On the Face of the Deep is ten original sea shanties based on biblical stories involving the sea. Lyrics are by biblical scholar and sailor Dr. Linford Stutzman, and the original music is by members of Cantore. Stories of the sea and seafarers in the Bible were written from the viewpoint of people of Hebrew origin—people of the Land. Thus, the biblical version of the stories reflect the Hebrews’ land-based identity, and sometimes reveal their suspicion or fear of the sea. To shed fresh light on these stories, the ten sea shanties on this album tell the same stories, but from the point of view of the pagan seafarers themselves. We hope you gain new appreciation for these stories, as rewritten by Dr. Stutzman in the voice of ancient Mediterranean seafarers, and as sung by Cantore—eight serious singers acting like salty sailors.
The CD is a deluxe package, including artwork, numerous photos, 16-page lyrics booklet, and a download code for mp3 files to play on any portable audio device. Sample tracks can be heard on the main CD page here.
This companion study and discussion guide answers some questions: Why biblical sea shanties? What are they based on? Where did they happen? What about the ships, sailors, and weather conditions mentioned in the shanties? Are they realistic? There is a story behind each shanty, as well as discoveries the author made from sailing in the Mediterranean that made him appreciate the familiar stories in new ways. Along with the album, the guide is for personal or group study, with discussion questions that can be used for people ages 10-90 who love the dramatic biblical stories, the sea, sailing, and shanties.