“Saultalk”

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33773, 20 February 1975, Page 4

“Saultalk”

•’Saultalk.” the New Zea-land-produced and written sweet rock opera — the story of Saul of Tarsus — has been recorded. The L.P. of “Saultalk,” released by Reed Pacific Records. Ltd. after the musical's recent debut at the Ponrua Mana Arts Festival. has been enthusiastically received by critics and public alike. The relase of the record has brought requests for performing rights from Brisbane and Edmonton.

After another four successful performances at the Wellington Grand Opera House the show will be performed in the Town Hall in Christchurch during the Arts Festival.

Play the record through once, and two or three tracks are immediately catchy, especially the theme-song, “On the Road to Damascus.” Play it through again, and other songs appeal, until there is not one that does not draw a response — either be-

cause of the tune, the words, or the spiritual import behind the words.

“Saultalk” is not in the same category as ‘“Jesus Christ Superstar.” It sticks close to the Biblical account and is strongly evangelical. For a Tawa Borough Councillor, a school boy pianist and a Tawa teacher, to whom fell the lot of writing the lyrics, composing the tunes, and producing and directing the musical, the record is extraordinarily good. “No good thing could come out of Tawa” — but “Saultalk" has. The record takes the musical's highlights, 18 songs of 30. The first three introduce Paul the persecutor of the infant New Testament Church. The fourth, "On the Road to Damascus” deals with his conversion. The remaining 14 show him developing as the apostle and fearless exponent of Christianity. The music is handled by

10 musicians, seven solosits and a chorus. The chorus always lifts the song from the shoulders of the soloist and swells it into a catchy, harmonious and far more powerful sound. It is alive with humour — "God can make a Prophet from a Loss,” — and joy but is also subdued and serious at times, “Take my Life,” “God’s Love.” Other times it is cheerfully forthright and simple — ‘Preach the Gospel Tim boy,” “Let’s go Travelling," "Educate, Consolidate.” It is backed all the way by Christain conviction, and is not therefore a pretentious record. It makes no claims other than that of presenting the gospel in a pleasant contemporary wav.

It is my bet that “Saultalk” will have wider New Zealand sales than “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Musically it is not as exciting, but "it is truer to the Bible narrative, and it is New Zealand's own.