While the recent Chronicles of Narnia films have re-introduced the works of C.S. Lewis into the global consciousness of a new generation of fans, his writing has long influenced artists in the Christian music community. The 1978 release of The Roar of Love, The 2nd Chapter of Acts’ concept album based on The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, might have been the first contemporary Christian album to make a bold reference to Lewis’ work, but would not be the last.
Sheila Walsh’s 1986 project, Shadowlands, was an oblique reference to the stage play about Lewis’ relationship with his wife, Joy Gresham. His sci-fi Space Trilogy was the inspiration for King’s X’s 1988 debut project, Out of the Silent Planet. Guitar virtuoso Phil Keaggy released Beyond Nature, an instrumental tribute to C.S. Lewis in 1991. Christian prog-rock band, Glass Hammer, has repeatedly drawn on Lewis’ writings—both fiction and non-fiction—for source material in its albums, Perelandra (from the Space Trilogy), Shadowlands and, most recently, The Inconsolable Secret (from The Weight of Glory).
There also appears to be ample interest in the Oxford don among the current crop of Christian artists. Michelle Tumes’ classic song, “Untame Lion,” references Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia. Hard rockers Wavorly drew on The Great Divorce as a central theme in their 2007 debut, Conquering the Fear of Flight. Worship leader Charlie Hall claims that much of the inspiration from his upcoming project, The Bright Sadness, came from The Problem of Pain; and Brooke Fraser, best known for her work with Hillsong United, leaves no doubt as to the inspiration for “C.S. Lewis Song,” from her new solo project, Albertine.
Folk rocker Andrew Peterson says his last project, The Far Country, and particularly his song, “Little Boy Heart Alive,” were heavily influenced by Lewis’ writing.
“C.S. Lewis was a poet,” Peterson explains. “His use of language was accessible, yet very strong and beautiful. I read a lot of great Christian authors, but I’m rarely stirred by the beauty of the sentences that they write. Lewis used language out of a childlike love for Christ. It was as if Christ baptized his imagination. To find a writer who is able to wrap his intellect around a childlike faith is amazing. C.S. Lewis is able to tap into the little boy.”
Prince Caspian opened in nearly 4,000 theaters on May 16 to more than $55 million at the box office, significantly behind the $65 million The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe earned when it opened in December 2005. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the next installment of The Chronicles of Narnia, is scheduled to begin shooting in October 2008.
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