John's Vision of the Apocalypse
(Songs of the Book of Revelation)
Glenn Meade/Chicago a cappella, Vocals
CD 1 - Part I
1. Overture/Greeting (3:34)
2. Blessed is He (3:35)
3. Alpha and Omega (2:54)
4. He Who has an Ear (5:24)
5. Day and Night (3:04)
6. Holy is the Lord (2:35)
7. Who is Worthy? (5:00)
8. Four Horses (4:36)
9. Then I Heard an Angel (2:57)
10. They Shall Not Hunger (3:29)
11. Seven Trumpets (3:14)
12. Speak to the People (3:17)
13. The Woman and the Dragon (3:55)
CD 2 - Part II
1. Beast from the Ocean (3:56)
2. 666 (3:58)
3. Behold the Lamb ( 4:10)
4. To God and to the Lamb (3:15)
5. Great and Marvelous (3:51)
6. Seven Angels (1:29)
7. Seven Plagues (3:45)
8. Babylon, Mother of Harlots (3:12)
9. Babylon the Great (3:15)
10. Fourfold Alleluia (2:36)
11. The Thousand Years (6:39)
12. All Things New (3:28)
13. Behold, I Am Coming Quickly/
Come, Lord Jesus/
Copyright 2001 Glenn Meade
2 CDs $20.00
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"Brilliant! Glenn Meade’s latest release, a 2-CD set of 26 pieces entitled “Patmos – John’s Vision of the Apocalypse”, is a collection of music electronically orchestrated by Meade, with lyrics adapted from and based on “The Revelation of John” from the New American Standard Bible. He utilizes a vocal octet named Chicago a cappella, under the direction of Jonathan Miller. They are Carol Lo Verde and Kathleen O’Brien – sopranos, Deborah Guscott and Heidi Woll – altos, Cary Lovett and Trevor Mitchell – tenors, and Matthew Greenberg and Miller – basses. Much of this group appeared in a highly acclaimed earlier work of Meade titled “Gloria For Choir And Orchestra”. They are very well suited to this project, showing their abilities in several styles of music.
“Patmos” is a superb demonstration of Meade’s compositional and arrangement skills. Part rock opera in the vein of Jesus Christ Superstar, part classical work in the vein of the masters, part gospel music, and part musical wizardry, this 26-part aural presentation of the Book Of Revelation astounds this reviewer to the point of running out of superlatives. The constant mixture of musical styles that runs throughout this 98-minute adventure totally enthralls the listener. Just as you think a particular cut is going to be in one style, the piece abruptly, but seamlessly, changes to another style, and then changes back again. Additionally, Meade even manages to have the orchestral accompaniment be in, say, a rock style while the vocalists maintain a classical four-part-harmony style. But the octet also manages to “loosen up” on some cuts, replacing the usual rigidity of classical singing with the many nuances that Meade’s arrangements provide. The singers take turns in soloing, and provide some rousing harmonies.
In many ways, Meade has departed from his signature style of past recordings. And yet, there are some classic Meade elements present. In fact, the beginning of “Great And Marvelous” comes from “Into The Accelerator – Impact” from his first CD, “Quantum Dances”. It is evident that a lot of work went into this recording. “To God and to the Lamb” serves as an example of a excellent vocal arrangement that the chorus handles beautifully. The title of the song is the entire lyric, repeated in many parts, sung a cappella. Even the level of attention to the rhyming scheme of the lyrics shows off the immense amount of effort taken. “Babylon The Great” is an interesting example. It begins “Squatting upon the earth, evil in all its girth,/ Babylon counts its worth in silver.” The way Meade rhymes “earth” and “girth” with “worth” before the end of the second line is repeated throughout this piece.
The final cut, “Behold, I Am Coming Quickly/ Come, Lord Jesus/ Alleluia, Amen”, is simply amazing. The octet produces Meade’s harmonies stunningly, and it serves as a wonderful ending to a wonderful masterpiece. Words cannot do this recording justice. I highly recommend you buy a copy of “Patmos – John’s Vision of the Apocalypse”. It will provide hours and hours of entertainment."
Brad Biondo, Reviews