Rock of Ages II: A Painting Comes to Life
I love love love combining music and visual art. It adds a new dimension to the message, and helps me see the meaning of the song in new ways. It’s a good-news-bad-news sort of thing though…
The bad news: I’m a dreadful artist. (Except for the avocado I drew in 10th grade. That was awesome, if not very useful.) So I can’t do the art myself.
The good news: I know some remarkably talented people. And I’m adept at shamelessly bothering them.
This lyric video features the creation of Natasha Nashadka’s painting titled “Tempestuous Serenity.” It also features James Loynes, singing “Rock of Ages.”
(Video best viewed in fullscreen.)
Here’s what Natasha has to say about this project:
The last thing I want to be is a literal painter. I prefer images that use imagination, metaphor, and symbolism.
I was immediately caught up in the hymn’s two motifs: the mourning and sorrow from being broken on life’s waves and then the deep humility and thankfulness for the unwavering rock as guide and destination.
References to water flow throughout the lyrics, and the ocean represents the vastness, distance, turbulence, and beauty that we all experience during this journey. The waves are our mortality – they represent the changes that we go through, from our humble beginnings to our even more humble endings.
To see more of the fascinating process, visit her blog post.
Handy info…
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Sally, I direct the music at Pioneer UCC in Sacramento, CA. We love doing your choral pieces and thank God for your willingness to share with the greater music community. Your word is inspired and so beautiful.
Thank you I love your music as we sing them sometimes in our ward choir.
Sally, your gifts are incredible. Thank you for so unselfishly sharing your music with everyone all these years! I have myself sung many of your songs, both as a soloist or as a member of ward choirs, director of stake choirs, and even helped high school choir students use them for countless performances over the years. I retired last year as a high school choir director in northern Utah after 36 years of teaching, but I find myself continually much of your music as valued material for so many situations. I also compose and arrange chorally, instrumentally, vocally for many different situations, and I have derived inspiration from your wonderful use of strong, wonderful harmonic and melodic color, spiritual power, and overall musical integrity. I simply wanted to say thanks! I hope I can meet you in person some day…
That was beautiful. The accompaniment, the voice and the painting.
Love your arrangement. Have sung this in services at senior care facilities I have programs at. Thank You for what you do.