Narnia Fans » Christian

With two months to go before the release of its big-budget film “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the Walt Disney company wants very much to whet audience appetites by placing music from the soundtrack on radio and music-video channels.

But Disney’s tricky marketing strategy for “Narnia” – which includes aggressively courting Christian fans who can relate to the story’s biblical allegory while trying not to disaffect secular fans – is particularly tricky when it comes to music.

The spiritual character of “Narnia” is being reinforced with the debut on the charts last week of a Christian pop album of music inspired by the film. But prospects for a previously announced secular soundtrack now seem cloudy, executives involved in the process say. Disney executives say that at the very least the CD will be delayed beyond its planned Oct. 25 release.

Mitchell Leib, president of music for Disney’s Buena Vista film unit, said he still expected to assemble and release a secular soundtrack before the film’s Dec. 9 opening. But he cited production snags. He said he was still awaiting a recording by the rock band Evanescence that is intended as the film’s closing song. He added that planning had also been complicated by last-minute decisions about how music will be used in the complex, special-effects-laden film.

The Christian-oriented album’s status as the only “Narnia” musical project in the marketplace, for now at least, could upset the studio’s plan to balance two audiences. “If they go ahead and release only the one soundtrack, I think they’re risking being identified as turning toward a blatantly religious company, which does turn some people away,” said Chris Ahrens, founding editor of Risen, a San Diego-based lifestyle magazine that explores the spiritual beliefs of entertainment figures. On the other hand, Mr. Ahrens said, if the music strikes a chord in the Christian market, “I think that’s huge for Disney in terms of the movie audience.” He added, “It seems like a huge gamble.” …

…And the album already appears to be crossing into territory where the genre is rarely marketed, said Bill Hearn, the president and chief executive of EMI’s Christian Music Group. EMI has been promoting “Narnia” songs to mainstream radio, and Mr. Hearn said 16 stations playing “adult contemporary” music have added Mr. Chapman’s song “Remembering You” to their playlists. The music video for the song is also expected to be included on the film’s DVD, he said.

“We believe these songs are appealing to anyone who loves ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ not just to the Christian audience,” Mr. Hearn said. “The songs are written specifically to reach a wide audience.”

For the rest, visit the New York Times

Whether four sentences from the C.S. Lewis book make it onto the big screen will make a big difference. **SPOILERS**
By DAVID VAN BIEMA

The White Witch: “That human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property.”

Aslan (later) : “The Witch knew the Deep Magic. But if she could have looked a little further back… she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.” – from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

Earlier this month, Disney ran the first test screening of its December release, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in a California theater. The existence of a screenable print constitutes a kind of opening bell for two questions regarding its content. The answer to the first, “Is it any good as a movie?” will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Disney and its co-producer, Walden Media and will only be known later this year when the box office comes in. The second, more intriguing question, “Has it reproduced the Christian character of C.S. Lewis’s book?” could also be worth tens of millions if it inspires Passion of the Christ-style repeat viewings by conservative Christians. And the answer could lie in whether the four sentences above, which constitute a kind of evangelical sniff test make it into the film. (A Disney spokesperson said that since he had not attended the screening and that there is not yet a final cut, he could not verify whether it contains the lines, but promised that “the movie is going to be as faithful to the book as possible.”)

Lewis always insisted that his seven Narnia books were not a point-by-point Christian allegory. Much of The Lion, the Witch owes more to English folktales or Norse and classical myth than to the New Testament. The passage of the four Pevensie children through the magic closet into a world laboring under a spell of eternal winter is not Christian, nor are the cruel white witch, talking animals, centaurs, and even a duo of Roman gods who inhabit it. True, the description of the redeeming figure of the lion Aslan as “the Son the Great Emperor-Beyond-the- Sea” is a big hint. But even Aslan’s sacrifice on a huge stone table (not a cross; and performed with a stone knife, Aztec-style), and his subsequent miraculous recovery could have been borrowed from any number of world religions.

It is the book’s explanation for this key sequence that makes it exclusively Christian. After Edmund Pevensie betrays Aslan and his brother and sisters, the Witch claims his blood in accordance to the laws of “Deep Magic.” Aslan concedes this and offers himself up in proxy, announcing glumly, “I have settled the claim on your brother’s blood.” Miraculously revived, he explains, “the Witch knew the Deep Magic. But if she could have looked a little further back… she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.”

