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The Gadsby Project (CD)Beating Time - The great GadsbyTHE GADSBY PROJECT (CD) Oh happy day when as a boy It floated down the stinking sewer Actually, I still have my copy of Gadsby's Hymns - safe and sound. It was presented to my great aunt in 1930 by 'The Superintendant and Teachers as a token of their love and appreciation of her services as teacher of Infants in Ebenezer Sunday School'. The above parody, which rather too faithfully mimics a style not uncommon in Gadsby's, was penned by a (once) teenage cousin and a family friend. For many years I shared its sentiments entirely, having also been rescued at a tender age from a hypercalvinist sect which specialised in singing mournful dirges from the book. What a surprise, then, to discover that some musicians from a large PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) congregation in Birmingham, Alabama, had stumbled on a copy of Gadsby's and were excitedly working on up to 40 new arrangements. Maybe I'd thrown the baby out with the bathwater! Last year, RMC Music released Heaven. This has four arrangements of hymns taken from Gadsby's, including this treasure by William Gadsby himself... What solemn tidings reach our ears! No clouds shall now obstruct his sun, He's gone in endless bliss to dwell, Though he's more happy I'm secure. The counsel of the Lord shall stand, He's gone ... The original (664 in Gadsby's) is a straight five verse hymn written in 'common metre'. The RMC version follows an 'A A B A A B + Coda' form, in which the third verse becomes a fitting refrain. The musical arrangement matches the words with great dynamic range: opening and closing with a gentle guitar and e-piano backing, but reaching a crescendo with a full-on rock band in the middle. Heaven also includes 476 by Isaac Watts, 932 by Thomas Kelly and 483 by the prolific Mr. Anon (plus three lesser works from other sources). The Gadsby Project was released in March this year: a selection of 14 hymns exclusively from Gadsby's Hymns. My grandad would have been seriously pleased to see Joseph Hart take the lion's share. The others include Newton, Toplady, Hammond, and Kelly, with just one from the great man himself. The selection covers a broad range of Christian experience, and is full of solid teaching. What I find astounding is how fresh the words appear when married to contemporary music from a different culture. The style is definitely of the deep south, sometimes very country, but the music always seems to serve the words very well. Yet it is disturbing that we have to rely on others to rediscover our heritage for us. 30 musicians are named, but quite often less than half a dozen are used for each song. So there is plenty of variety. The arrangements are always uncluttered and leave plenty of space for the words. The vocals are clear, varied, and sometimes quite exquisite. Both CDs can be bought from http://www.redmountainchurch.org/rmm/ for just US$18, including international post - that's about £10 for the pair, a serious bargain! Come raise your thankful voice, In a word: buy!PGDH© Evangelicals Now - June 2005 |