NEW MUSIC: The Echoes of Westminster: A Musical Anthology – Music Project – by C. Matthew McMahon

[C. Matthew McMahon]

The Echoes of Westminster – Music Project by C. Matthew McMahon

“The Echoes of Westminster: a Musical Anthology,” is a composition arranged and created by Dr. Matthew McMahon. This unique anthology utilizes a diverse array of musical genres, including classical, reggae, rap, pop, country, and many others, to teach the content of each chapter of the Westminster Confession.

The 1647 Westminster Confession unfolds across thirty-three chapters, exploring and teaching deep theological concepts such as Christ the Mediator, Justification, and the Providence of God. While many have read the Confession, retaining and understanding its detailed teachings can be challenging. How, then, can we connect the specific content of each chapter to its theological themes? For instance, could you recall the focus of chapters like 16, 23, 31, or 6?

Dr. McMahon has creatively used the medium of music to bridge this gap. By associating each chapter of the Confession with a specific musical piece, this anthology not only enhances our understanding of the content, but also makes the core messages of each chapter memorable. As you listen to each song, its lyrics and melodies encapsulate the essence of the Confession’s theology. (For examples of the music and lyrics, see the attached video above.)

Listeners in Dr. McMahon’s church, who have experienced this anthology during various experimental runs while it was being composed, have consistently praised the project. They appreciate how it harnesses today’s amazing computer technologies used to glorify Jesus Christ and yet explore the depths of the Confession in a memorable manner. Furthermore, Dr. McMahon has achieved this while ensuring that the experience remains engaging while also entertaining.

A PDF file is attached with song types, and all lyrics.

It’s amazing to be able to listen to good music, while at the same time having the depth of the Westminster Confession depicted without any compromise or shallowness.
And, its equally amazing that the technology allows for professional mastering of all the tracks. Overall, I’m personally pleased that such tools are available to us for this kind of application.

Available at Puritan Publications.

Music Tracks
Track 0. Song Title: Introduction to The Echoes of Westminster (Classical Opera, Taken from Thomas Manton’s Introductory Letter)
Track 1. Chapter 1 – Of the Holy Scripture. Song Title: Truth No Compromise (EDM, P-Funk, Rap)
Track 2. Chapter 2 – Of God, and of the Holy Trinity. Song Title: Only True Almighty (Heavy Rap)
Track 3. Chapter 3 – Of God’s Eternal Decree. Song Title: Chosen Ones (EDM, Acid P-Funk)
Track 4. Chapter 4 – Of Creation. Song Title: In the Beginning (Dreamy Acoustic Rock)
Track 5. Chapter 5 – Of Providence. Song Title: Guided by His Hand (Bubblegum Bass)
Track 6. Chapter 6 – Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof. Song Title: Fallen From Grace (Glam Hair Metal, Gothic)
Track 7. Chapter 7 – Of God’s Covenant with Man. Song Title: The Covenant of Grace (Alt-Country, 2-Step)
Track 8. Chapter 8 – Of Christ the Mediator. Song Title: Christ the Savior (Classical Folk)
Track 9. Chapter 9 – Of Free Will. Song Title: Freed at Last (Glam Hair Metal, Heavy Metal, Gothic)
Track 10. Chapter 10 – Of Effectual Calling. Song Title: Born of Spirit (Techno, Glam Hair Metal, Alternative Rock)
Track 11. Chapter 11 – Of Justification. Song Title: Justified (Heavy Rap, 95bmp)
Track 12. Chapter 12 – Of Adoption. Song Title: Children of the King (Blues Rock American Primitivism, 2-step)
Track 13. Chapter 13 – Of Sanctification. Song Title: Walking the Path (Alternative Country, Dubstep)
Track 14. Chapter 14 – Of Saving Faith. Song Title: By Faith in the Word (Bedroom Pop)
Track 15. Chapter 15 – Of Repentance unto Life. Song Title: The Path to Grace (Folk Acoustic, American Primitivism)
Track 16. Chapter 16 – Of Good Works. Song Title: The Fruit of Faith (Emotional EMO)
Track 17. Chapter 17 – Of the Perseverance of the Saints. Song Title: Immutable Grace (Glam Hair Metal, Gothic)
Track 18. Chapter 18 – Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation. Song Title: Infallible Assurance (Reggae, Jamaican Island Vibe)
Track 19. Chapter 19 – Of the Law of God. Song Title: Ever Binding (EDM, P-Funk, Rap)
Track 20. Chapter 20 – Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience. Song Title: In Liberty We Stand (Bubblegum Bass)
Track 21. Chapter 21 – Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day. Song Title: In Spirit and Truth (Emotional EMO)
Track 22. Chapter 22 – Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. Song Title: The Solemn Word (Heavy Metal, Alternative Rock)
Track 23. Chapter 23 – Of the Civil Magistrate. Song Title: The Weight of Power (Dark Rock/Country)
Track 24. Chapter 24 – Of Marriage and Divorce. Song Title: A Covenant of Hearts (Celtic Choral)
Track 25. Chapter 25 – Of the Church. Song Title: One Church, One Faith, One Lord (Popcore, Techno, Emotional EMO)
Track 26. Chapter 26 – Of the Communion of Saints. Song Title: The Communion of Saints (Popcore, Techno, Emotional EMO)
Track 27. Chapter 27 – Of the Sacraments. Song Title: Sacred Signs (Glam Hair Metal, Alt-Rock, Ballad)
Track 28. Chapter 28 – Of Baptism. Song Title: Washed in the Water (Acoustic EMO, Popcore)
Track 29. Chapter 29 – Of the Lord’s Supper. Song Title: To the Table We Come (Alt-country Rock, Dubstep)
Track 30. Chapter 30 – Of Church Censures. Song Title: Blessed Guidance (Pacific Reggae, Island Vibe)
Track 31. Chapter 31 – Of Synods and Councils. Song Title: Gather ‘Round (Orchestral Electropop)
Track 32. Chapter 32 – Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead. Song Title: Judgment Falls (Glam Hair Metal, Epic Metal, Gothic)
Track 33. Chapter 33 – Of the Last Judgment. Song Title: In the End (Operatic, Classical)

