Over the course of several years I wrote a musical --a song cycle, really-- based upon the book of Ruth from the Bible.
It started in 2001 with Boaz' Song when I pondered the subtle love affair implied in Ruth which begins when Boaz asks his steward, "Whose damsel is this?" (Ruth 2:5)
One night after a worship team rehearsal I was asked what I'd written recently and I shared this song with Sally Heimann, one of St. Judes' worship leaders at the time. She said it sounded like a song from a musical - amazingly, that thought had never occurred to me. We laughed about it and she said, "Yeah, you could have Orpah sing, "Bye bye! So long! Farewell!" and I thought that was really amusing. So I gradually started writing songs. My goal was to tell the Naomi-Ruth-Boaz story and stay consistent with the account from the Bible.
I have performed portions of the piece at Azusa Pacific University for several different classes but the whole work wasn't presented until June 23rd and June 24th, 2007, at St. Jude's in Burbank, California. We presented it in a "reader's theatre" kind of format (no costumes or special lighting) and it was enthusiastically received: the audiences were moved and delighted, lots of applause. The cast was wonderful - I am so proud of them.
We recorded it digitally and it was also videotaped; we may release a live CD - information will be posted on this website.
Lyrics at Moonbird Music Co.