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Good Friday
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Songs for Holy Week: No Words

Cathedral - published on 03/25/16

An instrumental piece for a day when words fail

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There truly are no words to describe what the followers of Jesus felt on Good Friday. Even several of those who crucified him realized their actions and felt this indescribable sense of remorse.”

This was the idea behind the Vigil Project’sinstrumental piece for Good Friday. “I wanted to write a melody that kept falling,” says composer Shawn Williams. “The melody and chord progression obviously is overwhelmingly dark throughout the entire piece until the very end. We finally land on the suspended 5 chord, which signifies that we have a possibility for true resolution. Here we encounter the hope that is promised in the resurrection.

“In regard to the instrumentation, I wanted something extremely raw and emotional.  Strings and piano are about as organic and emotional as they come.  I pray those who encounter this piece will ache … that we will have a glimpse into the reality that we are the ones who have crucified our Lord.  Every time we sin. Every time we turn from him. However, even among all the pain and sorrow, Jesus still provides us his boundless mercy and forgiveness. He wants to encounter each of us personally this Good Friday.”

Reflect carefully on this, for it is so important that I can hardly lay too much stress on it. Fix your eyes on the crucified, and nothing else will be of much importance to you.—St. Teresa of Ávila

Shawn William is a full-time music producer and composer at Papercastle Recordswho balances his time scoring music for TV and film along with helping Catholic artists and songwriters record their music and share it with the world. For more on Shawn, head over to his website.

For more on The Vigil Project, go to their website,where you can meet the team, watch the videos and pre-orderall seven songs in the series.

And follow Cecilia onFacebookto watch and pray with the Vigil Project through Easter and Pentecost.

—Libby Reichert

Tags:
CatholicismCeciliaChristian MusicHoly Week
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