O Nox Ultima January 2009 Progress Update

 

Bart of DIS

This is Bart.  

I thought I’d sum up where I am with the O Nox Ultima project right now.  Seeing that I am blogging the updates now rather than composing them in newsletters, I should be able to keep things a bit more current and go into greater detail.

When I say “I”, certainly I do not mean to exclude Dan, Jonathan, or Frank.  At this stage of the musical’s development, however, it is more or less a one-man show.  I am hoping that my initial lyrics, vocal melodies, and chord changes will be a decent starting point for the rest of the band to build upon later.  I have no doubt that their musical abilities to arrange, modify, reinterpret, and edit my current efforts will result in a final product that is far beyond anything I could have conceived myself.

At this stage of development, I tend to “overwrite” things.  The lyrics are too long and ponderous, the chord changes too obtuse.  There is a disproportional weight on over-the-top creativity, inspiration, freedom, and exploration to the detriment of accessibility, balance, or taste.  When the basic frameworks for each of these songs are finished, then the editing scalpel comes out and a lot of fat will get trimmed.  For a project like this to have any real chance of broad ministry application and appeal, it cannot for a second try the patience of the listener, so stylistic compromises and streamlining will come into play.

With that as a preface, here is where I am at with the songs themselves:

“Overture”–I have not begun this song yet.  Even though it is chronologically first, it will likely be the last song written and arranged, which makes sense considering that it is essentially to be a medley of motifs from the other songs from the rest of the project.

“O Nox Ultima”–This song is more or less completely done and ready for final arrangement tweaks from Jonathan and Frank and then recording.  I think the melody is pretty strong, which is pretty important for the first song of a musical.

“Land of the Prophets”–The basic grooves, melodies, backing harmonies are done, but a bit more work needs to be done with regard to instrument arrangements and transitions between the three different rhythmic grooves in the song: the verses, choruses, and a strange militant Roman Army bridge section.

“Glories of Rome”–Similar to the “Land of the Prophets”, in that some arrangement and transition issues remain to be addressed.  A bombastically fun song that hopefully helps convey the swagger of Roman self-identity as rulers of the known world. 

“My Greatest Treasure”–While the vocal melodies and changes are done, and I know it will have a waltzy 6/8 feel, I still have no idea what the final instrumental arrangements will end up like.  This is an important song, as it has to “sell” the depth of the love relationship between the lead (Antonius) and his mute slave/fiance (Helena), and it has to create the suspension of disbelief pretty carefully, seeing that Helena cannot speak.  We’ll have to establish that this duet is one where they sing from the depths of their souls, where Helena can sing beautifully, versus their reality, where she cannot utter a sound.

“The Blood of Eupatoria”–This one is very close to being ready to record.  Only a few minor arrangement details need to be worked out.  This song rocks hard, and is a punishing contrast to the previous one (and in the screenplay, they follow one another almost immediately).  Dark, haunting, and driving, it is a great vehicle to reveal Helena’s black rage.  It will take the right kind of female vocalist to nail this, as she will have to go back and forth from tender, loving mother and adoring wife to avenging, murderous harpy.

“Sicarii Slaughter”–I’m still kicking around ideas for this very short but very violently intense instrumental.  It will probably steal a few motifs from “Glories of Rome”, “O Nox Ultima”, and/or “”Blood of Eupatoria” over a pounding tribal Stravinsky/Rites of Spring-influenced groove.

“Repent”–I think this has the best chance at being a radio “single” of any song on this project.  It can be completely divorced for the context of the play and still make sense, as it is an art-rock retelling of the Sermon On The Mount.  Pretty much ready for recording, I would think.  I imagine people actually leaving their seats and dancing during this one, as it grooves very hard, especially during the “double-time gospel” section at the end.

“God of the Desert” & “God of the Desert (reprise)”–Basic melody and changes are complete.  I am hoping to farm a lot of the arrangement of these songs out to Frank, as I imagine it being a very contemplative piano-driven song, with only a smattering of rock instrumentation perhaps on the last chorus to give it a lift.  I think I even suggested to Frank that the piano accompaniment be something like German Lieder (being a conservatory-trained pianist, he knows what I mean by that).

“Forgive”–I have the melodies and changes for Jesus’ lines pretty much done, but this song is the most “opera-like” in the whole project, as Helena sings a lot of non-repeating one-line phrases as she contemplates Jesus’ message, which I haven’t tackled yet.  This song needs to be handled very carefully: it has to have maximum impact when she ultimately chooses to keep hating and refuse Jesus’ pleas for her to forgive–and thus remain mute.

“I Will Live (“Blood of Eupatoria” reprise)”–I have a very firm idea on how this song should go–a lilting waltz as Helena sings of her wonderful change of fortunes, and the horror of her entire world being upended by an accidental discovery.  I still have to write the melody and changes or the first part (the second is a straight reprise of “Bloood of Eupatoria”), but I can almost hear it in my head now, so I’m not worried.

“Eupatoria”–Another reprise of the earlier song, only this time sung by Antonius with a more subdued arrangement than the bombast Helena sings it with.  Drenched with sorrow and regret.  Maybe I can enlist Frank for help pulling this off with more subtle orchestral arrangement.

“Crucify”–Basic groove, vocal melody, harmonies, and arrangement done, but still working on the bridge.  

“Tonight Our Final Night”–Again, vocal melody, harmonies, grooves and arrangement done. Big song with very intense unison riffing between the bass and guitar, which is only possible because Jonathan can pull off on bass anything I can on guitar!

“Forgive (reprise)”–While I know where this is going, I have hardly begun putting it together.  Another important song, as it finally breaks Helena and brings her to forgive.

“Immolation”–While primarily an instrumental song, it will use a very big church choir singing the melody and original Latin text for “Dies Irae” (“Day of Wrath”), one of the oldest and most ominous melodies in Western music.  Weaving over that medieval theme will be some of the strongest motifs of the musical.

“Glory to the Lamb”–Finished the basic vocal melody and changes for the chorus, still working on the rest.  Huge, epic-scale song that has to tie the entire project together.

 

So that’s where we are as of this writing.  Please pray for increased clarity of vision and refinement of giftings so that this musical will accomplish all God would intend it to.

 

Bart

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