"Earth Turns Inside Out"  The Story

       Mr. Bob Wills, choral director of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin

Catholic Church, St. Paul, MN and choir were selected to perform on June 21, 1998 at the Basilica of St. Peter's, Vatican City, Italy.  I had the privilege to work with Mr. Wills and his choir when I was selected in the 1995-96 composer-in-residence program for the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Catholic Church as well as Wooddale Church and Hennipen United Methodist Church, Minneapolis, MN.  This residency was through the American Composers Forum made possible by the Bremer Foundation.

       Later in the spring of 1997, Mr. Wills asked to write a composition for his choir.  The compositions would be premiered on their concert in Rome.  Mr. Wills gave me no guidelines to follow which as a poet and composer, I was most grateful because I would have the freedom on creating this piece. 

       THE WORK…...I always start with my text.  If the text is right, the music will follow.  Daily in my prayers, I pray about my text and music that God is

glorified, souls come to know Jesus Christ and others are strengthened in their love and work for Christ.  I try as hard as I can to have these three components in my poetry.  I begin to write and nothing comes, then, the thought of sin, the

wickedness, destructive horrifying sin in our lives that keeps us away from

Jesus Christ penetrates my mind and soul.  How can I display the destructiveness of sin in my text?  What words can I use to say what sin did to Christ?  How can my words make Christ's pain felt in our souls?  What words portray the shedding of Christ's blood?  How was I to bring joy, the joy Christ feels when a soul comes to His cross?

       THE MUSIC…….How could I "create" sin?  I chose the tritone.  In the early church, the tritone symbolized the devil and sin.  In the Catholic Church, a

composer using the tritone would be killed.  The triton is heard tearing the earth apart.  It is not until the word "Lamb" is sung that there is any type of relief from this disturbing, penetrating sound of sin.  "Lamb" is on a C major chord.  The music takes off its vengeance again as "piercing" is repeated many times.  Then, the beauty of Christ and His work begins to be heard.  "It is in these wounds" the choir sings passionately this phrase weaving in and out of their vocal parts.  "The blood of Christ sings" takes on the character of suffering in the use of dissonant sounds and then the melodic and soothing sounds area heard as the joy of Christ is heard musically.  The piece ends in twelve parts on the word "sing."  The twelve parts symbolized the Twelve Apostles.

       THE DIVINE…...When I started it write the text and the phrase "Earth Turns Inside Out" comes into creation, Rome experienced an earthquake.  When Mr. Wills goes to Rome last January to meet with the Vatican officials to discuss the

performance, the Vatican asked Mr. Wills to consider another place for

performance besides the Basilica of St. Peter's.  In Mr. Wills mind, he thinks the Basilica is the only place for their performance.  When the Vatican officials take him to the other place and Mr. Wills walks into this absolutely beautiful

sanctuary, he decides this is the place for the performance.  It is not until after he makes this decision, he finds out the name of the place which is the Church of The Twelve Apostles.  Mr. Wills informs the Vatican people about "Earth Turns Inside Out" ending in twelve parts symbolizing the Twelve apostles.  The Priest blesses the piece.  The Apostle Philip and James tombs are in this church.  Two other facts about the Church of The Twelve Apostles are: The funeral of Michelangelo was held in this church, and this church is the third oldest church in the world.

       THE PERFORMANCE….On June 21, 1998, the performance of "Earth Turns Inside Out" takes place.  The performance was outstanding!

       MY PATH…..I am a  composer who is creating my own path.  My 'sound of change' is beginning to be heard