Album Notes

"Song on the Wind" describes the convergence of the English and native people and the relationships formed between them during the first 45 years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It is a story of love and betrayal, sacrifice and courage, and shared hopes and dreams that transcend racial and cultural differences. It is the story of two social experiments, the Puritan 'city on a hill' and the Indian 'Praying Villages', and the war that put all to the test.

Characters include: Squaw Sachem, Webbacowitt, Waban, Tasunsquaw, Tahattawan and Cutchamakin of the Massachusett
and Peter Bulkeley, Simon Willard, John and Margaret Winthrop, Thomas Dudley and John Eliot, 'the apostle who loved the Indians' and translated the Bible into the Algonquin language which had not been written before.

The physical CD comes with a 32 page booklet with lyrics, photos and notes from the "Song on the Wind" production.

This musical by composer/lyricist David MacAdam (whose other musicals include Celestial City, Ruth, and Ebenezer Scrooge: A Christmas Carol) introduces audiences to the experiences that forged alliances between the English settlers the indigenous people during the first years of the New England Experiment. All of these bonds were challenged by Metacomet (King Philip) and the war of 1675.

After the first songs were performed at Boston City Hall Plaza (The Call) and Times Square (Project Dance), New Life Fine Arts mounted workshop productions in Littleton (in the region of the Praying Village of Nashoba) and Plymouth, Massachusetts (The Memorial Hall), where the Pilgrims first settled. A new production is being developed for the 375th anniversary of Concord, Massachusetts (Tickets and Information are available at SongontheWind.com).

The 23 songs performed by members of the original cast are supported by orchestrations by Jordan Orvosh that capture both the musical language of both the native and English commuinties.

Descendents of the orginal Praying Indians are featured in the performances as well as those singers/actors from New Life Musical Theater.