Ivory and Gold is comprised of flautist Anne Barnhart, pianist/vocalist Jeff Barnhart and Grammy-award winning Nashville percussionist Danny Coots. On many of our recordings, we concentrate on American styles from Ragtime to Swing, Ballads to Blues, Broadway and Beyond. For this release, we chose to explore the riches of music for the soul. We were sure not to concentrate on music from one belief system but rather to be all inclusive. Our only criteria was that the tune have a beautiful melody and a positive message. The notes for this CD appear below as they explain our intent and the music clearly. Thanks for taking the time to explore our music! In the future, there will be more releases on CD Baby which are more secular in nature.
ON WINGS OF SONG LINER NOTES
Songs for the soul. Songs that soothe. Sounds like another “New Age” album. Call it what you will, for a long while Anne and I have found inspiration and solace in this beautiful music; the pastoral harmonies, soaring melodies, positive message of faith and hope, solace and tranquility. We have drawn from varied sources, maintaining that no one belief system or culture has a monopoly on understanding or paying homage to that which helps, heals and ultimately redeems us. For my part, I enjoyed providing a cushion for Anne as she ascended the heavens on these pieces. Special mention needs to be made of Danny Coots; with each tap of a stick or stroke of a brush he paints sound which takes us on a cyclical journey between the earthy and the ethereal. Rather than diminishing subtlety, Danny adds immeasurably to it.
Our journey begins with Bless the Beasts and the Children from the movie of the same name. Its timeless message of our responsibility to protect the innocent will resonate as long as there are forces from which we must shelter them. Note the hope resonating in the final phrase, which is repeated up a step.
Amazing Grace may be the most widely-known hymn in the Western world. Perhaps it is the drama of its creation—slave trader John Newton had an epiphany during a storm at sea, renounced his trade, became an Anglican minister and wrote this autobiographical outpouring of worship and thanks. Perhaps it is the simplicity of the deeply personal language that speaks to all.
Erev Shalom means “On the Eve of Peace.” Composer-flautist Gary Shocker provided this background: “I was asked to write a piece which had some sort of hebraic theme for a concert at a prominent synagogue in Nashville. Ken Kanter, the rabbi there, is a friend. His wife, Wendy, has been surviving cancer for many years. I think she was on my mind when I wrote it and dedicated it to them. The piece seems particularly appropriate now.” That it does, and thank you, Gary, for allowing us to share it with our audiences.
I Believe was written for a TV show called “USA Canteen” which aired during the Korean War. It succeeds in encapsulating a message of hope for the “common man,” indeed for anyone whose faith is wavering. Originally, I conceived of it as a strong anthem-like song of faith. In the studio, it naturally became an introspective statement of calm reflection; of centeredness. Anne’s warm tones and Danny’s back-up lend an air of quiet assurance.
We paired Wade in the Water with Wayfaring Stranger chiefly because they are both in minor and meld together quite well. However, dichotomies abound, as the first hymn is in 4/4 and originated with the slave population and the second tune is in 3/4 and was first heard as a southern white hymn in the early 1800’s.
Lyricist Celia Martin convinced celebrated gospel-hymn composer Charles H. Gabriel to write the music for His Eye is on the Sparrow as her husband (and usual collaborator) was overwhelmed with the beauty of the words. This hymn has been a favorite for everyone from revival-meeting preachers to Ethel Waters, who sang it each night in Carson McCuller’s 1950 drama “The Member of the Wedding” and used the song’s title for her autobiography. We dedicate this hymn to Jack Miller.
Russian pianist Alexander Scriabin was a master of short piano pieces and dense harmonies. He originally intended to write a cycle of 48 preludes in which each major and minor key occurs twice. His Prelude in E is one of his most pastoral and melancholy.
The theme of deliverance connects African-American spiritual Go Down, Moses (“Let my people go”) with Ellington’s Come Sunday (“See my people through”). One can see how the slaves in America could identify with the Israelites in Egypt. It was a theme which resonated with the Duke, who offers an interlude of faith ala I Believe. Ellington wrote Come Sunday as part of his 1943 suite “Black, Brown and Beige,” which he performed in his Carnegie Hall debut of the same year.
Our friends Kerry O’Neal and her husband Jason Solomonides introduced us to On Wings of Song, Liszt’s beautiful transcription of Mendelssohn’s “The Maid of Ganges.” When Anne heard Jason play it so lovingly, she exclaimed, “This is the title of the album!” I agreed as long as I could adapt it for flute solo, with apologies to Liszt.
Ideologically, there is no piece on this album with which I agree more than Abundant Life. If more people lived by the words of this song, there would be little need for armed forces or even governments. Utopian perhaps, but Danny commented that the ideas herein sound right in line with Unitarianism. He should know; his father is noted Unitarian minister Max Coots. Each time I hear this tune, I want to try to live this way.
More than any tune in this collection Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen speaks for every person from every age in history. A truly universal song (recent revisions changing “nobody knows but Jesus” to “nobody knows my sorrow” have further opened it to people of every belief), this hymn offers supreme solace.
Composer and preacher, Thomas A. Dorsey began to doubt his faith when he lost his wife during childbirth and his newborn child a day later. Lying sleepless, he kept hearing the words “take my hand…take my hand.” In his words, the effect was “almost like drops of water dripping from the crevice of a rock into a deep, calm pool.” Writing Precious Lord, Take My Hand revived his faith and has provided inspiration for generations.
Pianist and good friend Glenn Jenks gave us his blessing to record the first ensemble version of his beautiful Planxty—Jim Stewart. It is a Scottish tradition to write a dirge for a departed loved one. When Glenn learned that his friend Jim Stewart had passed on, he was moved to compose this elegiac piece. It is our honor to include it here.
I remember the highlight of any Mass I attended as a young man with my family was hearing and singing Let There Be Peace On Earth. It remains one of my Mom’s favorite songs. In church, the tone was anthem-like. We decided to turn it into a jazz waltz, making it a bit lighter and more joyous, but hopefully no less moving.
Our final piece is a beloved anthem from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “Carousel.” Cole Porter once opined that their best songs had “a kind of holiness” about them. The sentiment herein is an outpouring of the purest hope and faith. Our version sends Anne into the heavens for a final soaring tour-de-force.
Exploring these timeless pieces with their positive messages proved to be great inspiration for the three of us. We hope that listening to our CD will be an anodyne from the tumult and provide you with hours of hope and solace. Peace, Love and Joy!
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