"Abraham & Sarah"
"An Awesome and Inspiring Musical Experience!"

By: Robert Mishkin

Ever since my second year in high school, music has been a major part of my life. I was a music education major at Potsdam, State University of New York, and later I majored in music theory at the Manhattan School Of Music. I was planning for a career in musicology but then discovered my calling in piano technology, which I have been practicing for the past 32 years.

In my opinion, the great American songwriter-composers; Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and the Gershwins truly brought song writing to a bona-fide art form. Unfortunately to me, most contemporary music is sorely devoid of these attributes. With a few exceptions, I have found most contemporary song-form music to be overly commercial pop-rock that varies between ennui and cacophony. And then I heard, or I should say "experienced" Cathy Ellis' opus, "Abraham and Sarah". My immediate reaction was "WOW!"

First of all, her work evoked the whole gamut of human emotion; from joy to tears; exhilaration and excitement. The spiritual message was paramount. I heard a work that was musically delightful and inspiring. The songs were filled with beautiful and lyrical melodies backed up by cool and creative chord progressions and cadences. The lyrics are poetical and inspired. I couldn't help but notice how the music and lyrics flowed together. Also obvious were the segues and smooth, yet sometimes surprising modulations; none of the jumpy, abrupt and unmusical transitions that permeate much of the contemporary scene. Also interesting were the varieties of style from song to song. The opening number "It's A Beautiful Day," is classical aria-like, with the lyrical theme soaring and forming the major motif of this work. Then, the flavor of the songs vary from theater to jazz/blues, a little R & B, Hebraic, and even a bit of country.

The formal training and musical background of Cathy Ellis, along with her GOD-given talent and anointing are so delightfully obvious. In Abraham and Sarah, Cathy Ellis has blended a profound work and modern humor, with the utmost of respect, reverence and awe. I think that anyone that loves and appreciates "good" music will find this an inspiring treat. And somehow I feel that if the old masters of American music could hear this work, they would be smiling.

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