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Men as Trees Walking

from The Biblical Record [album] by John Harvey

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Description
The source text, taken from Mark’s Gospel, describes the progressive restoration of sight to a blind man, as well as the physical means by which Christ conducted the healing. Phrases are mapped onto the background rhythm which, as with many of the other compositions on the CD, provides the spine of, and motor for, the piece. A number are repeated as couplets. This effects to slow down the progress of the narrative and enhance the sense of intimacy accompanying Christ’s exchanges with the blind man. Interspersed with this primary voice, a secondary voice – which serves as a responsive chorus – repeats the phrase ‘touch him’ throughout.

The percussive accompaniment begins as a stately beat, made into a loop, derived from the sound of the tone-arm being lifted off the record’s surface. The spirit of the rhythm was inspired by the military drumming that accompanies Henry Purcell’s (1659–95) ‘Funeral Music for Queen Mary’ (Z. 860) (1695). The beat, thereafter, is constructed from a combination of clicks, scratches, and static that are looped and allowed to feedback upon themselves to evoke a double snare-drum and bass drum ensemble. Their rhythm becomes progressively polyrhythmic and syncopated.

Lyric
And he cometh to
And he cometh to
Bethsaida
Bethsaida

And he cometh to
And he cometh to
Bethsaida
Bethsaida

and they bring a blind man unto him
and they bring a blind man unto him

Touch him
and besought him to
touch him
touch him

And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town

And he cometh to
And he cometh to
Bethsaida
Bethsaida

and when he had spit on his eyes
and when he had spit on his eyes
and put his hands upon him

touch him
touch him

he asked him if he saw ought, saw ought
he asked him if he saw ought, saw ought

And he looked up
And he looked up

and when he had spit on his eyes
and when he had spit on his eyes
And he looked up

he asked him if he saw ought, saw ought
he asked him if he saw ought

and said
I see men as trees, walking
I see men as trees, walking
I see men as trees, walking

I see men

And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town

I see men as trees, walking
I see men as trees, walking
I see men as trees, walking
I see men

And he cometh to
And he cometh to
Bethsaida
Bethsaida

And he cometh to
And he cometh to
Bethsaida
Bethsaida

After that he put his hands again upon his eyes
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes

touch him
touch him

and made him look up

And he looked up

touch him
touch him

and made him look up
And he looked up
and he was restored
and saw every man clearly.

And he sent him away to his house
And he sent him away to his house
Saying
Saying

Neither go into the town
Bethsaida
Bethsaida

nor tell it to any in the town
Bethsaida
Bethsaida

and he was restored
and saw every man clearly
Biblical Text
And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.


Biblical Reference
Mark 8. 22–26.

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from The Biblical Record [album], released July 19, 2019

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John Harvey Ceredigion, UK

I’m a practitioner and historian of sound art and visual art, and Emeritus Professor of Art at the School of Art, Aberystwyth University, UK. My research field is the sonic and visual culture of religion. I explore the sonic articulations of the Christian religion by engaging visual, textual, and audible sources, theological and cultural ideas, and systemic and audiovisualogical processes. ... more

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