THE WHISPERED ROAR

Today I thought I'd share with you my most recent painting 'The Whispered Roar', created on Friday evening at City Church Cambridge Carol Service. Acrylic & mixed media on canvas (24x30").

The idea for this piece began with the line in a song “The angels roar for Christ the King” (I cast my mind to Calvary). I was contemplating the Christmas story where the angels appeared to the shepherds 'Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels, a multitude of the heavenly host, appeared singing praises to God' (Luke 2) and then Rev 5 'Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.' I began to get just a glimpse of the level of excitement in heaven over what the birth of Jesus actually meant. I imagine that what the shepherds saw and heard was the angels really holding back and muffling the celebration and joy that they felt. Hence the title. As I looked through several familiar carols I began to see the lyrics as if for the first time:

Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
And heaven and nature sing
Repeat the sounding joy

The definition for 'herald' - a royal messenger that goes ahead with an announcement, ushering in, signalling and sounding the praises of the coming of the King.

...Join the triumph of the skies,
Christ by highest heaven adored
HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING…. GLORY!

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!

It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.