There’s no GPS this week since Josh is out on vacation and we’re having guest preachers in our 11 am Traditional worship. So let’s have something that’s a little bit fun instead!
After being introduced by some friends to ‘Baba Yetu,’ I bought the recording of the prayer cycle it begins. Calling All Dawns takes its title from a line in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, and employed to great effect as the overarching theme for Christopher Tin’s 2009 debut opus.
While I highly recommend the entire cycle of poems, prayers, & scriptures from different religious texts (each in a different language), you can’t overlook the magnificence of its introductory song. ‘Baba Yetu’ was actually recorded as the theme to the video game Civilization 4 and its Grammy win marks the first time that award was given to video game music.
And the text threaded through this driving fusion of Western symphonic sensibilities and African harmonies? ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ in Swahili. Enjoy this video, which shows the remarkable Dubai fountain’s show synchronized to the whole song.
For more information, visit http://www.christophertin.com
Hope you enjoyed the song this week, and check back next week for another fun post before the GPS returns!