This is Christianity in a kid-lit veil. Like any good sermon, its key points can be traced to Biblical citations – here mostly from the Letters of the apostle Paul. Edmund’s treachery corresponds to the sins of humanity, which Paul explains is inherently doomed to violate God’s Law (“The Deep Magic”). Because of this violation, writes Paul in Romans, humans are literally owned by Satan (“slaves of the one whom you obey”); and “the wages of sin is death.” The idea that Aslan, because he is sinless, can voluntarily pay for Edmund’s blood with his own, is the powerful Christian doctrine of blood atonement, developed from texts like the First Letter of Peter: “You know that you were ransomed… with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” Like Christ’s, Aslan’s resurrection is inevitable (“If Christ has not been raised, then … our faith is in vain,” Paul writes in First Corinthians.) And it conquers not just his death (or as Aslan would say, causes it to move backwards) but that of all believers, who will also see resurrection. Paul rejoices: “Death is swallowed up in victory… O death, where is thy sting?” In The Lion, Aslan and Lucy Pevensie celebrate with a “mad” game of tag.

Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, now in stores, is a very unique collection of songs. I have been listening to this album for about a month now, and haven’t heard a compilation like this in a very long time. Not only does each song fit together to bring the stories of Aslan and the Children to light in the many songs, but it also solidifies C.S. Lewis’ intentions for the story.

Jars of Clay – Waiting for the World to Fall
The kickoff to the album is a strong, melodic piece that longtime fans of the band will feel right at home with. Not only is it one of the strongest songs on the album, it would fit nicely on their debut album from 1995; an album that is still considered among the best Christian albums yet recorded. The song brings you into Narnia in the middle of a cold winter, as we await the day that the world changes and the new spring comes to refresh the world.

Steven Curtis Chapman – Remembering You
This song has a very Celtic flair throughout, and could be from the point of view of many, including ourselves and in many times. It is a very heartfelt message of remembering the change that came when the sacrifice was accomplished. This song, being the first single from the album, is a powerful one. They’ve filmed a music video for the song, which we should be seeing sometime in the near future.

Jeremy Camp – Open Up Your Eyes
From Jeremy Camp comes a song that is typical of his style, which means it’s very good. It’s a great song about listening to God, and learning His will for your life, the reason that God created you.

Bethany Dillon – Hero
Hero is a song by 16 year old Bethany Dillon. This talented young artist excels well beyond her age with a great and unique voice and poignant lyrics. It’s a song about the world being torn apart from it’s Creator, and the way that the bridge back was created.

Delirious? – Stronger
This is a song about each day, growing closer to God.. for each day that passes is a day that we’re closer to the day of our death, and therefore, each day should have some time spent growing stronger in our relationship with Him, as this song proclaims.

Rebecca St. James – Lion
Lion is a song that harkens back to her album “Pray” in style, but also serves to show how much she’s improved as an artist since that album. She sings about walking with God and learning to fly with Him by your side. This is classic Rebecca St. James.

TobyMac – New World
The first song that shakes things up a bit is this rocking track from TobyMac, formerly of dcTalk. Here is a song from Lucy’s point of view, after she returns for the first time from Narnia, and tries to explain to her brothers and sister exactly what she has witnessed. This song, regardless of what you think of the genre, does grow on you with every listen.

Nichole Nordeman – I Will Believe
This is a song that takes you by the hand and shows you that with strength and faith, there is a power there. A freedom there. It evokes feelings with a message of having the faith of a child. Being dependent on God and choosing to follow Him.

David Crowder Band – Turkish Delight
Here’s a song about Edmund and the White Witch.. it’s the second song that shakes things up a bit, as the style is quite a bit different from every other song on the album. It’s a song that grows on you, and is definitely one that I could see being a blast when performed live. It’s about selfish temptations and the power that those temptations can have over us.

Kutless – More Than It Seems
Here’s a standard rock song from Kutless. This song, I feel, could fit on their self-titled debut album easily. It’s about entering a new world and coming away changed for the better, and being capable of far more than you think you are capable of.

Chris Tomlin – You’re The One
I think Chris says it best here: This is the most relevant story of the world – it’s the story of all of us, of all mankind. That there is a place, a home that we all belong to, and all of us were created for it, and somewhere along the way we have taken off our own roads, and made decisions that have led us away, and believed lies and it has led us away from this place that we belong. There is someone that will make a way back for us, a hero that will save the day.

Grade: A

A fantastic compilation, I highly recommend it to anyone. Speaking of which, I’ve got quite a few copies of the album, and will be starting a contest very soon to give those away, along with other Narnia prizes.

Listen to previews, watch videos and read lyrics from this album on our Soundtrack page
Order from Family Christian Stores
Order from MusiChristian.com

Listen for his song from the Christian Artist Inspired Narnia Soundtrack that hits store shelves on September 27th. At the same time, he’s got a new Christmas album called “All I Really Want for Christmas.” He’ll also be shooting a music video for Remembering You!

