Skip to main content

Newborn Stars...

Newborn Stars

2013, 2014
walnut, 30"x60"
collection Zion Lutheran Church, Hopkins MN




I have gone through this process many times before--finding a text in a piece of choral music that is the source material for work in wood.  As a choral singer, it takes some time to learn new music--notes, intervals, phrasing, tempo--and then at some unexpected time, a phrase or verse hits like the proverbial ton of bricks.  Sometimes there are tears, often I just can't sing for a while when the profoundness of the text finally hits home.  This text is one of those.  It's a hymn text written by writer/theologian/musician Dr. Carl Daw, and the hymn is "As Newborn Stars Were Stirred to Song."  It was the perfect metaphor, especially the last verse-- the symbolism of the redeeming Christ set into musical terminology that just struck me... and a perfect choice to change the text into wood.
An example of 'interchange', a favorite technique that I can only attribute
to Dorothy Divers, Art faculty at St. Olaf...

I have done this carving twice.  The first is the one shown, done in walnut, was purchased by longtime National Lutheran Choir friends Bob and Helen Gusaas, who in turn donated to Zion in Hopkins, MN for the church anniversary.  The second iteration was in white birch, done for the choir room at Zion Lutheran in Anoka, MN.

As newborn stars were stirred to song when all things came to be,
as Miriam and Moses sang when Israel was set free,
so music bursts unbidden forth when God-filled hearts rejoice,
to waken awe and gratitude and give mute faith a voice.

In psalms that raise the singer’s sense to universal truths,
in prophet’s dark-toned oracle or hymn of three brave youths:
the song of faith and praise endured through those God called to be
a chosen people bearing light for all the world to see.

When God’s redeeming Word took flesh to make salvation sure,
unheeding hearts attuned to strife refused love’s overture.
Yet to the end the song went on: a supper’s parting hymn,
a psalm intoned on dying lips when sun and hope grew dim.
But silence won no vict’ry there; a rest was all it scored
before glad alleluias rose to greet the risen Lord.

The church still keeps that song alive, for death has lost its sting,
and with the gift of life renewed the heart will ever sing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shelley: To a Skylark

  To a Skylark 2014 cherry,12"x84" collection of the artist, Anoka MN With deep gratitude to fellow choral singer and St. Olaf friend Eldri Wittkamper.. We just wanted to stop by and see the house where Eldri's relative lived, one of the Roe family who taught voice at St. Olaf.  We knocked on the door, and it turns out the house was occupied by the mayor of Northfield, who invited us in.   My jaw dropped when I saw it--the style was unmistakeable--it was a Flaten work surrounding the mantelpiece at the fireplace.  The text is a selection from Percy Bysshe Shelley, "To a Skylark": Higher still and higher From the earth thou springest Like a cloud of fire; The blue deep thou wingest, And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest. Since we couldn't guarantee access to the house in the future, it was a stroke of luck that Eldri had a rubbing of the work, an exact copy.  From the rubbing, I was able to reproduce the carving exactly as Arnold did it.  I g...
Post a Comment
Read more

Give Me Jesus

Give Me Jesus 2015, oiled walnut and brass 30" x 65" collection Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis Commissioned by friend and longtime NLC supporter Diane Fleming, this hangs in the narthex at Bethlehem Lutheran in south Minneapolis.  Text taken from the old spiritual "Give Me Jesus," it's one of the signature choral works of the National Lutheran Choir arranged by NLC founder, Dr. Larry Fleming. The panel separates four themes of the text and uses small detail carvings to illustrate and expand the meaning.  Each detail contains the shadow of the cross in the background.  The following pics are taken from the work in progress on the carving bench.. When I am alone... The solitary figure stands against the backdrop of earth, sun, stars...one thinks of Psalm 8--the work of Your hands, the sun, moon, and stars which You have created...  When I come to die... The prone Christ-figure outstretched on the cross is intentionally calling out ...
Post a Comment
Read more