There are musical moments in your life you will never forget. You can’t put it into words, but life changed at that moment. I remember when I heard Steven Curtis Chapman’s “The Great Adventure” record for the first time. I hit play (probably on a cassette) and this “Prologue” music started. Without warning, this amazing film score type piece of music began that was huge and epic. I was so moved by that piece of music. No words, just a huge orchestra soaring. The great adventure. Perfect description. I tore open the packaging to read the credits to see who on earth did this. I knew a lot of the arrangers by name in Nashville and this was on a different level than anything I had heard on ANY Christian project. I had to know who did this.
answer:JAC Redford
Fast forward a few years. I’m going to LA for a trip and a good friend of mine, Keith Getty (In Christ Alone, The Power of the Cross), talks about his friend JAC Redford. I send an email to JAC saying Keith Getty said I should talk with him (which Keith did), and JAC graciously obliges. We talk on the phone and he offers to have lunch while I am in LA. Let me say the lunch conversation in LA was ‘brilliant’ as Keith would say. Inspiring, challenging, motivating, humbling and a powerfully spiritually moving discussion transpired. We talked film scores, orchestrations, TV shows, living in LA, music publishing, business and family.
As our friendship grew and we discussed publishing and letting churches know about some of his music, JAC told me of an arrangement of It Is Well With My Soul he did for the Westminster Brass. If you want to sell it on your website, you can he said. I said “Yes!”. I was recording “A Season for Brass” the next month (our Christmas Brass Ensemble project) and we decided to make a recording of the arrangement so folks can hear it.
So I have an arrangement of It Is Well With My Soul for brass quintet by JAC Redford. It is powerful, it is strong and it’s NOT for 7th grade trumpeters. If you have a solid brass group and want to give them something to play to challenge them AND inspire them, this is the arrangement for you.
A quick sample bio of JAC Redford:
Avatar (YES, THAT AVATAR!)-orchestrator for James Horner
Revolution Road (Leo DiCaprio/Kate Winslet)-orchestrator for Thomas Newman
WALL-E-orchestrator along with Thomas Pasatieri (this score nominated for 2 Academy Awards)
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas-orchestrator for James Horner
The Perfect Storm-orchestrator for James Horner
Nightmare Before Christmas-Danny Elfman composer/conducted by JAC
The Little Mermaid-conducted by JAC
Composer for:
Newsies
Oliver & Company
D2:The Mighty Ducks
D3:The Mighty Ducks
The Trip to Bountiful
One Night with the King
Oh..and a ‘couple’ TV Shows:
nearly 500 episodes of TV (including Coach and St. Elsewhere)
arranged music for Joshua Bell’s Sony release “At Home With Friends”. These were duets of Joshua Bell with Sting, Carel Kraayenhof and Kristin Chenowith.
As a composer, his works have been performed by Cantus, The Debussy Trio, Los Angeles Chamber Singers, Los Angeles Master Chorale, St. Martin’s Chamber Choir, Utah Chamber Artists and Utah Symphony. He has been featured on programs at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., London’s Royal Albert Hall and St. Peter’s Basilica (YES THAT ONE!) in Rome.
JAC’s autobiography, Welcome All Wonders:A Composer’s Journey tells the moving story of his faith and music.
More importantly, JAC is a Godly man with great wisdom and encouragement. He is unintentionally challenging when you speak with him. You just can’t help but want to work more at your craft. He is an amazing musician and a dear friend. I hope you enjoy this arrangement of It Is Well With My Soul for brass quintet.
Click below to hear a recording of this arrangement:
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