Has the Gospel of Matthew Ever Been More Joyful?
Way back around 1970, Godspell was penned by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. Godspell started as a college project performed by students at Carnegie Mellon University and moved to La Mama in Greenwich Village in downtown New York. It was then re-scored for an off-Broadway production that opened on May 17, 1971, enjoying a long & successful run, and has played in various touring companies and revivals all around the world many times since.
Godspell is presented as a series of parables, taken primarily from the Gospel of Matthew. These are then interspersed with a variety of modern musical styles set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ explored briefly towards the end of show.
The musical is one of my favorites and is a genuinely joyful experience. I think the reason is that the creative forces, from the songwriters to the original cast of performers, were sincere in their love for Christ and the spiritual message of the Gospel. It comes through loud and clear – it elevates Godspell from a pleasant diversion to a timeless classic.
And indeed, the show is timeless. The musical is infinitely pliable by the creative people working on the production. It has been presented in a wide variety of settings and using a wide variety of thematic devices. Besides its wonderful soundtrack, I feel that’s the musical’s most enduring strength. While most people are familiar with its original hippy-dippy vision, bolstered by the major motion picture’s vision, the show has been presented using many different creative visions. It makes it a real treat to catch a live show when you can – you never know what you might get!
Want a nice night at the theater?
I have long-standing advice to anyone wanting to go see a musical or a play.
“Avoid The Great White Way and all its knockoffs across the fruited plain.”
Too expensive and you have to wait months between buying your tickets and actually seeing the performance. And after all that, it will probably be a strange psychological bloodletting by some mentalcases,
No, if you want to have a nice evening at the theater, go catch a high school production of a musical like Godspell, or even a grammar school production of Godspell Jr. You’ll likely see a show with a lot more heart and entertainment value, pay only a few dollars, and the whole evening will probably be more fun and memorable.
My advice extends well beyond Godspell – seeing some youngsters pour their hearts into any production beats the sheer spectacle and expense of modern theater. Support your local school productions and take in a show!
But Back To The Point
Several cast albums have been released over the years and while I love the entire soundtrack, probably my favorite song is Day By Day. And I’m not alone – that track from the original cast album reached #13 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the summer of 1972!
In 1973’s film version of Godspell, it’s sung by the lovely and talented Robin Lamont, whose rich and beautiful voice is truly moving. Apart from being a standout song among standout songs, the whole scene is very well done. It also includes my favorite segment of the film, Jesus’s tree-growing miracle! Watch for it, and Robin’s wide-eyed sense of wonder!
Through the magic of the internet, I will also take this opportunity to share a rare performance of the song by the very lovely and very talented Miss Shirley Bassey.* They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore!
Enjoy!
And wouldn’t the world be a far better place if everyone took the song’s message seriously?
* Miss Bassey follows the song with Never, Never, Never, as an added bonus treat!
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Vinnie, this blog is my Alzheimer’s Prevention Program. You stimulate my brain like nothing else. Thank you for this post, I love it. This is a song that I used to sing in St. Charles Borromeo in Brooklyn Heights.
You’re going to post I Don’t Know How To Love Him? YIPPEEE
Vinnie,
Your vast array of knowledge bases of your likes, love it, and favorites, etc. never ceases to amaze me and your talents to bring it ‘home’ for us to view, read, hear, enjoy and learn from you is a Vinnie Vegas College!
Thank you for this lovely song from Godspell, “Day By Day,” you’ve made my day perfect with this uplifting song.
I can hardly wait for more!
Your blog should win a huge award; is there a place, a site where your blog can be nominated?
:)
Thelma,
Glad you liked the post and the song! While you sang it at a parochial school, I have spoken to many folks over the years who were young in the early 70s and they have confirmed that the song was a popular favorite far and wide, across the fruited plain. I’ve heard stories of it being sung at school (public and otherwise), summer camp, as well as other places!
Of course, these days singing a lovely song like ‘Day By Day’ in a public school would assure an ACLU SWAT team, armed with legal briefs, breaking down the public school door.
Silly, really. If a bunch of kids want to sing it, what’s the harm? That it offends or alienates a couple of students? Did it ever occur to anyone that there just might be something wrong with that handful of delicate students? Maybe a bit too sensitive or easily offended?
It’s nice to hear stories of how times past, though not without their own problems, were genuinely more tolerant than our tightly wound 21st Century culture.
Glad you enjoyed it! It is one of my favorite songs, too!
NWVeryBerry,
I’m very glad you enjoyed it. As I mentioned above, it’s one of my favorite prayers and songs of all time. Very simple and elegant, and says a lot in just a few words.
Some fans on the song are surprised to find out that the prayer it is closely based on was composed by St. Richard of Chichester about 750+ years ago! I confess I looked it up so I could reproduce it faithfully here:
Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ
For all the benefits Thou hast given me,
For all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,
May I know Thee more clearly,
Love Thee more dearly,
Follow Thee more nearly,
Day by day.
It is an uplifting song, and indeed I like everything about the show. And I am no ‘Broadway Baby’ at all – I just like what I like, no pretense!
Thanks for the kind words, too!
Jo,
;-)
NWVeryBerry, I like the idea of Vinnie Vegas College. I would enroll in a heartbeat!!!
VV, thanks for the history surrounding the song. 750 years old!!! Fascinating.
Thelma,
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks!
I, too, have a special fondness for this song. I’m not a particularly religious fellow, but one cannot resist its uplifting message, so joyful, simple, and sincere.
And can you imagine a song like that reaching the top of the pop charts today? People talk about diversity all the time, but radio back them really was a true melting pot!
Jaytee,
It’s a great song and a great show. I was reminded of it when I recently read that Godspell was coming back to Broadway in the summer of 2008.
And yes – amazing that in our modern, ‘tolerant,’ and largely just self-congratulatory culture, a nice, sweet song like ‘Day By Day’ would raise ‘concerns’ that were ‘troubling’ among the terminally ‘concerned’ and ‘troubled.’
Radio sure was a better place, back in the day, brother!