"EYES ON THE PRIZE" IS AN OLD GOSPEL SONG WHICH HAS ALSO SERVED AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR LABOR UNION GATHERINGS AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OVER THE DECADES. EARLIER THIS YEAR, I WAS ASKED TO PERFORM THE SONG AND RELATE THE STORY OF PAUL & SILAS, WHOM THE SONG MEMORIALIZES, AS PART OF A CELEBRATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY AT LANCASTER'S UNIVERSALIST UNITARIAN CHURCH. BECAUSE THE SONG IS SO REVERED BY APPALACHIA'S SCOTS-IRISH MINERS AS WELL AS DR. KING'S AFRICAN AMERICAN FREEDOM MARCHERS, I DECIDED TO GIVE THE ARRANGEMENT A BIT OF A CELTIC SPIN VIA A "DROPPED D" TUNING (CAPOED TO E FLAT). PERFORMING THE SONG LIVE FOR THE UU CHURCH CAME SURPRISINGLY EASY, BUT RECORDING IT IN MY STUDIO WAS ANOTHER MATTER. I RECORDED THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF IT BEFORE SETTLING ON THIS ONE.
THE RECORDING IS DEDICATED TO MY MOM AND SISTERS AND TO MY DEAR FRIENDS & LONGTIME MUSICAL COHORTS MIKE DIEHM & JIM FOLKER, ALL OF WHOM HAVE TAUGHT ME A LESSON OR TWO ABOUT KEEPING THE FAITH AND HOLDING ON. HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.
-TIMOTHY TRUMAN, LANCASTER, PA., APRIL 2011
NOTE: THIS RECORDING IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR PERSONAL USE ONLY. ARRANGEMENT & PERFORMANCE COPYRIGHT 2011 TIMOTHY TRUMAN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
