Ericsongs
EricSongs is dedicated to the music of Chuck Ericson of
Chuck grew up in
After a prolonged moratorium from writing (and a few years working, attending college & seminary and getting married to his wife Jane), the urge to take up the guitar and create music emerged again in his early ministry during the 1980’s at the Bolton Congregational Church UCC. Among his compositions were his annual Christmas Eve songs with themes that were drawn from the biblical stories of the birth of Jesus.
While Chuck’s repertoire of compositions includes secular songs as well as spiritual songs that go far beyond the Christmas theme, it is the collection of Christmas Eve songs that eventually became the substance of his first CD, “Pause”. Professionally produced by Lenny Bosh in Sound of Fury studios in
Chuck is grateful beyond words for the love of his family, the support of the congregation he serves, and the encouragement of Lenny Bosh for helping to make an unrealized lifelong dream come true.
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Please read on if your are interested in learning something about the inspiration behind the songs that can be heard on “Pause”…..
The playful Stop, Look and Listen is a fairly obvious commentary on the need to separate ourselves from the social and material aspects of the season to truly celebrate the day of Christ’s birth. Did you catch the opening reference to the Buckland Hills mall near Chuck’s home?
Jesus, Born to Set Us Free takes the freedom concept to the point of considering how we can be freed of many of the things the church has imposed over the years (sin, guilt, shame…etc., etc., etc.) – freed instead to love, serve and rejoice in all that is good and awesome in life.
With Welcome, Wonder and Wishes the alliteration was a challenge, while also reflecting upon the observation that the scene at the manger had no barriers around it – and in our life of faith we should not either.
The Promise Is Fulfilled is intended to remind us that the coming of Jesus is not believed to be an unplanned happenstance…but rather the unfolding of a promise from God who continues to make – and keep – promises to each of us.
Sometimes the music, not the words, have dominated the creative process – as in the case of God Is With Us, which has a very straightforward message woven into a rhythm that is quite different that most of the other songs.
Two songs – Dreaming Again and Friend of the Night – concern the way that God consistently seems to appear to us when needed most: often at night…and often through our dreams.
The biblical account of Christmas has very little dialogue outside of brief conversations initiated by angels – so What Did Mary Say? invites us to imagine what the holy couple might have talked about on the way to be enrolled.
Home for Immanuel actually resulted from a lengthy study of the environs into which Jesus entered the world – with the conclusion that urban, suburban and rural locations all play a part…meaning the Jesus is God’s gift to all the world, not just a certain class or demographic.
In the early 1990’s, when the borders of several eastern European nations were being realigned, and other major world events had taken place, the incarnational message We See You There became the theme of the Christmas Eve song. Even in the midst of personal or international upheaval, can we look to see Jesus there…bringing healing, hope and love?
The story of Have No Fear is a simple one. It was written three months after
Pause (Reprise) was Lenny’s idea – simply taking the original guitar track from the title song, and substituting his smooth and brilliant electric guitar work for the vocals. What a way to wrap it all up!!
