2nd Division Groot Repertorium Netherlands

Originally written for the Territorial Youth Band course held in Bournemouth, England in 2010, Vista is the musical imagery of someone journeying into a relationship with Jesus Christ. The music sets off at great velocity; the world is a busy and diverse place. Our view of it is different from person to person, as is our coming into relationship with The Lord; but out of the whirlwind comes the message straight from scripture (Ephesians 5:14): “Wake up oh sleeper and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”. From here there is a downturn of pace, even a slight sense of uncertainty as the music takes a new course. The journey we face can lead us to many varied places, physically, emotionally and spiritually, but we have great assurance that the Lord is with us and paves the way. The beautiful and uplifting song, ‘Jesus what a Saviour’ so aptly describes this both in verse and music and is the basis for the middle of the work. Some of the words say, “You are my hope, when all my hope is gone” and go on to describe the resolute statement: “You help me carry on”. From here the music takes further twists and turns no lesser than in the exuberant statement of “Come, Lord Jesus, pour out your Spirit we pray.” Furthermore in the setting of a fugue, the frenzy of musical pattern illustrates the fusion of our lives; the fragments of confusion, the joys, the unexpected and all there is between. In building to its conclusion, the music incorporates one of the true modern classics of Christian song-writing, the magnificent testimony, “In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song.” These powerful lyrics answer each of the doubts described in ‘Jesus what a Saviour’ seemingly in turn and make for an affirming anthem for the one who has found The Lord.