This was an experimental piece, written for Easter, in which the tempo gradually morphs through the middle of the song, becoming twice as fast at the end, as the opening material returns in the same tempo in which it started, only now in ‘cut-time’. In order to make this rhythmic transition successfully, a click-track arrangement was made to guide the rhythm section players successfully.

Due to the pandemic, Easter 2020 presented a big challenge: how was I going to do a piece of this magnitude? I had already started producing the orchestration and arrangement with Logic Pro and the EastWest Hollywood Orchestra sample library. I ended up digitally producing all instrumentation together with two phoned-in choir parts, and a four-member vocal ensemble, including myself.

The original concept of the work was to blend the various stylistic elements of: 1) Praise and Worship, 2) Symphonic Orchestration, 3) Elements of folk/spiritual, using the pentatonic scale, and 4) an Obligato Choir line throughout. The piece starts in F minor and concludes in Eb Major after going through a passage of chromaticism towards the end of the piece.

I wrote the original version several years ago with limited success in our performance. The difficulty it presented to our group was a rhythmic one. Making the ‘twice as fast’ change was difficult for our team at that time. I knew the only way to successfully achieve it would be to use click across the entire group, including vocalists. Finally having this capability in my grasp, the pandemic situation caused me to abort the larger group idea, replacing the instrumentation with a fully produced track.

Following is the video performance used for Odessa Christian Faith Center’s Easter 2020, featuring Ana Young, Carmen Young, Debra Bledsoe, and myself:

There is life

There is life in the River,

life in the River which flows from the Throne,

it flows from the Throne,

it flows from the Throne

There is life

There is life in the breath of His Presence

There is peace beyond measure,

beyond measure,

a peace freely given,

freely given

It surrounds, it surrounds

and it covers like a flood

covers like a flood,

like a flood

There is fruit precious fruit

which grows on the Vine,

inside there is seed to be planted

If it falls up on ground that is fallow and moist,

its power, its power,

its power will reflect all of Heaven,

all of Heaven

There is fruit precious fruit

which grows on the Vine,

inside there is seed to be planted

If it falls up on ground that is fallow and moist,

its power, its power,

its power will reflect all of Heaven,

all of Heaven

All of Heaven

Jesus is the Resurrection

Jesus is the life

No one comes unto the Father

No one comes unto the Father of Lights

with Whom there is no variation,

with Whom there is no shifting shadow of turning

No one comes unto the Father of lights

by any other way but Jesus

Jesus is the Resurrection Jesus is the Life

Jesus is the Life

Resurrection, Resurrection

Resurrection, Resurrection,

If you believe there is nothing impossible

For He said, "I Am the Resurrection, I Am the Life,

He who believes in Me will never die."

Resurrection, Resurrection

If you believe, If you believe,

All things are possible

Resurrection, Resurrection,

Resurrection and the Life,

Resurrection and the Life

There is life in the River

which flows from the Throne,

There is life in the breath of His Presence

There is peace beyond measure, a peace freely given,

it surrounds and it covers like a flood

There is fruit, precious fruit

which grows on the vine,

inside there is seed to be planted

If it falls upon ground that is fallow and moist,

its power, its power,

its power will reflect all of Heaven

All of Heaven

He said, "I Am the Resurrection. I Am the Life.

I Am the Resurrection. I Am the Life.

Believe in Me, Believe in Me,

You'll never die.

I Am the Life, I Am the Vine,

I Am alive, alive, alive."

There is life,

There is Life!

There Is Life (for Vocal Ensemble, Rhythm Section and Orchestra)

Crown Him With Many Crowns (for String Quartet)