“Consider It All Joy” Monday, 01/10/2022
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While reading the book of James, first chapter, I was confronted with the seeming irony of the second verse. James is encouraging us to have joy when we face the trials of life. Accepting encouragement when facing the odds of trouble sounds ridiculous, except for knowing that God is accomplishing His work in us through those circumstances. A picture of a party or huge celebration on the San Antonio Riverwalk, Tex-Mex style, came to mind. The sky looks like it is about to fall, but we are going to party anyhow, not out of desperation, but armed with the knowledge that we are going to be stronger in Christ when the test is finally finished. The original version of “Consider It” was written in C major for guitar and voice only, in 1983.
The earliest hints I can find of the G major piano version are dated around 1991. For some time, I had wanted to write a second set of verses based on the same scriptural passage but sung in Spanish. The earliest indication that I actually began working on that is dated 2017, which is the same time I decided to extend the introduction, add brass and the Caribbean style instruments (steel drums, marimba) for project one. The piece owes much of the island flavor to the drum/percussion parts that Jim Henson developed when we were playing this song with our band, Heaven’s REP, probably around 1994. He came up with an interesting combination of drums and percussion that included cowbell. We recorded that early version of the piece on my Tascam Portastudio 4-Track, the best recording equipment I owned at the time. Though that recording is over twenty years old and of poor quality, I was able to transcribe a sufficient degree of Jim’s performance and adapt that to the programming of the percussion for project one.
I lost touch with Jim many years ago. This latest recording of “Consider It All Joy” is dedicated to him, a tremendous percussionist and wonderful friend. Thank you, Jim. Also, thanks to Bianca Esqueda Schwanke for her consult on the Spanish in bar 57-93 and thanks to my beautiful wife, Christy, for her help on the background vocals - her voice was exactly what was needed!