Feature: BROADWAY SONGS OF THE SPIRIT produced by Clark Sayre

The Bible offers more than a cosmologic tale of mankind's beginning; it also suggests a social code that structures communal living. Of course, there are countless examples of biblical teachings coming into conflict with social progression; in the last few years especially, our chaotic and polarized political and social scape has prompted debate about the nexus of religion and legislation.

Local High School Performing Arts teacher, Clark Sayre, noticed how hostile this conversation was getting online. "A lot of it came from [conversations] I was seeing on Facebook between my Christian friends and my show-business friends," says Sayre. "My showbiz friends post stuff about Christians that's way wacko, way out there--it's so 'fringe' Christian that it's hard for anyone to believe. And my Christian friends can get judgmental--I don't have a lot of judgmental friends, but people can get that way on the internet, having some kind of moral objection to something that's not morally objectionable." Sayre set out to create a project that friends from either side of the social divide could appreciate without feeling attacked or uncomfortable.

The project is a collection of songs, called Broadway Songs of the Spirit, which he produced with a team of musicians led by John Douglas. Broadway Songs of the Spirit invites listeners to consider how creativity and faith can inspire each other--whether they are fans of Broadway, fans of the Lord, or people looking to contemplate the intersection of these two cultures. The music isn't meant to be overtly religious, but outside the narrative of their librettos, the songs also lack their original theatrical context. "We can all agree that good music is good music," says Sayre. "You don't have to be a Christian to enjoy this album and you don't have to be a Broadway lover to enjoy it. It crosses over into both of those areas. Worship music can be less musically interesting or challenging than the music of Broadway, so I wanted to give my Christian friends a whole different way of hearing about God. For my Broadway friends, I thought it would be interesting to hear these songs in a new way, with a spiritual dimension."

Sayre offers his own contemplations about these songs on his website [HERE], where he's provided quotes about the transcendence of Christianity and the arts. "The webpage is where the more interactive, thoughtful stuff comes in," says Sayre, "especially the quotes about faith and art; I think they're really good things for everyone to ponder. It's a deep and expansive subject, and people need to consider the affect of art on every part of our life. Same with any faith-based system. How it affects us, whether or not you're [involved] in it."

Throughout his life, Sayre has explored a number of spiritual paths, including Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and new-age spiritualism. Sayre, who identifies as Christian, knows that everyone will relate to the music in their own way, and he hopes the album can offer a jumping-off point to open discussion about spirituality and art. "That's the impetus for doing this," says Sayre. "It's stuff that we can all appreciate together."

Broadway Songs of the Spirit features arrangement and orchestration by John Douglas, with performances by Tariqh Akoni, Kevin Winard, Santino Tafarella, Nicole McKenzie, Andrea DiMagio, Tim Beccue, Brianna Gilman, Andrew Martinez, and John Douglas.

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