CDs
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy; we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other.”
- By Meryl Streep, versatile American actress
After singing at a Senior Community, I was asked to record the song, Going Home, to be played at a memorial service. That person had no known family, but those who lived in the same Senior Community wanted to have a service at their passing. To honor that request and the departed, I recorded the song. But that situation gave me the idea to record other songs, including some of my own compositions and give those recordings to people who had recently lost a loved one. That became my Empathy CD, which you may listen to here.
Empathy CD
God’s Love Toward Humankind
I produced a second CD titled, God’s Love Toward Humankind, as a midterm project for Fuller Seminary’s course called the Pentateuch. This work was inspired by the stories of God’s love to His people as found in the first five books of the Bible set to music.
God’s Love Toward Humankind – A Musical Collage
Written and compiled by Bev Reil
A Project for The Online Pentateuch Course
Summer 2010
Fuller Seminary
1. God’s Love Toward Humankind-Intro (Bb-original key ) – words and music by Bev Reil, arranged by Jennifer Streeter - opening of thanks to God – one verse only – Jennifer Streeter on the piano with Bev Reil vocals – (permission obtained for adaptation from Jennifer Streeter, August 2010) (original music copyright, August 2007, arrangement September 2007; adaptation, July 2010). (The original song was dedicated to our son-in-law’s father, who passed away in September 2007.)
2. Creation Song – Eden – words and music written by Bev Reil while vacationing in Maui – based on Genesis 1:29-31 (words and music copyright, July 2010).
3. Abraham and Isaac’s Song – uses the music of God Will Provide-words and music written by Bev Reil – based on Genesis 22 – (words and music copyright, April 2011).
4. Exodus Song – You Give Us Hope (click here to see the making of You Give Us Hope) – based on Exodus 1-18 – music and words written by Bev Reil – the original music was a gift to a dear friend (now also deceased) upon the passing of her dear husband – (permission obtained for adaptation from this friend, August 2010) (words copyright, August 2010; music copyright, May 2007).
5. Israel’s Song – to the tune of Londonderry Aire (public domain) – based on Exodus 20:5, 6, 8, Exodus 25:1-8, and Leviticus 10:3 – words written by Bev Reil (copyright, August 2010).
6. Miriam’s Song – based on Exodus 15 – uses Mother’s Love song – original words and music written by Bev Reil and based on Isaiah 49:15 – (Words copyright, April 2011; music copyright September 2007).
7. Moses Song - Come to Me – words and music by Bev Reil, arranged by Jennifer Streeter – Adaptation based on Exodus 33: 12-23 – (permission obtained for adaptation from Jennifer Streeter, August 2010) (Words copyright, August 2010; music copyright, November 2008).
8. The Name of Yahweh – Adaptation of my father’s song (public domain) written in the 1940’s – based on notes from Isaiah 40-55 – music adapted by Bev Reil and Sabine Cabales (Bev’s granddaughter) - words by Bev Reil (words and music copyright, April 2011). (Also, Matt Turner assisted in updating the piece in 2007)
9. The Wilderness Song - That You Love Us So (transposed to the key of D) – music and words written by Bev Reil and arranged by Jennifer Streeter – based on Exodus 34 and Numbers 11:11-23 – Jennifer Streeter on the piano and Bev Reil on the vocals - (permission obtained for adaptation from Jennifer Streeter, August 2010) (Music copyright, August 2007; words copyright, August 2010).
“Israel’s Song” to the tune of “You Give Us Hope”
In the third week of July my husband and I vacationed in Ka’anapali, Maui, HI. The Creation Song melody was inspired by both my study of the Pentateuch and by the beach trail that I ran or walked almost every day while we were there. On the Creation video, you can see a photo of the beautiful blossoms of the trees as I took the trail above the golf course that was located a short distance from the beach. The gorgeous trees, the magnificent ocean view, and the perfectly groomed grounds were the setting for the inspiration of this melody. The first time I jogged that way, I thought to myself, this must be as close to the Garden of Eden as any place on earth. Two of the days I picked up blossoms that had fallen to the ground face down but still unblemished. I carefully carried them back to our room and floated them in a glass bowl to enjoy both their fragrance and their beauty. (Attach picture of blossoms here)
The Creation Song was the only new melody in the collage of music written specifically for the Pentateuch project. All the lyrics for six of the nine songs were written in July or August 2010. Except where otherwise noted, Bev Reil was the vocalist and the pianist. Three more original scores were written in April 2011 and were added to the original six songs in the collage.
Let me explain how I write lyrics: I write out the section of scripture that I am focusing on in at least two different translations; NRSV, TNIV, for example. I also use the Message Bible, on occasion, for ideas of contemporary wording. I read the translations out loud several times and then I meditate on the scripture. I begin to write down specific phrases especially noting the repeated phrases. Then I play the music repeatedly and begin to attach phrases to the lines of music.
Throughout the study of the Pentateuch, I collected phrases and sections of scripture that I wanted to be sure to use. I used my notes and my homework assignments to gather lyric input. I chose the sections of scripture according to the impact that they made on me regarding how much God loved the Israelites. I also tried to be realistic with the narrative interactions between God and man, God and Abraham and Isaac, God and Moses, Moses and the Israelites, the Israelites and the covenant, God and the Torah, God and Miriam, the Israelites and Egypt, the Presence of the Holy Spirit, and the character of Yahweh. You will see I touched on these subjects of creation: freedom, exodus, wilderness care, sacrifice, atonement, God’s power, hope, thanksgiving, holiness, jealousy, Sabbath, presence, chosen people, Mt. Sinai, strangers, sin, complaining, doubt, mercy, grace, faithfulness, and glory among other subjects.
Working on this project has been a great experience, but not without its difficulties. The main challenge in August 2010 was to figure out how to submit the materials in their various forms as I made a DVD and CD of the work. The courseware could not handle the size of the files, so I became “friends” on Facebook with my TA who, by the way, was in Kirgizstan and submitted the project via Facebook. I sent a DVD, CD, and hard copies of the written materials to my faculty in Southern California.
Another challenge for me was to transfer the academic learning into a creative expression upon command. Usually, the writing of music and lyrics comes from an experience that causes me to need to express the emotion of that experience by way of music or words. I knew Maui would be beautiful, but I didn’t foresee that it would remind me so much of the creation story that we had just studied. Hawaii was a perfect environment for me to write the Creation Song. The writing of the other songs largely came from the study of the scripture, meditation, and prayer; asking God to give me the words that He would desire for this project.
I was very thankful to the faculty for allowing a creative project as the first assignment in the study of the Pentateuch. Writing this collage of music was an amazing experience and I hope you will find all aspects of this project cohesively telling the story of God’s Love Toward Humankind. (Click here to hear the songs.)
“Music…will help dissolve your perplexities and purify your character and sensibilities, and in time of care and sorrow, will keep a fountain of joy alive in you.”
- By Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident
“Joy, sorrow, tears, lamentation, laughter – to all these music gives voice, but in such a way that we are transported from the world of unrest to a world of peace, and see reality in a new way, as if we were sitting by a mountain lake and contemplating hills and woods and clouds in the tranquil and fathomless water.”
- By Albert Schweitzer, theologian, philosopher, physician, organist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner
“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks, and invents.”
- By Ludwig von Beethoven, Composer