Glimpses into the song writing & the story:

When I thought of the people waiting in anticipation of the arrival of a Messiah, I envisioned feelings of uncertainty mixed with longing & hope. Written in a minor key, the interweaving lines of violins and cellos represented peoples’ intertwining sense of self sufficiency, with one of longing and need for help. We saw this through the Old Testament, where many would worship God momentarily after witnessing God’s miracles, but would then repeatedly turn away to satisfy their own desires and trust in their own sufficiency. Yet God, with His merciful and tender heart, would hear the cries of the people and rescue them in the times of distress. He would still keep His promise to send His son Jesus to save us.

Reflecting on the Old Testament, I can see that we are not so different from the people in the stories in our wavering ways. Despite our unfaithfulness, God still continues to pursue us with immeasurable grace.

The anticipation of the arrival eventually leads into the birth of Christ, which is celebrated as Christmas in many parts of the world. Thus, when writing the song, I knew I wanted to incorporate hints of Christmas elements throughout the song. Using touches of Christmas bells, along with the beautiful vocals of Brittany Adams, I weaved in touches of two Christmas songs ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’ and ‘O Holy Night’. In a special moment in the song, as the strings build in layers, Brittany sings the words “Fall on your knees”. This line is my favorite line in the song, O Holy Night, as it reminds me of the humble posture of reverence we should have for a Holy King. Her voice, like the angels, then takes a sighing exhalation, represented by the descending notes. One final time, singing as the voices of the people, she asks for Emmanuel to come. As the song becomes quiet, the solo cello enters, where I envision Mary preciously finding out that she is pregnant with the son of God and Joseph learning of the plan. Soon after this, the rhythm in the song begins to move, as I picture the excitement and preparation that is happening in the heavens and earth, as the fulfillment of God’s promise is about to happen. Let us rejoice!

This then brings us to the next chapter oft he story that will be released in January, which will be about the moment of the sweet birth of Jesus, written from the eyes of Mary and Joseph, as well as the Father.

Violin and Cello Solos: StoryLight Strings
Music composed and all layers played by: StoryLight Strings
Vocals: Brittany Adams
Engineer: Benjamin Knapp