Robert Fox created the songs on this album as the theatre soundtrack for a production that was put on by St. Richard Gwyn Catholic High School in the UK where he acted as head of the drama and theatre studies department for about 15 years. Considering that this play was performed at a Catholic school, and by taking a look at the track listing of the album, it becomes pretty obvious that this production was one about the life of Christ.

In fact, the title of this album and the play, Adonai, is the Hebrew word for “Lord” that people used to use when talking about God because they believed that His actual name, YHWH (believed to be pronounced “Yahweh”) was too sacred a word to say. And there’s your history lesson for the day, kids.

When creating this play and the music for it, Fox said that he didn’t want to create another telling of the Easter story like every other that’s already out there, but instead he wanted to show the story and it’s emotions from a more human perspective.

The album starts off with loud thunder and rain in Pieta – Part 1 and then leads into really haunting and mystic sounding chanting and percussion. The next track, Palm Sunday, introduces other-worldly sounding guitar that proves that Fox really is a skilled multi-instrumentalist. And from there, every other song seems to have that same theme of slow and strong electric rhythms fronted by very raw and ancient sounding instruments and vocals.

I do think that Fox captured the emotional rollercoaster that goes along with hearing the story of the life of Christ very well. But then again, I’m someone who was raised in a Catholic family, went to Catholic schools for 14 years and I know the story and the events, myself, very well. Whereas I do know that most people are familiar with the story of Jesus and of Easter, some listeners may not realize that the title to every track on this album is a different piece of those stories. I don’t expect that every listener will know what the Pieta is, was happened in Gethsemane or the significance of the Betrayal. For that reason, this album lacks. I can see how when this album is backing actors acting out very powerful scenes that it can only heighten the emotion that’s attached to them, but standing as an album alone, I don’t think it has that same impact.

TRACK LISTING

Pieta – Part 1

Palm Sunday

The Temple

Mary’s Blessing

Gethsemane

Anointing

9 Mimes

Transfiguration

Betrayal

Magdalene

To Break And Share The Bread

Last Supper

Peter’s Denial

Way Of The Cross

Crucifixion

Pieta – Part 2

Resurrection