Marvelous Light
Product Description "Marvelous Light"is an engaging combination of intimacy and majesty, addresses the spiritual realm without pretense or presumption, with an approach that is plain-spoken yet intensely reverent. It provides a perfect vehicle for meditation and worship without relying on formulas. The wide-ranging influences of the artist reflect the organic nature of her musical tastes and spiritual predilections The result is that her technical virtuosity, great tonal purity and dynamic range are always in service to the songs. My Son captures perfectly the records mix of universal scope and personal viewpoint, as it treats Marys acceptance of her very specific role in Gods eternal plan. Star Child celebrates the subsequent birth with a simplicity that draws the listener irresistibly into the moment. Kyrie Eleison again demonstrates the power of directness, as Pats voice goes straight to the core of the songs cry for mercy within a context of honest reverence. Always ! & Forever is an uptempo look at the freedom and strength inherent in a relationship with God, with a bigger, pop-oriented feel, and Healing In The Hands Of Time provides a more stately and soulful look at the spiritual life. The Lords Prayer places Pats free-form vocals in an unusual and arresting ambient setting, and Ave Maria, which already has a cult following, places a Baroque piece written in the 16th century in a simple classical guitar accompaniment that makes for a tastefully dramatic presentation. All are held together by the relaxed intimacy of Pats vocal approach and by the tasteful and dynamic work of award-winning producer John Mandeville. They are made uniquely memorable by the fact that Pat, despite her wealth of influences and extensive training, has carved out for herself a truly individual style. About the Artist The music of Pat Sharp is an engaging combination of intimacy and majesty, themes that run deeply through much of her life. Listening to her mothers record collection growing up, for instance, she was drawn to an eclectic mix of entertainers ranging from Yma Sumac, known for her astounding range, to Doris Day, whose comfortable and accessible style was a great influence on Pat. Her spiritual development likewise embraced the extremes. Gods magnitude, His vastness and power, are themes that really resonate with me, she says. But at the same time, my approach is very personal. God has always been a safe place for me, and Ive always seen, in the person of Jesus, His very compassionate love. Pat makes music that addresses the spiritual realm without pretense or presumption, with an approach that is plain-spoken yet intensely reverent. Her first album, Marvelous Light, is a work that carries conviction without ever preaching, and provides a perfect vehicle for meditation and worship without relying on formulas. For Pat, the project is an outgrowth of her own comfortable spirituality. I just happen to sing God songs, she says with a smile. Im not on a mission. In fact, it was a voice teacher who led Pat toward concentrating on the singing she had long done in church. I was talking to a performance coach about music, Pat says, and at one point she told me, When you talk about singing for God your face lights up. It doesnt do that with any other kind of singing. The wide-ranging influences she brings together reflect the organic nature of her musical tastes and spiritual predilections. With God, you can color outside the lines, she says. In fact, I dont believe there are any lines. Pat was born in Kansas City and raised on the West Coast. Her teachers quickly picked up on and encouraged her obvious talent, and she excelled both at singing and acting during her school years. She was, like many of her generation, greatly influenced by the work of Barbra Streisand. She took voice lessons emphasizing the bel canto school, was named to the all-state concert choir, and received a full voice and academic scholarship to Arizona State University. More recently she has studied with the late Norris Branstrom, a friend and contemporary of Seth Riggs, known for his vocal work with Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson and Madonna, as well as with Belmont University vocal instructor Carolyn Binkley, who she credits with helping her develop musically, in both the classical and commercial realms. The myth is that you cant do both, Pat says, and that is simply not true. Along the way she has been part of the musical programs of a host of Nashvilles congregations, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish. The result is that her technical virtuosity, great tonal purity and dynamic range are always in service to the songs. My goal, she says, was to pick songs that moved me, that expressed some aspect of our relationship with God as well as it could be expressed. Those she chose are as compelling as they are diverse. My Son captures perfectly the records mix of universal scope and personal viewpoint, as it treats Marys acceptance of her very specific role in Gods eternal plan. Star Child celebrates the subsequent birth with a simplicity that draws the listener irresistibly into the moment. Kyrie Eleison again demonstrates the power of directness, as Pats voice goes straight to the core of the songs cry for mercy within a context of honest reverence. Always & Forever is an uptempo look at the freedom and strength inherent in a relationship with God, with a bigger, pop-oriented feel, and Healing In The Hands Of Time provides a more stately and soulful look at the spiritual life. The Lords Prayer places Pats free-form vocals in an unusual and arresting ambient setting, and Ave Maria, which already has a cult following, places a Baroque piece written in the 16th century in a simple classical guitar accompaniment that makes for a tastefully dramatic presentation. All are held together by the relaxed intimacy of Pats vocal approach and by the tasteful and dynamic work of award-winning producer John Mandeville. They are made uniquely memorable by the fact that Pat, despite her wealth of influences and extensive training, has carved out for herself a truly individual style. I dont sound like anybody, she says, with modest understatement. Pat Sharp is a woman who wears her shares her own spiritual and musical leanings as comfortably as most of us share small talk. She has put both to work on an album that is both subtle and compelling, and that adds something real and welcome to the lexicon of contemporary spiritual music.
Pat Sharp   Format: Audio CD
{"Package Dimensions": "5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches; 2.4 Ounces", "Original Release Date": "1999", "Date First Available": "January 19, 2007", "Number of discs": "1"}