The Passion of the Musicians

Now that The Passion of The Christ is out on video, millions will bring the film into their homes, many seeing—and hearing—it for the first time. They'll not only see a graphic but soul-stirring movie about Christ's last hours on earth, but they'll also hear an emotive score that director Mel Gibson says "made my film ten times better." The music was written by veteran film composer John Debney (Bruce Almighty, Elf, The Scorpion King, Princess Diaries 1 & 2), and the lyrics were written by Debney and accomplished singer/songwriter Lisbeth Scott, who also sung throughout the film—in Hebrew and Aramaic. Just before The Passion released to video, the film's soundtrack—which spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's soundtrack charts—reached gold status (more than 500,000 sales), and strong sales continue. We recently talked to Debney and Scott—who sounded like each other's biggest fans during our conversation—about The Passion, the making of the soundtrack, and God's leading hand throughout the process.

The Passion of The Christ was a huge box office hit. Were you surprised at its success?

John Debney

John Debney:

I was absolutely stunned with the level of success. I hoped people would see it, get what they could out of it and generate discussion—all the good things that can come of seeing art.

Lisbeth Scott:

All of us who worked on it knew we were working on an incredible moment in history. But none of us really knew the extent to which people would embrace it, because I've seen such beauty and grace in many art forms go unnoticed before in this society. I knew this film was an incredible piece of work from all angles, but I didn't know just how much the world would see that.

I hear you both didn't get involved till late in the game.

Debney:

Yes, very late in the process. I got called in late October—four months before the release date. That's not much time to write a film score. But with this incredible team we put together—and Lisbeth was probably my number one point person—we were able to do this amazing work in a very short period of time. Honestly, I made it through because of the help of Lisbeth and a couple of other key people.

Scott:

Yes, it was a real whirlwind, just like being thrown into an intense family situation for weeks.

Sometimes deadline pressure brings out the creative best in an artist. Did that happen for you?

Lisbeth Scott

Scott:

Yes. There's a beautiful theme in this film—Mary's theme—that I sing. After days of not sleeping, John caught a quick four hours and called me in the morning and said, "Got it. I woke up with this theme and these words in my head. This is Mary's theme." He played it for me on the phone, and it was breathtaking. It was so clearly just handed down to John. I think sometimes when we get so exhausted, we get out of our own way so the Spirit can just run freely through us. It's like John was definitely chosen as this incredible vehicle for the Spirit.

Debney:

A couple of days after that, Lisbeth was in my studio, and on the first or second take, Lisbeth, you went to another place that I had never heard you go, a place where I've heard very few human voices go. It so exactly captured the angst of the character of Mary. I was speechless. Speaking of spirit and inspiration, I think that, Lisbeth, you were also touched; something happened inside you.

Scott:

Absolutely. It was an incredible experience, because I hadn't ever worked on a project where I spent most of my time both singing and listening to the music with goose bumps. Almost every time I walked into a session to sing or to listen or to write lyrics or whatever, I was completely taken over.

Sounds like God was part of the process.

Scott:

Absolutely.

Mel Gibson says the music made the movie ten times better. Why does music make movies better?

Debney and Scott work with the choir at Abbey Road Studio

Debney:

The best directors I've worked with—like Mel, Steven Spielberg, Tom Shadyac—have told me that music is fifty percent of the experience of the film. I think music is the voice of the soul of the emotional fabric of the film. I talk to many college classes, and I love to show them a couple of scenes first without music and then with music. When there's no music, people are always struck by how incredibly two-dimensional it is. And when you add music, it invariably evokes an emotional response.

How would you describe the overall experience of scoring The Passion?

Debney:

This was the most complicated film I've ever been involved with, because the score is so different. There were times when the music had to go away, and there were times when the music had to transport you to a different place. For example, in the scene where Christ is being nailed to the cross, I knew that the music had to almost override the graphic nature of what you were seeing, and bring your soul to a different place. And it wasn't easy. It was one of the hardest pieces of music I've ever had to write. But at the end of the day, I was lucky enough to get it the way Mel wanted it. The music had to just be right for every moment. Mel was adamant about that.

What was it like working with Mel? Was he real hands-on?

Debney:

He was completely hands-on, but in a good way. Many times I would play music for him and he would go, "Okay. That's great. I like that," and then we'd go on. But there were other moments in the film that really he was focusing on and he would not let go of. So those areas were very, very difficult to get. But we finally got them.

A lot of trial and error?

Debney:

Oh, yeah. Always. It's that way with every director. Mel is not a musician. So he might say, "Well, there's something bugging me about this," or "It's a little too sad," or "There's some instrument in here that I'm not wild about." That's kind of the way we worked. Lisbeth, you observed a little of that, didn't you?

Debney (2nd from left) and Scott (far right) with other members of the music team

Scott:

Yes, and it was wonderful how you dealt with that. In those situations, you've got to put aside all ego and any sense of, Well, this is my thing. Because it's not. It belongs to God, and we're all working on this together. It was wonderful to observe this exchange of ideas in such a generous and gentle way.

Debney:

It was quite collaborative with Mel—in a hard way. But he really got the best out of me. It was difficult at moments, but I think that ultimately we also got some of our best work out of ourselves.

Scott:

Right. And you can see that when you look at the film and listen to the music, and everything feels right.

Lisbeth, you sing Hebrew and Aramaic in the film. Had you ever sung those languages before?

