Through the Fire
Dedicated to Annette (Ruder) Rangel
James 1:2-4
Preview:
| Choral score: | $25.00 US | |
| Accompaniment track: | $10.00 US |
Through The Fire, the final song in the first volume of the Living Water Composition Project, turned out to be an experiment in pushing my stylistic envelope. The original version was a difficult eight-part a cappella jazz piece which was not accessible to Living Water until some years after its writing. However, it wasn’t all that good a piece even when accessible; I’ve since revised it to what I feel is a much better form; the original melody and lyrics are preserved, but now they’re accompanied and flow more efficiently (you can get into the gimmicks so much that you can forget why the music is there in the first place…).
When I wrote this, I wasn’t convinced that anyone would solve it. However, Alison Noble developed an obsession with trying to solve the LWCP songs a year later and invested a lot of time in the effort (after a year of mental torture, she swore off ever trying to do that again…). Her unstinting efforts paid off when she found the line “Plan a true direction for my life” – the boldface letters form a phoneticization of “Annette Ruder.”
Dang’rous waters surround me,
Troubling visions astound me,
Doubt and struggle abound all around,
there I’m found on the ground with my face in the dirt!
Firestorms seek to destroy me,
Fears and worries annoy me,
Truth and wisdom seem void or decoyed
when employed to avoid the potential hurt!
I need you to lead me through the fire, Lord,
Lead me through the conflict and the strife,
Oh, give me the guidance I so greatly need,
Plan a true direction for my life.
Jesus Christ will uphold me,
His loving arms will enfold me,
When I’m Spirit-controlled in His mold,
I’ll behold and be sold out completely to the Master above!
God is waiting to bring me
Out of prison to spring free,
I must give to my King my living,
everything, so I’ll cling to my Lord and His love!
Lead me through the fire, Lord!
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