Gethsemane

  • Title: Gethsemane
  • Composer: Conrad Askland
  • Male Vocalist: Conrad Askland
  • Violin: Nat Wyner
  • Released: 1994
  • Album: New Faces ’95
  • Label: Road Records
  • Copyright: © 1994 Conrad Askland
  • Style: Catholic, orchestration, classical, violin, church

Play Audio or Download MP3:
Gethsemane – New Faces ’95

Nat Wyner – Violin

LATIN LYRICS – GETHSEMANE

Una hora non potuistis vigilare mecum,
qui exhortabamini mori pro me?
Vel Judam non videtis, quomodo non dormit,
sed festinat tradere me Judaeis?
Quid dormitis?
Surgite, et orate, ne intretis in tentationem.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION – GETHSEMANE
Could ye not watch one hour with me,
After exhorting one another to die for Me?
Or see ye not Judas,
how he maketh haste to betray me to the Jews?
Why sleep ye? Arise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

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1994 – this was one of my first MIDI orchestrations of an original piece that incorporated live players and vocalists. The text is from the original old Latin text used in the Catholic church.

My original vision for the piece was the drama of Masada when the town was under siege. But when I found the latin lyrics I changed the title to “Gethsemane” to describe the turmoil of Jesus’ last moments with the disciples.

Nat Wyner at the time was primarily a country fiddle player – so it was very nice of him to take the time to record this piece back then. Thanks Nat!

I had a lot of fun recording the male vocals which I pitched down a little bit by speeding up the reel to reel during recording. (Yes, back in 1994 we used reel to reels!)

If I were to redo this orchestration today it would have much more movement to it and not be so clunky. But for the time I was happy with it and I still enjoy to listen to it every once in a while.

To me, it faithfully represents my visualization of the events at Gethsemane. And for 1994 using a reel to reel and a midi sync – yeah, I’m happy with it.

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