Worship Musician Magazine September 2020 | Page 43

NEW MUSIC
RITA SPRINGER
SONG FOCUS “Light”
in a modern worship vibe. Vocally, his sugary
sweet first tenor is easily recognizable and
every track is delivered with authenticity
and vigor.
A few of the standout cuts include a live version
of the shimmering ballad, “Be Still” which is a
powerful reminder for us to put our trust in the
Lord in every circumstance. Greene lights up
the room with charisma, and vocal energy in
"While I'm Waiting" which speaks of how we
grow in wisdom and our knowledge of God
while anticipating His answers to prayer.
The back-to-back versions of “Good and
Loved” that begin the EP seemed a bit of an
odd choice but the song itself is solid with the
duet with Stephanie Gretzinger being the better
of the two.
“Thank You For Being God” is a vertical song of
praise that ends the album by focusing on the
faithfulness of our Father that never ends and is
probably the most Gospel-esque tune with the
choir and B3 organ.
The live tracks here are the better ones as you
really get a sense of the power of Greene’s
vocals as well as his gift for spontaneous
praise and his heart for Jesus. This is a nice
little sample of who Travis Greene is and these
are songs that serve as a timeless reminder
of God’s love of His people no matter how far
away He may seem.
In the past 3 months I have heard more than
one person say that our world seems to be
becoming a darker and darker place each
and every day with riots, violence, political and
racial unrest and the uncertainty of a global
pandemic. People have been sheltered in their
homes for months and fear is running rampant
throughout the world. It seems there is little light
to be found.
Enter long time worship artist and song writer
Rita Springer who has been blessing the church
with unforgettable melodies and authentic
songs of praise since the Vineyard movement
in the mid-nineties. Springer has been kind
of off the radar since her last full release in
2017 as she has had her hands full raising an
orphaned child as a single parent in Texas.
Her latest single, “Light” has been released
with little fanfare and is a hope-filled journey to
the father’s arms for those who feel lost in the
darkness.
Verse one begins with the all too familiar warm
pad and piano before the drums enter and add
a sense of musical anticipation as Rita soulfully
sings about how God has a way of doing the
impossible when all seems lost.
Suddenly the chorus seems to appear out of
nowhere and Springer’s voice soars into the
stratosphere as she sings; “Light, let there
be light, open my eyes, let there be light.” As
simple as the phrase is and as many times as
we have probably read this passage in Genesis,
the melody and power with which it is sung
(and given our current worldly circumstance)
gives the phrase a whole new meaning. We
tend to be so focused on what is spiraling out
of control around us that we take our eyes off
of Jesus our light and salvation. For many, this
is their current reality and a great reminder to
keep our focus on Him who created the light
and knows our future.
Verse two continues the same thematic idea as
verse one with some creative writing about how
Jesus comes to our rescue at the speed of…
yes you guessed it, light - which ingeniously
takes us right into chorus two. Then we get
the four-on-the-floor bridge which is a lyrical
repeat of the first pre-chorus about God being
a wildfire that cannot be overcome by the
darkness.
Springer’s voice is still phenomenal for someone
who has been leading worship as long as she
has and the song is cleverly written and perfect
for such a time as this. The melodies are
memorable and declarative and her delivery is
on point. This is a powerful message of hope
that we all need to sing.
The pre-chorus follows as the rhythmic intensity
builds and we are reminded lyrically that the
nature of God is to rescue and redeem and that
He has been this way since the dawn of time.
Gerod Bass
Worship leader in Tacoma, WA. Mentor with Worship
Catalyst. Singer, songwriter, guitarist with a passion
for impacting lives for the sake of the Gospel.
www.oslc.com
September 2020
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