Scriptures

A CD by Covita Moroney

Music Inspired by Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Wisdom

To buy the CD, contact Ben Tavera King at Talking Taco Music: talktaco@stic.net.

It is said that the true scripture is the one written on the heart of every human being.

Rich melodies sung in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Arabic are layered with Middle Eastern oud, percussion and chant to celebrate shared truths found in sacred scriptures. From prayerful reverance and sheer joy, to sensual delight and deep mystery, this evocative music is offered in the spirit of wholeness, healing, and peace.

1. Peace Greeting – The opening track weaves together the word for peace from the sister languages of Hebrew (shalom), Arabic (salam), and Aramaic (shlama). Jesus' Beatitude, sung here in his mother tongue (Aramaic), could be translated: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Shalom could also be translated as wholeness.

2. The One – This track opens with a recitation of Sura 112 from the Qur'an. These four lines remind us that the primary Source of All is one singular and complete reality. To this we add the essential prayer of Jewish faith, the "Shema," which states the same truth found in Sura 112—that there is only One. The Sufi-inspired chant, "Ya Ehad" (one of God's 99 names) is a reminder of the indivisible unity of Allah, and is the central word found in both featured Hebrew and Arabic prayers.

3. Jesus' Prayer – A teacher advised me that the opening line of the Qur'an, "bismilleh er-rahman er-rahim" (in the name of Allah, the compassionate and merciful) is a key, a way of dedicating our lives to The One. The oud and drum play a traditional Hebrew melody "Shalom Alecheim (Peace to You)." Finally, the Lord's Prayer is chanted in Aramaic.

4. Hallelujah – This track features Psalm 98, sung in its original Hebrew. A rough translation could read: "Shout for joy to the Nameless One. Break forth with singing and music. Sing praises to The One with your lyre and a melodious song." To this, a Sufi-inspired chant is added: "Ya Allah, Alhamdulil'lah," which is a exclamation of gratitude and joy.

5. Come, Come – This beloved traditional chant melody ("Veni, Veni Emmanuel") is a both a plea to The Redeemer to release us from our captivity, and a joyful expression of faith that our liberation is guaranteed.

6. Wisdom's Dance – The text is from Proverbs, Chapter 8 (verses 22-31). The Hebrew word hochmah is usually tranlated into English as "wisdom." In the book of Proverbs Hochmah-Wisdom is personified as a feminine entity that came into being "at the beginning of The Nameless One's journey." For this track I imagined Hochmah dancing among the galaxies where she (according to Proverbs) daily played, danced and sang in the presence, and to the delight of, The One—even joining the children of Adam on this habitable Earth.

7. Ave Maria – This chant from the Liber Usualis is a musical setting for the prayer "Hail Mary, full of grace..." It is played on the oud, with an improvised interlude that recalls the many women followers who travelled with Jesus during his teaching years. Dedicated to the women who were, and are, disciples of the master who taught liberation for all.

8. Bread of Life – This track is inspired by the line "You give us our bread daily," found in Jesus' Aramaic prayer. With this Aramaic-language mantra we remember our utter dependence on the compassionate Source.

9. Meditation for Oud – Within this improvised track you will hear a Babylonian Jewish wedding song ("Ashir Shirim") as well as a traditional Mevlevi Sufi (Whirling Dervish) melody. The oud plays in and around the hijaz mode.

10. Forgiveness – This track is an encouragement to myself — and others — to trust a process many find difficult to understand, and accomplish: forgiveness. I know forgiveness only by the freedom that it bestows. The wordless vocal tries to capture an echo of the miracle of forgiveness as revealed in the Arabic word, estaghferallah, oft repeated by many Sufis.

11. Reflection – As with all of the tracks in this collection, a conscious blending of spiritual traditions from the Middle East is created. Echoes of our Jewish-Islamic-Christian Peace Greeting are brought in to remind us of our wholeness.

Vocals, Oud, Guitars, Dumbek, Riqq, Tar, Davul: Covita · Synth Pads: Ben Tavera King and Covita

Thanks for inspiration and help from:
Christopher Moroney · Hallelujah Khalil Khalil · Sister Martha Ann Kirk · Ben Tavera King · Kamae Amrapali Miller · Saadi Neil Douglas-Klotz · Rabbi Monty Eliasov

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