James Dunne | Sunday Blessings

Jay Hidebrandt interviews James Dunne, a Christian songwriter about his work, "Passionate Testimonies of Christ" a 30 year labor of love. Dunne explains how the ten songs are not just about the scriptures - all the lyrics come directly from the scriptures spoken by people who were passionate about Christ. 

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The Sunday Blessings Podcast is hosted by Jay Hildebrandt and features stories of faith, hope, and inspiration. You'll hear extended interviews, musician & artist spotlights, and more. Sunday Blessings can be heard weekly on Sundays from 5am-5pm mountain standard time on Classy 97, Sunny 97, and Classy 97 Lite.

Sharing stories of faith, hope, and inspiration. This is the Sunday Blessings podcast. Hello, and welcome to this KLCE Classy 90 7 Sunday Blessings podcast. I'm Jay Hildebrandt. And my guest today is James Dunn, who has recently completed a masterwork of a musical genius, I think, called Passionate Testimonies of Christ.

It's several songs which are testimonies of Christ taken straight out of the scripture. So, James, welcome. Thank you for joining us today. Well, thank you, Jay. It's a pleasure to be here.

Before we get into your your music, we'd like to get to know you a little better. Can you give us kind of a a grief a brief bio of your, of your life and your background? Okay. Well, I think it started with the piano bench. My mother, as soon as she could sit me up there on the piano bench, started playing duets, and the most important thing she taught me was the the most important word in playing the piano was play.

So she made it fun, and, that's always worked for me. And then later, I got into, you know, playing with bands and stuff in high school and into college and creating music. And I suppose that's essentially the essence of the spirit of it. Okay. So you've you've loved music, and and it's not only been a a a work and a study, but it's been fun and and something that you've really enjoyed doing.

It's it's it's a passion, I I suppose, would be the right word, Tom. Yes. I've always defined it as my creative outlet. Okay. Maybe a little bit more about your musical background, what you what you studied, how you decided to start composing music, and, and that.

Sure. It actually ironically, it began as a drummer, and, I I actually started writing out, you know, drum pieces on notation paper and whatnot, but then I found that was a little flat. And then I, got a guitar, and I found I could make music on that after the piano, and I found that those two instruments were the basically, the 2 things you could write on the easiest. From there, at this point now, I have, short neck and long neck banjos and ukulele and couple of mandolins and, about 30 harmonicas. And I would it's fair to say that I'm intermediate on everything and a master of none, but it gives me a lot of creative input for ideas to, you know, develop music with me.

Because in essence, I'm not really a performing artist. I'm a, composer, director, and producer. I make music, but not necessarily on stage in performance. Alright. So somewhere along this musical journey of yours, you you felt moved to do this work, Passionate Testimonies of Christ.

Tell us how that came to be. Sure. Well, I grew up not really attending a lot of churches. We moved a lot as a family, and every couple years, my mother would drop my sister and I off at the Methodist Church or the Presbyterian Church or the United Church, somewhere between the United States and Canada, and I just sort of was all over the place. But then later in life, when I got married and started thinking more about deeper things, I ran across this one particular scripture, which some call a psalm, and it really intrigued me because it it touched me in a way because it the the whole passage is about a man's emotional roller coaster ride after his father passes away.

And it just really touched me because I had had that experience. And and ultimately, I wanted to see if I could set that to music, and that's when the journey began with this project in 1994. Awake my soul, oh, my heart. Give Well, that's that's been a long time coming and that this has what year did you finally complete this? Well, it depends on how you define complete.

I I had about once I found the pattern, to not write about these things, but to actually pull the words directly from the scriptures, and I figured out the methodology for downloading those and peeling things out and yet not changing the message, etcetera. After I'd done about 6 or 8 or so, then I got caught up in raising a family with 4 children and work and everything else, and it kinda all slowed down a bit. But then about 2014, I realized that I needed to make this happen. So, like, got back into it, got myself some of my own recording equipment to make some good demos with and, learn the process. And so ultimately, I got a first draft of 23 songs done and published in by 2019.

