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This fast-paced sound and vocal collage by composer Jonathon Roberts sets Paul's urgent words, "The night is nearly over, the day is almost here."

Romans 8:10

Romans 11:17–21

Romans 12:1

Romans 13:11–12

Romans 14:7

1 Corinthians 9:24

1 Corinthians 16:13

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

2 Corinthians 5:14

Galatians 5:7

The Day Is Almost Here

Jonathon Roberts

Credits:

Voice: Jonathon Roberts (Paul, Hans Ternes, Chorthip Peeraphatdit, Nora Hertel, Choyning Dorji, Ki-yong Min, Tasneem Mirza, Won Joon Kim, Bao Ha, Phyllis Odoom, Sandra Obeng, Tariq Engineer, Olia Shapel, Emily Clare Zempel // Additional text: Christy Bagasao // Image: Scott Baye

Curated by:

2005

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This sound and music collage sets the urgency with which Apostle Paul spoke to people about what lies ahead. The beats are made from chopped vocal sounds while voices join Paul in many languages from around the world saying "the day is almost here."

The focus of this piece is Romans 13:12, "The night is nearly over, the day is almost here." Additionally, twenty-four other passages from Paul's letters related to this theme are incorporated in the piece. Additionally there is a brief line of poetry from Christy Bagasao:

If the battle ends and your heart is still beating, it is because you have lost. If the battle ends because you have breathed your last, then you have won the race!

We imagine Paul nearing the end of his life, racing forward while countless thoughts and phrases race through his head from years of traveling and preaching.

This piece is part of the larger theater work, Project Paul.

Spark Notes

The Artist's Reflection

Jonathon Roberts is a composer and sound designer for games, film, theatre, and ensembles. His style grew out of classical and jazz training, and evolved through quality life adventures: touring the country in an RV with a one person theater piece on the Apostle Paul, living in Brooklyn with an improv music ensemble, performing in a downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, and a long stint writing music for the renowned slot machine company, High 5 Games. He has released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He created the popular podcast/web series ComposerDad Vs. Bible, in which ComposerDad accepts intense compositional challenges from a mysterious Bible while out with his kids. He frequently collaborates on music and theater projects with his wife, actor Emily Clare Zempel. They live in Beacon, NY, with their two boys and a tangled box of electrical cords. www.jonathonroberts.com