As I said in the notes for The Rose
and the Thorn, God and the universe often speak to us in the
most subtle ways, That's certainly true. But It's About Love
is another instance where the ways God chose to speak to me and get my
attention weren't quite so subtle.
It's About Love is the companion piano CD and the
other of the two Cathedral Whispers CDs that came about because of the
numerous and insistent listeners that loved my music so much they almost
demanded a CD featuring piano sound. (The other CD being The Rose
and the Thorn). There is no single dominant musical style on the
It's About Love CD, though much of the music is meditative
in its own way. The music is kind of a blend between classical piano,
classic popular piano and new age, and there is great variety in tempo
and energy. All of the music I produce at Cathedral Whispers (my
alter ego) is in keeping with who I really am at heart, and It's
About Love among the best examples of my primary message. Its
about our search for the personal truth of our individual lives and
purpose…the search for an answer to the most fundamental human
questions… why am I here on this earth?…why do I exist?…what's it
really all about? The answer is sublime, but not always immediately
obvious. It's about Love!
It's About Love. Love is how we got here on this
earth in the first place. More than simply because a man and a woman
committed a physical act of love, we are here by design of the Universal
Light and Love that I know as God. God imbued our spirit, our very
existence with His own essence - love and the capacity to give, grow and
receive love. All else…all of nature…all of the stars and heavens…all
the physical…all the spirit has the Universal Love as its
under-pinning support and foundation. By our physical and spiritual
being, love is expressed in a manner unique to the human universe. Our
very growth while in the womb, through birth, through infancy, through
our teens, through the prime of our life and into the twilight years-
its all story and growth in love unfolding…through deeper and deeper
levels, layer after layer of truth peeled away to reveal greater and
more profound truth…at some point we look back on our journey and we
see one simple truth with clarity…its all, and always has been, about
love…about God…and about our relationship to, and understanding of
God…for God really IS love.
As is the case on the companion piano CD, The Rose and the
Thorn, the songs on It's About Love are a
collection of original compositions - some brand new, composed
specifically for this CD, and others old melodies written down on scrap
paper while waiting for just the right time and place. None have ever
been recorded before, with the exception of In Charity and In Love,
the underlying basis of which is better know as a traditional Chant hymn
called Where Charity and Love Doth Prevail. All of the songs and
titles on this CD are intended to evoke memories, places, times, people
and circumstances that were perhaps stepping stones or important in some
way to our growth and understanding of what love is, who we are, and who
God is. Far from being musical snippets of the whole story, the songs
are perhaps better viewed as little brief snapshots or pictures that you
might find in the not-so-imaginary photo albums of your minds. The
snapshots are personal to you…they are of your own choosing…you give
them description and depth of meaning…they are pieces of your heart…your
life. These are indeed your life snapshots - your In the Twilight
(Remember the Man in the Moon), your love journey (Its About Love),
your love choices in all their aspects (I Chose You), your
memories and perhaps regrets (If I Could), your moments of
oneness and belonging (We Are One), your reflections and
revelries (Faded Carousel), your life's wisdom journey (River of Life),
your Anthem (of joy), your spirit connected to God's Eternal
Spirit (Now and Forever).
I'll save details on the stories that go with each of the songs
for another day and another of your welcome visits to our website. I
will take this opportunity to point out one item that may interest you: Faded
Carousel has a special meaning for me- it was composed originally as
a piano piece during a time in my life when I was undergoing great
personal trial…some 10 to 12 years ago…(someday I'll tell you about
my dog Brandy and how she went blind over time)…there was a sadness in
me that was born out of regret over the past and things I could not
change. At that time, I did not give the song a name, though now it is
obvious that it always had one. I just didn't know it. Over the course
of time I met a very special friend, one of my life's soul-mates whom I
could tell had a very similar heart's experience. When it came time to
put this CD together, it seemed most appropriate that this song, this
melody should be included…and the title was revealed in my mind much
in the way that the figure inside a stone is revealed as a master
sculptor chips away the outer stone. And the image of faded carousels
continues to, and will forever, speak to mind…and my memory…and that
of my friend…and to all who have ever dared to live, love and learn.
Final Thoughts: … The cover art for this CD has a special
interest to me. I knew instantly in my heart what the cover should like
the minute the songs crystallized in my mind. The crashing waves and
shoreline along with the granite cliffs symbolize the eternalness of God
and of the essence of His love as expressed through our humanity. Strong
against the wind and storms of life and eternity…the two lovers
kissing are diffuse so as not to impose my vision of the lovers on what
should be your own personal snapshot or story as a listener. You can see
the man and the woman expressing love for each other- but only in a
wispy, somewhat vague outline…you have to work a bit to really be able
to see them…and isn't that really the way when it comes to love?…you
have to work at it before the truths become evident and etched in common
understanding. The colors were selected with care also….but that's
another story too. Enjoy the journey.