Scott:

No. I worked with two people—Father Bill Fulco at Loyola Marymount, and Father Michael Bazzi at Chaldean Church in San Diego. They both speak many languages, Aramaic among them. They would read the text for me, and I would record it onto a tape recorder and I would say it once, and basically that's how I learned it. It wasn't hard for me. Father Bill said he couldn't believe how quickly I was learning both Hebrew and Aramaic.

So, Lisbeth, you wrote lyrics in English and these two men did the translating?

Scott:

Yes.

Debney:

I would basically just rattle off ideas to Lisbeth, and she would crystallize them into lyrics that could be sung.

Scott:

Right. And just to be given the ball to run with it was the most wonderful thing for me. I would go home, take the music, melodies, and create from these ideas John had given me. I would add to those ideas and create lyrics, basically, that would fit the music and the actual scene in the film. It was an incredible experience.

Do you think the music stands alone well as a soundtrack, without the movie?

Debney:

Yes. Many people who bought the CD and listened to it separately from the film have told me that the CD itself is such an aural experience that it's a wonderful thing. I've heard from some people who said they couldn't handle the graphic violence of the film, so they haven't seen it, but they say that listening to the CD really touched them. That's very gratifying for me to know that our work has touched people like that. The reaction universally has been really strong. There's something there—and it's not necessarily us.

Scott:

I know.

Debney:

We're sort of vessels …

Scott:

Exactly.

I'd like to hear from both of you about your own faith.

Debney:

I was brought up Catholic. But I had a crisis of faith a few years ago, and I really got away from it. Then a few things occurred. The most powerful thing was losing my mom about three years ago, and in going through that process, I started to question everything again. A couple of years later, while I was still looking for answers, I got the call about doing The Passion of The Christ—right at the time when I was in the throes of trying to find out what faith means. And through the movie, I sort of re-found my personal Catholicism.

How about you, Lisbeth? What's your story?

Scott:

I was raised as an Episcopalian. And like John, I too got disenchanted. I started to try to figure out in my own spiritual quest, "What is faith? What do I believe?" I've always had a huge connection with God and Christ and Mary. But I had backed away from the church for many years.

Then two things happened at once. I lost a very close friend, and at the same time I was asked to participate in a spiritual recording [State of Grace] to sing "Amazing Grace." This was at one of the most difficult times in my life, just a lot of soul searching and tears every day. But when I started to sing "Amazing Grace," it really was a religious experience for me. God was just singing through me, and I didn't even know how the words were coming out of my mouth and the sounds that were being made. I had tears just streaming down my face. When I was done singing the song, I looked at everyone in the studio, and they were all in tears. And I knew at that moment that I was being called to come back to my faith. That was about three years ago.

Debney:

There was a similar experience when we were recording in London. When the people in the studio heard Lisbeth's voice for the first time, singing Mary's theme, there wasn't a dry eye in the place—and there were some rather seasoned and hardened music types there. It was commonplace for people at the recording sessions to just burst into tears, uncontrollable weeping.

Scott:

I remember at different points during the recording, I would turn around and someone would have their head in their hands and be sobbing. It was just that intense all the time.

Debney:

And yet so uplifting, too.

Scott:

It's almost like it washes you. It's like this intense cleansing with love.

Debney:

And I think that comes through in the music with these great performances. I've heard from many people who tell me that. One person in particular said they had just bought the CD and while driving home, they had to pull over because they were just overcome by the beauty of Lisbeth's voice.

Scott:

And by the music. Don't forget that.

Debney:

But the music would be nothing without her vocal.

Speaking of your vocals, Lisbeth, you have a new album, Passionate Voice. Tell me about it.

Lisbeth Scott's new CD

Scott:

I think it would definitely fit into the world of Christian music, because it is about Christ's philosophy. It's all about love, compassion, kindness, joy, faith, introspection, generosity, beauty—everything Christ spoke of in his life and in his work.

Debney:

I've heard it, and it's stunning. I think everybody will love this CD.

Scott:

The very first piece is in ancient Hebrew. The beginning and the end of the CD are a prayer, because I wanted a meditative moment and reflection on Christ and God that would lead into the music and to take us out of the music. It's like a journey, the CD is. It very much reflects where I am spiritually right now, and it very much was inspired by my work on The Passion for sure. There was music welling up in me that I had to express.

Debney:

I hope everybody buys this CD, people of all faiths, because it's so universal.

Scott:

That is my goal, to reach people that maybe we wouldn't normally reach—much in the same way that Christ reached out to everyone, regardless of where they were in their lives or in their faith. Sometimes it just takes that right moment or the right sound or the right word to turn someone's heart, or to turn someone to a place that they didn't have before—to open their heart to healing and to a love that they never knew was there.

John, what's next for you?

Debney:

I'm working on a comedy right now, Christmas with the Kranks, with a wonderful director named Joe Roth, and it's starring Tim Allen. I'm just busy, busy. Lots of stuff happening. And I'm looking forward to finding something I can do with Lisbeth again.

When we were done with this movie, it was very much like going through withdrawal. As hard as it was, it was just so fulfilling. As exhausted as we all were, we miss it. I miss the intensity and the collaboration. So I know there will be something else we're going to do, and hopefully soon.

Check these websites to learn more about John Debney, Lisbeth Scott, and The Passion of The Christ. To order the Passion soundtrack, click here. To order Lisbeth Scott's new CD, Passionate Voice, click here.

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