Okay. So, and and eventually, you you got together some some really good artists, also to record it. But before we get to that, I wanna talk a little bit more about the the content. Normally, when I talk with composers, I say, well, what came first? The words or the music?

And how did you get inspired, you know, to do the these words? But, the words were inspired directly from scriptures, so you didn't have to figure that out on your own. But then how about the the melodies, you know, the the music itself? How how did that come to be? Was that and and as I listen to this, it's I don't know exactly what style you would call it, but, tell me about that.

Sure. That's a great question, Jay. You're absolutely right. The lyrics were there, but the the lyric the trick with the lyrics was to, if you will, pull out essentially a poem, a lyric from a considerable mass of scriptures sometimes. Sometimes I was lucky enough.

It was all within just a few verses, but sometimes it was scattered through, you know, 15 pages. And yet I so I had the pairing process, while retaining some continuity and the to make a cohesive message to what was intended was the trick there. Then as far as the music went, what I would try to do is, once I had the story in the lyric form, I really thought a lot of and pondered about the setting. Where what did I know about where it was? What did I know about what was going on before it, after it, you know, during it, etcetera?

And I would try to picture, for example, one case I I pictured, the person leaning back against the tree, looking up through the foliage into the sky and seeing clouds, you know, slowly going by and out comes, oh, that I were an angel and could have the wish of my heart. Someone just thinking they just wish they could wave a magic wand and make everything right. Oh, that I were an angel and could have the wish of my heart, that there might not be more sorrow, up another face of the year. So I I would try to set the music to that and usually do the melody line first so I have a feel for what it should be and then apply the chords. Okay.

Now, I I I think I I think of other music that I've I've heard, and, you know, the Handel's Messiah is one that that is totally scriptural based. I I can't think of a whole lot of others where that's the only, you know, thing that's in there for a long work. How many songs are in this? A dozen or so? I've got 10.

Let me explain briefly after 2019 what happened is about a year and a half after I completed the first 23 songs that I've done, I realized that they were the best that I could do with my own production and, etcetera, but I just did not think they were good enough to be worthy of the source, the scriptures. And so that was when I I happened to coincidentally move here to Cedar City, Utah, and I had access to some people and some very fine studio and talent and vocalists and whatnot. So I decided to rerecord 10 of the 23. And at that point, to touch on another question you asked, decided to change it from kind of a seventies, if you will, folk kind of tune. They were never tone, I should say.

They were never hymn like. K? They were always meant to be a little more melodic. Well, I shouldn't say that. They were always meant to be for just enjoyable listening, great commuting music, if you will.

But at that point, a couple years ago, we decided to do the current version in what you call a contemporary pop format using all the latest in sound design, and, it doesn't necessarily have, you know, all real instruments. It's what does it sound that counts? And so currently, you call it contemporary pop format to make it applicable now, and that's how it is at this point. But as I've listened to it, it still has a it uses those elements. It has a reverent tone.

I mean, it's not not anything like, I guess, what you'd call Christian rock, you know, with heavy drum beats and and that kind of thing. No. It it there's no chance that it would ever lose the the nature of, the passion for in which the lyrics were ever done from the original character to now. And and, actually, it's it's a point well made that the title, Passionate Testimonies of Christ, did evolve from the vocalist that we had, there in the booth. We literally had some people in tears in the vocal booth because they had a chance to become these people from the scriptures and which they had great reverence for.

And and that's boy, when I saw them giving it their all and being fabulous vocalists, that's when the word passionate finally hit. Me. Rejoice my soul. Be at me. So I also wanna make sure people know that, right at the gate at the outset that, passionate testimonies of crisis, these are gonna come right at you.

These are gonna as my mom used to say, sing it like you mean it. Yeah. I certainly felt that when I when I I listened to these, James. Terrific. Yeah.

Thank you. So tell tell me, who some of the familiar names are, some of the artists that, that we hear on this. Well, one, for sure is Alex Boyer. Alex is more than a vocalist. Alex is an event.

