Collaboration brings musical and creative cohesion

Jesus: HIStory
The Promise
Psalter Music

The Promise’s fourth album marks a departure for the Avondale College of Higher Education vocal ensemble, and it is a successful and interesting move. While earlier albums included a number of songs with musical accompaniment, which usually reflects the experience of watching The Promise perform live, Jesus: HIStory is the ensemble’s first fully instrumentally backed album. Although I usually prefer The Promise a cappella, this is the album for which I’ve been waiting.

All previous albums have mixed composers and styles. The Promise (2006) and Give Thanks (2013) included arrangements and compositions by members of The Promise, but Jesus: HIStory is different—a full album of songs by one composer and arranger. Avondale Jazz Ensemble director David Pudney, with father-in-law Pr Neil Gough, wrote the songs in the 1980s to “reimagine the stories of the Gospels.” This gives a musical and creative cohesion the other albums have lacked.

The collaboration with the jazz ensemble ensures the album remains a thoroughly Avondale musical experience. And experience is perhaps the most accurate description. As The Promise artistic director Aleta King writes in the liner notes, Jesus: HIStory is a “one-hour musical narrative on the timeless story of Jesus.”

The order of the songs takes the listener on a reflective journey. A number of the songs are enjoyable as stand alone pieces—particularly “We Have Seen His Star,” “Gethsemane” and “Our Father”—but most are best enjoyed in the context of the whole album.

While Jesus: HIStory opens and closes with quiet reflection, it’s full and powerful at its heart. The album does not fall into the trap of being a weak imitation of an impressive live performance. Rather, it is an excellent testament to the quality of the jazz ensemble and to the musical maturity of The Promise.

I hope to see more collaborations such as this. Indeed, I look forward to an album created fully by members of the Avondale community. Jesus: HIStory is almost there and is a worthy chapter in Avondale’s long history of telling the story of Jesus in musical and creative ways.