 

[No Other Name]

(Techno, Glam Hair Metal, Alternative Rock)

I am confused.

These mp3 files are midis?

And in the case I quoted, are there 3 different versions of chapter 9? Or one version that can be played by any musician into either one of these 3 genres?

Thank you.

 

[Logan]

Interesting.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

I am confused.

These mp3 files are midis?

And in the case I quoted, are there 3 different versions of chapter 9? Or one version that can be played by any musician into either one of these 3 genres?

Thank you.

Sorry for the confusion. 1 Track, 1 song each chapter. 34 tracks, 34 songs. (Including Manton's intro).
The combination of "styles" creates the way the song actually comes out.
Tech in this area is really difficult to achieve in some ways. So to achieve a certain kind of sound, or something a bit different, styles are combined.
For example, Popcore, Techno, Emotional EMO mixed into one track gives a certain sound, where Popcore by itself would be totally different and have a different sound. Or, Glam Metal is very different (in the technology component of creation) to Heavy Metal or Nu Metal. But combine them together and that sound is totally different. Sometimes its really difficult to create certain sounds that fit certain lyrics.

But to answer your question - all of them are MP3 files, no midi files. Midi files often sound super terrible and the tech is way more advanced than that. The styles merely represent the kind of music that are incorporated into ONE track for "that" chapter of the confession. One track per chapter. The whole idea is for memorization of content based on the "one song" for the "one chapter."

When I ask a church member what's in chapter 23 of the confession, they recall the country/dark rock song and content of the 23rd track on the Civil Magistrate. That makes recall easier.

 

[davejonescue]

Congratulations Brother. While others may decry and complain about the advances in technology, you are harnessing it for the glory of God. Awesome.

 

[JD]

Respectfully and for clarity: to what extent was AI used to compose/record these songs?

 

[Jake]

Did you use https://suno.com/ to make this?

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Respectfully and for clarity: to what extent was AI used to compose/record these songs?

Its complicated. In other words, there would be nothing without me writing the lyrics. AI can write lyrics, but mostly, its stupid through those programs. So it needs direction and content to make something good (like the WCF, or the Synod of Dordt, etc.) And those programs are not going to do that.
The music/singing is a "programmable" interface that deals specifically with the structure of the song.
Better structure, better song, better flow, etc., thus, better music. That means you have to do work to make it good.
There is a learning curve on that which takes about 6 months to work through.
Then one deals with how metatags work in the song construction which effects the song.
I'd say, really, its 50/50. Tech will help make the music, and with the singing, based on "me" bending the programs to my will for what I want to hear. (Again, that takes some practice.) And then there is editing and mastering the tracks. Sometimes a lot of editing.

As for programs, I use about 7 or 8 programs for all this. Udio, Suno, Eleven Labs, Leonardo, BandMaster, Audacity, etc. No any "one" will do the job by itself. If you want something good and of quality, again, big learning curve to harness it in the right way. But all of it is for naught if you don't have good content. The singing and music is a vehicle to the content. It starts with the idea.

Some of the music programs (Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs) will create songs "for" you, but like most of the existing music on the planet, the lyrics are stupid and its cookie cutter. It takes a lot of time to make it just right, and really, it needs to be created in a "manual mode" so that you have control over as much as possible. But, I can say, its super rewarding. I've listened to Westminster 50 times easy.

 

[arapahoepark]

Quite interested in the metal ones! Thanks!

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Quite interested in the metal ones! Thanks!

I've actually finished 8 albums in 6 months. This is the first. But one of them is a metal album based on a 12 chapters from a puritan book. (Content is everything.) (Coming...)