Meditations on the Seven Angels of Revelation
This music has been composed as a series of meditations on the seven angels described in chapters two and three of the book of Revelation. Inspired by the stained glass windows created by the Louis C. Tiffany Studios in New York during the late 1800's For a New Church in Cincinnati, each meditation portrays one of the angels.
Notes on the Music
Each angel, window and meditation has its own unique character and qualities and yet all are tied together as a single group. The qualities attributed to the angels, both strengths and weaknesses, are drawn from their respective scripture passages. They are intended to reflect the primary qualities and character of each angel speaking to the process of human spiritual regeneration.
There are seven angels and seven windows:
There are also seven tones in the maior scale and seven modes based on those tones. To portray the individuality and the connection of each angel, all of the musical meditations are based in the key of C, with each piece beginning on its respective tone of the scale and composed in the corresponding mode.
The voices and individual instruments incorporated in the music have been used to reflect specific qualities. Stringed instruments correspond to the characteristics and qualities of 'the head,' such as knowledge, thoughts, truth and falsity, and wisdom. Wind instruments correspond to the characteristics and qualities of 'the heart,' such as emotions, passions, lusts, intuitions and love. The voice, because it is directly connected to the breath (spirit), is the most celestial of all instruments and corresponds to intellectual and emotional aspects joined together. The piano, being a percussive instrument (heart-centered), and using strings (head-centered), and having the most neutral of tones, is the most universally inclusive of all instruments and has been used as the foundation for each composition. Voices and instruments have been blended to reflect the qualities of the intellectual and emotional, which occur together in each angel, even though one may be more outwardly and one more inwardly present.
Thanks to Rev. Susannah Currie For the original inspiration of this entire project. Thanks to Alain for a super job in the studio. Thanks to Gary and Ron at Klatity for going the extra mile. And thanks to all of the musicians, especially Laurie for the exquisite realization of what otherwise would only be notes on paper.
And yes, Laurie's last note is one breath, sustained only with help from the angels. And most importantly of all, thanks to God, creator of heaven and earth and the source of all that is good and true.
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