Stanton Lanier

Scripture inspired piano to refresh your spirit

Revealer of Mysteries

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Today is worldwide release day for Revealer of Mysteries. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, all music platforms, or click below. As you listen, scroll down and read the inspiration behind this cinematic, orchestral track filled with drama, power, and mystery, and offering hope and possibility to our lives and stories.

 

Wonder, Joy, Beauty, and Mystery are themes and inspiration for four songs I composed during summer 2021. If you haven’t heard the first three yet, you can read the story behind them as you listen to each melody, or you can stream them on your favorite music service — Breathing Wonder, Joy Singing Joy, and Gaze Upon the Beauty.

Revealer of Mysteries is a cinematic, orchestral track filled with drama, power, and mystery, and offering hope and possibility to our lives and stories. I composed it as though it were a film score for the life of Daniel. His story included him interpreting Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (chapter 2), three friends being thrown in the blazing furnace (chapter 3), and him being thrown in the lion’s den (chapter 6). I hope both the music and the inspiration behind Revealer of Mysteries will encourage you with a sense of hope and possibility in your life and story, whatever your circumstances may be.

Music Overview

The song opens with rhythmic strings, and a hint of the “power” theme. The first “mystery” theme section follows, which has a slower tempo and begins some dramatic tension. The power theme answers, but is much bigger this time, with horns, and more of the orchestra playing the melody. A bigger version of the mystery theme arrives next, adding a counter melody on strings, and some rhythmic choir harmony. The biggest combination of the power theme follows, with rhythmic strings, full symphony on melody, and timpani drum. Then there is a final, smaller mystery section highlighted by piano and bells. The gradual ending revisits the power theme with small instrumentation, piano and rhythmic choir, revealing a dramatic ending.

Inspiration Overview

God has been inspiring me for many years with His extraordinary power and mystery (see Isaiah 55:8-9 and Jeremiah 33:3). Throughout the Bible, and to this day, He uses ordinary men and women to do amazing and extraordinary things when they surrender to Him, want to hear His voice, and seek to obey Him. I have found God faithful in my life as I watch to see what He reveals to me, and then what He invites me to do. He is truly a Revealer of Mysteries.

“In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed” (Daniel 2:1-2). None of the king’s wise men could interpret his dream, and he was so angry he decided to have every one of them put to death. Daniel heard about this, and knew he and his friends would be executed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. That night God gave him a vision. “During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: ‘Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king'” (Daniel 2:19-23).

“The king asked Daniel, ‘Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?’ Daniel replied, ‘No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries'” (Daniel 2:26-28). After Daniel interprets the dream in every detail, King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor (Daniel 2:46). Then the song title verse appears in Daniel 2:47 — The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

I hope both this dramatic, powerful, and mysterious story from Daniel’s life, and the music, offer you hope and possibility in your life and story. May this new song Revealer of Mysteries play a small part in encouraging you with God’s peace and presence. He sees you. He knows you. He loves you. He is with you. His hand is upon you. I have found Him trustworthy beyond belief, and so want you to know and experience His goodness and faithfulness in your life as well.

How does Revealer of Mysteries speak to you? Musically? Spiritually?

Gaze Upon the Beauty

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Today is release day for Gaze Upon the Beauty. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, all music platforms, or click below. As you listen, scroll down and read the story behind this stilling melody offering peace and beauty.

 

This piece is expressing the simple (but not easy) idea to practice stillness before God, to gaze upon His beauty, and to listen for His voice. It brings to mind the Scripture passage “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), and the Bible story of Mary and Martha, when Jesus said Mary did a “beautiful thing” listening intently at His feet, while Martha was busy about many things (Luke 10:38-42).

After years of “striving to achieve” (how I describe my approach to life and career goals in my 20s), God began helping me pursue His idea of “abiding to receive.” His definition of success is different from the ways of the world. He invites me to meditate on His Word, practice what it says, listen for His voice, and seek to obey what He would have me to do. Then, God says, “you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

These are some of the threads woven into Gaze Upon the Beauty. The inspiration and the music invite me to be more still and less hurried, to have more calm and less busyness, and to know more peace in the midst of life’s storms. This is why the piano has such a simple repeating melody, and why the tempo is very slow. The cello notes begin “singing” the words “Gaze upon the beauty” very slowly over the piano. Then the piano and French horn take us into a long gaze, meditating on God’s beauty, and reminding us of His beauty we see in people and creation around us. Finally the horn sings the “Gaze upon the beauty” melody a few more times while the cello harmonizes. The piano climbs higher and higher to a simple, uplifting ending. The swelling orchestral strings underneath add to the profound treasure available to us in these simple truths.

What does “Gaze Upon the Beauty” mean to you?

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire (meditate) in his temple.” Psalm 27:4 (ESV)

Joy Singing Joy

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Today is release day for Joy Singing Joy. This is my first composition for a full choir, and you can stream everywhere. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, all other outlets, or click below. As you listen, scroll down and read the inspiration behind this song.

 

Living from a deep sense of joy in my heart has been a long process for me. As you may have read or heard already, joy is a significant part of my redemptive story, since I spent many years taking life too seriously. My journey led to the release of four songs with “joy” in the title — Joyful on my second album Still Waters, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring on my sixth album December Peace, Vive La Joye on my seventh album A Thousand Years, and Joy to the World on my twelfth album December Peace II. At age thirty I surrendered my career to God, and my joy slowly began to increase as I studied Scripture and listened for God’s voice. At age thirty-five I wrote my first instrumental song, and at age forty I became a full-time pianist and composer.

The more I keep receiving God’s love, grace, and joy, the more I am able to give these to others. This song and its title were born from this idea of receiving, giving, and repeating this process in our lives. God’s “Joy Singing” brings me joy, and my “Joy Singing” brings Him joy. My life and other lives are blessed in the process. Some days God’s “Joy Singing” helps me find some joy to make it through. Some days my “Joy Singing” overflows into people’s lives, rooted in a deep sense of gratitude to God. Even though I am imperfect and inconsistent, God’s character is constant. His love, grace, and joy are always there for me, and for you. When the revelation for this song happened, I realized the word JOY could form a cross as a symbol of Jesus’s love for me, and the joy in receiving His forgiveness of my sin forever.

Joy Singing Joy was a new musical challenge because in my previous songs featuring choir, the voices support the piano or blend with the orchestra. This time a full choir would be the lead instrument, with sopranos and tenors singing the melody, and altos and basses adding harmony. Since the word “singing” was at the center of the title, I wanted the choir to be front and center, with a string orchestra underneath. I was also inspired to give some shining moments to instruments which require breath. A solo trumpet accents the main melody, and flutes and trombones add rhythmic harmony as the song builds. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6, NIV).

Wherever you are in your “journey with joy” in this life on earth, I pray Joy Singing Joy will inspire and encourage you to pursue God more deeply if you know Him, and to investigate Jesus more deeply if you are being drawn toward Him. These gifts of love, grace, and forgiveness offer an eternal joy and peace which transcend all understanding (see Philippians 4:6-8).

How does “Joy Singing Joy” speak to you?

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” – Psalm 100:1-2 (NIV)

“Worship the Lord with joy. Enter his presence with joyful singing.” – Psalm 100:2 (NET)

“I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart. I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God.” – Psalm 9:1-2 (MSG)

“They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing.” – Psalm 126:5 (AMP)

“I’m singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.” – Habakkuk 3:18 (MSG)