in the box

stepping into a room
with the express purpose
of making a durable image
of sound on recording devices
an impression electronically preserved
to be a way of knowing what we did
while recording
there is evidence that some sort of
movement of voices and wills and minds
and machines and instruments and personalities
all came together for a brief moment in time
to create a......"what?"

1st session

our goal was to sing through what
is in effect the
entrance and penitential rites
along with the gloria
as all of an opening piece

a hymn
a lament
a song of great praise

this we did fairly easily
for me it was like hearing in a dead space
which in effect is the desired
air quality for the recording technician
very little reverb in the room itself
some on the mikes

it was an experience of
getting used to the setting for me
we sang
accapella
we then sang a tune
with guitars accompanying
as is fitting
for the blues
and
then we did a whoopup bluegrass rendition
of the gloria for everyone to sing

boom
three hours later
tired
but soemhow alive with
the possibility of what we are doing

2nd session

the goal on this big day
is to get through
as much of the liturgy
of the word as possible
so
isaiah 43 you belong to me
psalm 42 as yearns the doe for freshing springs
alleluia freely expressed with verse
gospel using Mk 8 - 9 readings for the first week
after pentecost rock the kashpaw
homily by sally

3rd session

sanctus this was done in simple organum style
acclamation as was this
amen and this

our father - a great tune by john mcgill
agnus dei - reggae

banks of the jordan - this is a country lament about the awareness of ones
need for the grace only god can give
....lord i am not worthy

"away" - john and sally's celtic flavored hymn of praise
words of the pilgrim - by sally

postlude duet - this was completely unrehearsed
other than it is a musical expression
of a conversation that has been going on
for a few years about guitars string theory
the meaning of life and more recently
flatulence as a metaphor for what we are really
doing here
...it occurs to me that at this point in the mass
music is generally superfluous
people are leaving life is continuing on
the character of expression is that of
almost incidental and forgettable
sound arrangements