishonours our art.

C. S. Lewis on “Christian literature” (or art in general)

05 Thursday Mar 2015

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Christian Reflections cover

I’ve been a C. S. Lewis fan for decades but I almost didn’t buy this copy of Christian Reflections at a local second-hand store. I wasn’t in the mood for a collection of Lewis’ essays, knowing that they can be tough slogging at the best of times.

But I’m also continually watching for works that help define, express or make comment about the intersection of faith, arts and culture. So when I looked at the table of contents and saw the first essay was titled “Christianity and Literature,” I changed my mind.

Here’s one of the things Lewis says about the topic:

I knew, of course, that Christian story and sentiment were among the things on which literature could be written, and conversely, that literature was one of the ways in which Christian sentiment could be expressed and Christian story told; but there seemed nothing more to be said of Christianity in this connection than of any of the hundred and one other things that men made books about. We are familiar with, no doubt, the expression ‘Christian Art’, by which people usually mean Art that represents Biblical or hagiological scenes, and there is, in this sense, a fair amount of ‘Christian Literature’. But I question whether it has any literary qualities peculiar to itself. The rules for writing a good passion play or a good devotional lyric are simply the rules for writing tragedy or lyric in general: success in sacred literature depends on the same qualities of structure, suspense, variety, diction, and the like which secure success in secular literature.

It’s the last sentence of that paragraph that struck me: “success in sacred literature depends on the same qualities of structure, suspense, variety, diction, and the like which secure success in secular literature.” I’d suggest (not Lewis) this principle can be applied to any of the arts: success depends on following the particular disciplines of that art form.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Lewis? Why or why not?

Guelph band transforms G.K. Chesterton’s poems into song

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

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Riddles and Creeds cover Those familiar with G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton probably know him for his apologetic works (Orthodoxy or The Everlasting Man) or fiction (Father Brown mysteries or The Man Who Was Thursday). Through the Nicole Ensing Band’s 2014 CD, riddles & creeds, you’ll soon learn about Chesterton the poet. Ensing, the worship ministry coordinator at Guelph’s New Life Christian Reformed Church, and producer Ross McKitrick, have transformed 10 of Chesterton’s poems (two songs on the CD are instrumentals) into outstanding songs. Transforming existing poems into song lyrics isn’t as easy as it sounds (I unsuccessfuly tried to do so with Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Break, Break, Break” after studying it in school). About half the songs were adpated by Ensing and McKitrick, with Ensing soloing on the adaptation on the other half and composing the music for all of the songs but “The Great Minimum,” where she teamed up with McKitrick. “A Child of the Snows,” “The Rolling English Road” and “The Aristocrat” are probably my favourite songs on riddles & creeds, but I don’t think there’s one bad track on the CD. Ensing, sings and plays piano, surrounded herself with a solid band of musicians for this project: Brian Bork (guitar), Sam Fitzpatrick (bass) and Joel Sypkes (drums – and is no longer with the band). The band seems to know when to keep instrumentation to a minimum (“The Great Minimum”) or turned up to 10 (“The Aristocrat”). If I had one quibble with the CD, it’s in the production. There’s often too much “space” between Ensing’s vocals and the rest of the music for my liking, which leads to her vocals getting lost in the mix. riddles & creeds is the perfect introduction to both the Nicole Ensing Band (http://www.nicoleensingband.com/) and the poetry of G.K. Chesterton.