All I Really Want For Christmas’ first single, the endearing “All I Really Want,” promises to be a song we’ll want to hear for years to come. The song focuses on a topic dear to Chapman’s heart – adoption. “All I Really Want” shares the story of a little boy’s one item wish list to Santa, asking not for toys at Christmastime but for a family. Chapman sings:

“All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in, a shoulder to cry on if I lose and shoulders to ride on if I win / There’s so much I could ask for but there’s one thing I really need / All I really want for Christmas is a family.”

To promote the single, Chapman will be filming a music video in Los Angeles at the end of the month. The video will be directed by Brandon Dickerson who is based out of San Francisco. Dickerson will also be filming Chapman in another music video for Chapman’s song, “Remembering You,” the first radio single from Songs Inspired By The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Read the lyrics and listen to a preview of the song here

Rebecca spent Sunday through Tuesday of this week at the International Christian Retail Sales conference in Denver – one of the Christian industry’s biggest events of the year for the introduction of “what’s new” in books, music, video – ”and beyond. It was three days packed with activities! On Sunday, Rebecca performed made a major performance debuting her music from the upcoming Disney film, The Chronicles of Narnia -following her performance by acting as official “hostess” for a Narnia event that officially “debuted” the movie for Christian retailers. The event was attended by the film’s producers and executive/creative teams surrounding its’ introduction as a major Christmas ‘05 film event. Rebecca’s record label will launch the soundtrack album with music (including Rebecca’s!) inspired by the film in September.

She also meet with Tyndale on exciting plans for SHE TEEN – reaching store shelves next month – and expected to be a major impact book for the Fall. Its unique “bookzine” format is targeted to reach young readers with wisdom on how to be a “Safe, Healthy, Empowered” young woman of God, a ministry message close to Rebecca’s heart. Rebecca signed the first “preview” galleys of “Sister Freak” – coming in November from Warner Faith. Rebecca served as the General Editor and will provide the media voice for the lovely book that contains the compelling stories of women who gave their all for God. It was a non-stop three days that took Rebecca’s music, message and ministry to those wonderful people responsible for bringing us the resource of Christian retail.

EMI CMG will release two soundtracks of songs inspired by one of the year’s most anticipated films, a live action adaptation of the best-selling C.S. Lewis classic, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The projects are being produced through a partnership between EMI CMG’s parent company, EMI Music, and the film’s producers, Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media, according to a joint press release.

The film will be released worldwide on Dec. 9. The first project, a soundtrack of original songs inspired by the film featuring Christian artists is scheduled to be released on Sept. 27. The artists who will be participating on this album include:

· Steven Curtis Chapman
· tobyMac
· Nichole Nordeman
· Jars of Clay
· newsboys
· Jeremy Camp
· Rebecca St. James
· Chris Tomlin
· Delirious?
· Bethany Dillon
· David Crowder Band

This album will be followed by a soundtrack featuring mainstream pop and rock artists, which is scheduled to be released on Oct. 25. “EMI CMG’s partnership with Disney and Walden Media holds an unprecedented visibility and marketing opportunity for the participating artists,” said Bill Hearn, EMI CMG President and CEO. “Disney and Walden Media have been hands on partners in the creative process for this recording. Their passion for the music is contributing to an extensive marketing campaign for this soundtrack, integrating it seamlessly into the marketing effort surrounding the film’s release.” In addition, EMI CMG Distribution and Walt Disney Records (WDR) also announced a partnership that will give CBA retailers access to Walt Disney Records’ vast library of family-friendly audio products. “Walt Disney has created movie classics and beloved animated characters that have been loved from generation to generation, and with Baby Einstein, Playhouse Disney and the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia, Disney continues to be the most recognized and sought-after brand in family entertainment,” said Rich Peluso, president of EMI CMG Distribution.

“We are pleased that Disney has allowed us to partner with them in bringing selected content to the CBA market.” Added Robert Marick, Sr. Vice President and General Manager, Walt Disney Records, “We are pleased to have EMI CMG deliver our valuable brand to serve the Christian retail marketplace with our diverse line of music and products. EMI CMG holds an impressive track record in the marketing and distribution of children’s products to Christian retail and shares our goal of offering consumers quality choices in family friendly entertainment. Our new partnership will augment WDR’s existing distribution agreement with Universal Music & Video Distribution. We are excited for the immense opportunity that lies ahead and we welcome EMI CMG’s experienced sales, marketing and distribution team.”