Artists collaborate on illustrated sacred-music project

"Another Witness, Music and Art That Testify of Christ," Covenant Communications Inc., spiral-bound hard cover, $24.95

The work of artist Gary Kapp and his sister, composer Janice Kapp Perry, appeared together on what Perry calls "individual pieces," but their first major work together is just now on the market in the illustrated book of sacred music titled "Another Witness, Music and Art That Testify of Christ."

Perry has composed more than 100 hymns for a Mormon audience and written and recorded more than six dozen albums to date. "Another Witness" has 27 hymns — 17 of them new to this volume. Many of the hymns and much of Kapp's artwork follow Book of Mormon themes. Kapp's art in the book represents 15 years of work, much of it commissioned by David B. Larsen, who lives in the Dallas area.

"He had (the paintings) in every room of his house," Kapp said of his yearslong patron. "They outgrew the house and (he) built a bigger house. It's like a museum, just for the paintings."

Perry said she met Larsen on a trip to the Dallas area and went to his home and saw her brother's paintings. "He (Larsen) shared with me some lyrics," Perry said. Kapp's art patron became his sister's music collaborator, and the new book of hymns includes two pieces where Perry set music to Larsen's texts. John V. Pearson wrote the text for most of the hymns, and Bonnie Hart Murray also wrote text for two hymns in the book.

Perry and Pearson have collaborated on more than 80 pieces of music, and his contributions to the book were penned while he was undergoing chemotherapy. Perry and Murray have now written six Book of Mormon-themed hymns together. In addition to a pairing of artwork and music, many of the hymns in "Another Witness" include biographical notes from the text writers that give insights into their life's situation or inspiration at the time they wrote each hymn. For Murray, one of her hymns relates to her youngest daughter being diagnosed with leukemia. Pearson talks about being away on military duty when he found out his wife had filed for divorce. Perry said Pearson was also writing for "Another Witness" when he was undergoing chemotherapy.

"Some of the most wonderful lyrics are written during periods of adversity," Perry said.

Besides Larsen's collection, Kapp's religious art hangs in the visitors centers at the Sacred Grove, the Washington D.C. Temple and several other church history sites.

E-mail: sfidel@desnews.com