On Sunday, March 29th at 2:30 P.M., students and visitors alike gathered in York Performance Hall for not just any concert, but the first live performance of Holy Spirit and Fire, the album written and performed by student Nathaniel Williams— or Than, as he’s known to close friends and colleagues. Than, a senior majoring in music business with a concentration in record production, created the album for his capstone project. Though it was not the only project available to him, he’d always dreamed of studio work since attending one in Nashville when he was sixteen, and by the end of his sophomore year at AU he had already written and recorded a few songs; it seemed creating a record of his own was a dream that was destined to come true, especially with overwhelming support from advisors and encouragement from faculty and friends.
Before the concert even began, the energy was at high levels with a tailgate hosted by Avanti Boosters, where attendees could help themselves to burgers or Arnold Palmers in the breezeway. Inside the lobby of York, there was a board set up detailing the album’s writing and creation process as well as a table for merchandise that consisted of CDs, t-shirts, stickers, and kazoos. Then concertgoers could head into the performance hall and take their seats in the audience, where they could see all of the instruments set up on the stage, ready to be played.
The room was ablaze with applause the moment Than stepped onto the stage and began the first song, “Pseudo-Savior”, and even more so when he introduced the band. The excitement only grew throughout the concert, with electrifying guitar solos and endless audience interactions, such as members of the Chorale singing their parts in “Holy Spirit and Fire” from their seats, or those who purchased kazoos playing the clarinet solo in “Mistaken Identity” alongside Than. Through it all, Than was passionate and grateful, thanking the people both on and off the stage many times, and even giving some insight into his writing process, particularly with “Ain’t Nobody (A Rebuke to the Accuser)”. He mentioned that the song was born of an assignment in which he was to create a song that sounded “blues-y,” but he struggled thinking of anyone in his life who had done him wrong. So Than settled on writing a song that was directed toward the aforementioned Accuser, including the lyric, “Ain’t Nobody done me wrong, none but you.” The concert concluded with the ninth and final song, “Matchless Grace/Holy Spirit and Fire (Reprise)”, which brought a worshipful and exquisite ending to the performance. York erupted with applause, and even beyond thirty minutes later the lobby was alive with chatter as Than greeted each concertgoer and people lined up to purchase CDs.
Among those in attendance at the concert was Than’s voice instructor, Theodore Hicks, and also one with whom Than had worked on the album. Hicks directed the Chorale in their involvement with “Holy Spirit and Fire” and worked passively as a project manager, running Than’s songs in his lessons and generally guiding him where he needed to go— although Hicks will say he was merely a “fly on the wall”. When asked what his feelings were about his involvement with the album, Hicks replied, “It was such a joy to kind of get a front row seat into his writing process and into all of the harmonies, and also just hearing his amazing lyricism and just the way that he crafts melodies. I was just totally geeking out.” According to Hicks, creating and releasing an album is not an unusual capstone project, though the way Than went about it, incorporating different courses’ material and collaborating with so many people, is truly unique. “One of the most beautiful things about this project was just how Than was able to bring everyone together in this way,” he said. “I was looking up there, seeing alumni, current students, faculty, and full-time adjunct, and everyone was represented. I was like, ‘This is just really, really cool.’”
Than himself also mentioned having enjoyed the collaboration aspect of the process. When asked what his favorite part was, he said, “I loved working with so many incredible musicians to bring these songs to life both in the studio and on the stage.” Than’s favorite parts of the concert were the implementation of the kazoo solo and hearing the audience singing these special songs along with him. As mentioned earlier, Than showed immense gratitude toward his supporters, and this thankfulness was present in his other responses as well. Than noted that the experience with creating the album was a whirlwind, but that the reception was fantastic. “Peers and professionals have taken to it well, and it is amazing to see the ways people have been engaging with the music, even in ways I did not expect…I was also overwhelmed with the support shown by my classmates and community members. To see so many people and engage with them after the show is of immeasurable value to me.” Than also expressed gratitude to God, saying, “God has been incredibly faithful and generous in answering prayers all along the way, giving me inspiration and lyrics at just the right times.”
Than plans to continue promoting and sharing the album, and he hopes to continue to play this music live for more people. Fans of Holy Spirit and Fire will also be delighted to know that there are ideas to release alternative versions of songs as well as a music video for “I Know a Guy”. For the moment, however, Than is giving himself a much-deserved rest. Anyone interested in updates can follow Than’s Instagram, @than.music, and those who have yet to hear Holy Spirit and Fire can listen to it on streaming or catch the livestream of the concert that was uploaded to YouTube.