From the recording Beginning To See

This lyric, penned by the Scottish writer and poet George MacDonald is one of my favorite poems. It explores the nature of the relationship between us and God. The relationship of Father and Son is the bedrock of Christianity and George MacDonald had a deeper understanding of this concept of any writer I know. I had to put this one to music.

Musically, the inspiration for this tune comes from the Herbie Hancock jazz funk records of the 70’s. Particularly, the album “Thrust” with its amazing grooves and solos on tunes such as “Actual Proof” and “Butterfly”. Drummer Mike Clark was an awesome force on those recordings, along with Paul Jackson’s idiosyncratic bass lines. I found a similar energetic “Mike Clark” San Francisco 70’s style groove in the Stylus RMX Retrofunk library and began to build the tune around that. A.I.R had just released their new Rhodes VI (electric piano) so I downloaded a demo and put it to good use. TThere’s also a bit of George Duke thrown in there with the filter-swept synth lead on the intro and outro... he was also one of my favorite players from that era. Trilogy provides the deep bass drones, Jimmy Haslip/Anthony Jackson style muted-pick bass playing and a few slides.

Featuring:

Ray Lyon: keyboards, synth bass, drum and sequencer programming
Rick Krive: vocals

Instruments used: A.I.R. Velvet Rhodes piano, Stylus RMX w/Retrofunk library, Spectrasonics Atmosphere, Trilogy, Korg Z-1, Indigo Virus, Synthogy Ivory Steinway piano, A.I.R. Xpand!, Kompakt sample player, Roland A90 EX

Lyrics

Lyrics adapted from “The Diary Of An Old Soul” by George MacDonald. Readings for September 26 and 27, public domain

I see a little child whose eager hands
Search the stream that drains the crowded street
For things hid in its current slow
Near by, a great palace stands,
Where kings might welcome nobles to their feet.
Soft sounds, sweet scents, fair sights there only go -
There the child’s father lives, but the child does not know,
Does not know...
Up the spiral stairs I run to
Up the spiral stairs I run up
Up the spiral stairs I climb up
Up the spiral stairs I run to You

(instrumental solo)

On, eager, hungry, busy-seeking child,
Rise up, turn round, run in, run up the stair:
Far in a chamber from rude noise exiled,
Your father sits, pondering how you fare.
The mighty man will clasp you to his breast;
Will kiss you, stroke the tangles of your hair,
And lap you warm, in fold on fold, of lovely rest,
lovely rest, lovely rest...
Up the spiral stairs I run to
Up the spiral stairs I run up
Up the spiral stairs I climb up
Up the spiral stairs I run to You