He is just such a fabulous talent in all respects, and, having him in the studio was transformative because he was so thrilled to do the song that he did that he brought in all kinds of ideas. And in fact, I think we jokingly said that he gave us more material to work with and created you know, it was longer to edit everything he gave us than it was to record the song. So so Alex was, just phenomenal. I I had there's so much enthusiasm what he does. I had to put his song 9th on the list if someone listened to it in order just to warm up for Alex.

So the heavens open and the angels came down and ministered to us. Yeah. And then the, Conlon Bonner, fabulous, high tenor, and he does he is featured on a couple of songs, and, he's just heart. Can you look up having the image of god engraving upon your countenance? His brother, Yehosh, likewise, has a powerful, tenor voice and and lots of nuances.

Open your ear that you may hear and your hearts understand the mysteries of god may unfold to your view. Also, we had Amy Lynn Whitcomb, who many people not might not be familiar with her name, but she was, went, she was a 4 chair turn on the NBC show The Voice and went in 3 levels deep. And she does a knockout performance. We turned her loose because she was also the director of, a women's choir, and she did all the arrangements. And and she was known for being able to do multiple well, let me put it this way.

You've heard of sibling harmony. Right? Yes. It's wonderful. Well, when it's self harmony, it's even better.

And at one point, on the song we featured her on, she's actually on 11 tracks at one time. And So yeah. And then another amazing voice, Ali Gardner, is a female vocalist, who's been doing a lot of things in South America in Spanish. But we got her to work in English here, and she was absolutely terrific. He took the little children 1 by 1, and they saw the heavens And then a truly an unknown for the most part was a young man from Chile, Yefet Bustos, who I ran across seeing him keeping up with David Archuleta in a duet, and I thought, I can't afford David Archuleta, but this young man amazing.

So and he brought, just some phenomenal, tones as well. Yeah. There there are about 15 vocalists, in total on this album. And they're all all top notch. That's that's for sure.

Yeah. Let me, ask you about, when I was talking about Handel's Messiah, that comes from scriptures from the Bible and, I'm sure there are other works that we we remember, you know, the songs that are actually the Psalms that come out out of there. Tell us where you got your inspiration from and and the scriptures that that you use in this. That's a great question. Thank you for asking that one because it took me a while to actually understand that for myself.

What was I being drawn to? What was I, enthused to work out? And it turned out to be, consistently personal testimonies, personal passions. If it was, Shakespeare, you'd call it the soliloquies. And that's really what it turned out that I was drawn to.

And that's why I believe these songs are so touching because they're personal to the person, you know, singing it and, and coming from their heart and their soul for that matter. And so it allowed me the chance to really dig deep into that passion. And, yeah, it it's really not story writing. It's bringing out the heart, soul, and spirit of an individual from the scriptures. Well, that's yeah.

That's, and it's amazing again as you as we listen to these. Tell me the the titles of of a few of these and what's so powerful about them? Oh, thank you. Well, the lead track is written in your heart. And, boy, if there ever there was a simple title that was about how the scriptures should, you know, be engraved in your heart and soul, it's right there.

And and this that message is basically about, having something literally written in your heart. Another one, nourish the word, is about, you know, obviously, the word being, the scriptures and, the gospel, the words of Christ, and and how you have to nourish those. You can't just read them. You need to do things to bring those out. One of my favorites, is the last track, can you feel so now?

And I deliberately, realized quickly that even though it was the first one recorded, I knew that would be the last song as I call it the closer because after you've listened to everything else, if you listen to it in order, the last song is can you feel so now? And literally, it gets down to the last line I asked Conlon to just have it be feel so now, you know, almost like a directive. So If you have experienced a change of heart, and if you have felt to sing the song of love, I would ask can you feel so now? Yeah. That's powerful.

Expound upon that. Those are just, three words. What what's the bigger context of that scripture? Of the can you feel so now? Yeah.

