Kyrie Eleison

Just finished recording and video editing for the Northumbria Community. 80 people from around the world contributed voices, photographs, prayers, translations, art, film clips, & dance – managed 7 different languages on this one.

The Story

Back in January 2021, as the first news pictures came in of the storming of the Capitol building in Washington DC, something started to surface in Sarah Hay, one of the Northumbria Community leaders. It was the words and driving drum beat of a song sung in early Community that started to resonate in her heart. When she shared this song, the power of it began to rise up in others too, as a hugely poignant cry of lament for these troubled times.

Kyrie eleison, Christe Eleison; Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.

We dreamt it would provide a gathering – and ‘joining in’ – place for those across our Northumbria Community network.

From a Shed in Wales.

Recording music in my lifetime has been a journey from tape to vinyl to DAT to CDs and digital and now PHONE!!! Who would have guessed that!

The idea from Sarah Hay – to record a simple lament!

Receiving audio and video from cyberspace, from all over the world, in many different formats and quality had its challenges, but I was so encouraged by people’s creativity and their willingness to step into the unknown.

It was always exciting to open up a file and wonder if it was going to be the melody, harmony, alto, bass or spontaneous inspiration.

As I thought about it, an idea formed of an army of people standing strong – rhythm and voice moving together. Ancient and new – drum and vocals.

I would wake up 4 in the morning with ideas and as I started to add more and more voices, the videos I had been sent started to make sense, on how they were to help tell a story.

My tech creativity also had to kick in as my little recording system only allowed 96 tracks and I was way over that – lol!

The last idea which I dreamed of was a sped up drawing from an artist – it arrived the night before I finished!

What an adventure!