Come Sunday

"Come Sunday" features hymns, spirituals, a song from the Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof," a Quaker (Shaker) song, a Jewish folk song, and even some excerpts from well-known classical compositions - all arranged for solo piano by Eric Wilson. The goal of this album was to combine a variety of musical settings in a sacred genre. In the arrangements you will find elements of jazz, classical, blues, and gospel styles. The title track, "Come Sunday," is a modern hymn written by the great jazz artist and songwriter Duke Ellington. The arrangement of this hymn focuses primarily on its many harmonic possibilities. The second track of the album, "Sabbath Prayer," is a beautiful song from the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." The inspiration for the arrangement of this song was drawn from the Gymnopedies of Erik Satie. The third track of the album, a medley comprised of "Brethren We Have Met to Worship" and "Be Thou My Vision," serves as a call to worship. This arrangement begins with and is centered around the interval of a Perfect 4th in parallel motion. To many, it evokes a characteristically Chinese or Oriental sound. Given the Irish origin of the songs, however, it may also evoke a Celtic feel with the Parallel 4ths imitating the sound of a bagpipe. The fourth track of the album, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," is a standard of all church hymns composed by Martin Luther during the Renaissance. The arrangement of this grand hymn explores the variety of musical textures - monophony, polyphony, and homophony. The beginning of this arrangement begins in a style inspired by the music of the Baroque period, alternating between monophony and polyphony, forming a canon at one point. It later morphs into a homorhythmic texture with large, solid chords and constantly changing harmony. The solid, powerful quality of the large chords is intended to illustrate the message of the song. The fifth track of the album, "Simple Gifts," is a "Quaker" or "Shaker" song composed by Elder Joseph Brackett in 1848. In keeping with the message of the song, promoting a simplicity, the arrangement of this song is brief and uncomplicated, but still seeks to build interest by the exploration of the harmonic possibilities of the song. The sixth track of the album, "Artsa Alinu," is a Jewish folk song that was a favorite of Israeli pioneers who returned to live in the land of Israel. The melody has a haunting quality that is quite memorable due to its many repetitions. In order to create a contrast to the repetitions of the melody, the arrangement has a surprise ending. The seventh track of the album, "Battle of Jericho Overture," is the longest and perhaps the most extensive track. As the name overture implies, it features a variety of melodies. It features the well-known spiritual "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho" as well as several famous and instantly-recognizable classical melodies. Each time a new melody appears, "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho" reappears in the style of that melody. Featured throughout the arrangement are excerpts from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Pathetique" piano sonata. The eighth track of the album, "Wayfaring Stranger," is a traditional American spiritual. The arrangement of this lyrical, yet sometimes haunting melody was patterned after a Nocturne (or night piece). It is in a loose ternary form (A B A') with a brief cadenza at the end. Its ever-changing moods illustrate the mixed feelings of being a wayfaring stranger - longing for a home, sadness of being a stranger, peace in knowledge that a home is waiting, joy in the hope of a home, and, ultimately, triumph in finding that home. The ninth track of the album, "Revive Us Again," is a standard hymn that calls for spiritual renewal. The hymn is originally in 3/4, but this arrangement explores the possibilities of setting the hymn in 4/4. The left hand accompaniment imitates the electrifying sound of the electric guitar. The tenth and final track of the album, "It Is Well With My Soul," is a wonderful hymn of peace and spiritual affirmation. The arrangement of this hymn seeks to illustrate the message of each verse of the song, ending with a wonderful sense of peace and rest.