Basically, that song comes from, scripture where the power in the whole passage is the questions. It's and, when I originally, interview or, you know, the grand questions or whatever. But what I did was I downloaded the whole passage, and then I on my very first pass, I attempted to just, highlight the and pull out the questions only and get rid of everything else, all the explanations. And to my surprise, I found that when I just lined up the questions, it essentially told the whole story. It didn't need any it's just one question after the other for the entire song, including can you feel so now, which means if, you know, you have felt, touched in your heart, you know, or something like that, can you feel so now?

You know, remember it, if you will. Keep it with you, if you will. You know? Do it now. So we've been talking about these passionate testimonies of of, Christ that we hear from people in in the scriptures, their their own personal testimonies of that.

I was just wondering if, you would share with us your personal passionate testimony of Christ. Oh, well, thank you. I am what some people call a convert, in the sense that, I grew up, as I mentioned, just being dropped off at all kinds of different churches through my childhood, but really had no understanding. I went into college as a truth seeker, it began to hit me. I wanted to know what was true, but I didn't have the foggiest idea.

So I started off looking in psychology, thinking that would be about the mind. And then I went to philosophy, and I found there's only questions, but no answers there. Then I realized somehow it need to tie into something deeper and more long lasting. So I went into anthropology, and I realized, well, that was about bones. What about people?

So that I went into cultural anthropology. And, but ultimately, all of those things left me nowhere. Ironically, I then met someone who I could tell seemed to be tethered to, like, a center. No matter what was going on, they always seem to have a perspective on things. And so finally I asked them, you know, what what is it?

And it turned out to be religion. And from my math science kind of background, I was like, well, the truth can't be in religion. Frustrations with psychology and philosophy and all that, if I could just find something that went 3 levels deep, I would buy into it. Well, it turns out as I got into these deeper discussions with religion, it went way beyond 3 levels deep. It went, you know, multiple levels in all directions backwards and forwards into the eternity, etcetera.

And and I really struggle with my thinking. I was seeking truth, but not religion. I don't want religion, but I had a commitment to myself and my own integrity based on that if I could find something. So finally, I I accepted. Okay.

And and, of course, that was life changing because I really had to learn about what the spirit is, what your inner voices are, and all kinds of things, about spirituality and getting in touch with that and your emotions and everything. And it just made me a a far better person. Yeah. And transaction for me. And Jesus Christ, eventually was was a big part of that, I assume, or part of your testimony of him because you focused on this.

Yes. Absolutely. Excuse me for missing that detail. But, yes, because the essence of it is is that Jesus Christ is the epitome of the nuances of every aspect of everything, the perfect example in every way. And I just marvel at that, and always, you know, keep that close to my heart.

And and the image of how to have an eternal perspective makes a huge difference, and and I'm so grateful for all of that. Alright. Well, thank you, James. That that was beautiful. If people want to hear your music, where can they find it?

Essentially, it's streaming on, I think, every major platform. It's all quite new, so it's kid kinda hidden under there. Whatever streaming platform people use, whether it be Apple or Spotify or whatever, if they search passionate testimonies of Christ and add James Dunn, it will take them right to it. If you don't add my name, you might be hunting for a while because passionate testimonies of Christ is a fear of clutter. But passionate testimonies of Christ, James Dunn, I think, will take you right to it on any platform.

And it's d u n n e. The e is silent. Oh, yeah. Correct. Alright.

I was really moved and touched by it when I first heard it like I hadn't been in a in a long time with, when it comes to to music. So thank you so much for creating that. It was a labor of love for you and hopefully, it can be inspiring and and moving and touching to other people as well. Well, again, thank you, James, for joining us today. We look forward to, to enjoying your music for years to come.

This is, Classy 90 7 Sunday Blessings podcast. I'm Jay Hildebrand, and thank you for joining us listening today. Thanks for listening to the Sunday Blessings podcast. If you enjoy the show, please share, subscribe, and rate the podcast. Sunday Blessings is hosted by Jay Hildebrand and is a production of Riverbend Media Group.

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