A Long Time Coming
September 1st, 2008

   Five years ago my good friend Susan Whitacre and I were sitting in our church sanctuary after our Wednesday night service.  We had been leading music together for years, but the music was getting tough to pick.  We were both stuck in that awful place between the rote repetition of the popular old hymns and the shallow theology and cookie cutter form of most modern worship music.  I have a background in rock and Susan is a concert violist, but we both longed for something deeper and fresher than either genre was offering.  We had been exposed to some of the work of Indelible Grace and the larger RUF community.  We used and use much of their work in our church to this day.  And so we set out to make a CD of our own building on the ancient-modern theme.  I began writing immediately for the album From the Shoulders of Giants.

    Well the project did not develop in the time frame I had hoped.  Although I have been writing for the album for the last five years, I have put the project off two times to produce Chris Slaten’s Under Green Canopies and Mike Milton’s He Shall Restore.  Finally at the end of last year, I knew it was time to revive the project.  Last summer, my good friend Steve Babb introduced me to Robert Streets.  Robert, in addition to being one of the most talented vocalists I have ever met, is a studio drummer, worship leader, and an immensely talented producer.  While working on a different project, I played a few demos of some of the songs I had written for From the Shoulders of Giants.  Robert immediately agreed to produce the album.   To say that it was a good idea to ask him would be a gross understatement.  As I listen to the difference between the original acoustic demos I played him and what my songs have become, I wonder how he ever heard what he heard in them.  Robert’s commitment to this album has overshadowed my own.  He has spent hundreds of hours listening to demos, arranging, editing, and mixing this album.  The results show it.  In addition to Robert’s talents, I have had the direction and encouragement of Steve Babb, and the unequalled skill and sonic vision of Fred Schendel as well.  I am greatly indebted to them for the care and time that has been poured into this project.

   Just as the time frame of this album developed slower than expected, the direction also differed from my intent.  Susan and I had envisioned a collection of songs to be used in corporate worship, but what we have ended up with is modern rock album.  The texts and imagery found in our dusty hymnals lead to an amazing variety of truths, emotions, and sounds.  Most of the early songs I wrote for this project now remain on the shelf for future use.   Instead we are making music that may very well be listened to on the way to worship, but few will likely make into our gathered times of singing due to structure and difficulty.  Nevertheless, I believe these songs will introduce texts to modern Christians that will enrich their faith in Christ and respect for those who have gone before.  I have written over 20 songs for this album, and Robert has, to date, chosen only nine.  Many of the unused songs are good songs, but the album is so strong, Robert is holding out for one more winner.  To date, I still owe him the last song for the album.  By God’s grace, He will allow me to interpret one more to complete this album.  If you’re reading this, please pray for me.  I’m depending on God for something great.

Eric

Posted by Eric Parker in Music

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