Music with Meaning
Paul Luckraft explains his (not so secret) passion
Passion Play Music is a new CD of original music written to express aspects of the Easter story in purely musical form.
Most of the pieces were originally composed for piano by Paul Luckraft, a renowned Bible teacher and part of the Foundations teaching team. Recently these have been arranged for orchestra by a friend of his, Roger Boyce, who also produced the CD and whose own piece, Love and Sorrow, for solo violin and strings, was added as the central feature of the whole suite.
Paul comments “I started playing the piano at the age of 10 but discovered in adult life an ability to improvise. So I began to use this musical gift in my devotions and when some of these improvisations became pieces in their own right, I thought it a good idea to write them down.”
The first part of Passion Play Music begins with Hosanna, representing the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is a joyful piece, different in style and mood from the other pieces, but designed to open the whole suite and the story that follows. We next move to Gethsemane and the prayer in the garden, with its agony and conflict. These is a sense of being trapped, but also a strength in submission to the Father’s will. The third piece, Dolorosa, portrays the walk to Calvary as Jesus carries his cross surrounded by weeping women. This slow-moving journey is represented by a poignant melody over a repeated rhythm in the base.
The centrepiece, Love and Sorrow, depicts the experience of those standing at the cross, gazing at the one lifted up. The Burial, largely written for strings, is an evocative portrayal of the wrapping of the body and the closing of the tomb, all accompanied by tears and sighs. The last two pieces can be linked. Longing (We Had Hoped) expresses the feelings of those who like the disciples on the road to Emmaus thought all their hopes of finding their Messiah had been dashed. But in the final piece comes a realisation this was not so as First Light dawns and a new joy emerges.
The music lasts just over half an hour but it is hoped that this orchestral version might be used as part of a larger retelling of the Passion using images, videos, dance, and Bible readings. Copies are available for £7 inc p&p via Christian Publications International http://www.christian-publicationsint.com/PassionPlayMusic.html and digital versions can be found on all the usual websites (Amazon, iTunes, Spotify). A sample of the music can be heard online at https://ditto.fm/passion-play-music
SALTSHAKERS DIARY
Foundations 13 National conference in The Hayes, Derbyshire – April 2020 Please see ad on next page For more details of these and other events, go to: https://saltshakers.com/foundations/events/map
Sword magazine is closely allied to the Foundations family, run by the Saltshakers web ministry (www.saltshakers.com). This is a growing national community of like-minded Bible believers, drawn together through the Foundations conferences that have been held all over the country since 2012. This is a community page not only to highlight ministries that have become a part of Foundations, but also to encourage you to interact with us through our conferences