THE SOUTHWEST TEACHING MISSION REUNION AND RETREAT

 Transcripts from the 2005 Albuquerque Retreat and Reunion:
Dominique Moralez

Dominique:

I would like to begin with acknowledging Stella and Norman, thanking them both for their generosity in sharing with me all that they have learned and all that they have to offer through the work that they have done with the Urantia Foundation, and I am looking out at all these faces. I never imagined, having found Stella’s book, I would have found myself here with all of you, but Thank You! Thank you for having me.

Dolores: There’s more of us.

Dominique: That’s what I hear. I hear that. So, just to give you a little introduction of who I am, but oftentimes the answer to that question ends up sounding like a historical reference to a person that’s not really in the room. “I did this, I was born here, I went there, I went…” I have done a lot of that but who I truly am, if you were to ask me who I am, is a stand for a humanity unified. And what I have discovered through this relationship with Stella and through an initial beginning understanding of the Urantia Foundation is that this community is one where we can have the conversation of what I just heard in that intro, the extraordinary, and what’s possible for us in a world where humanity is unified.

So, about a year ago I was kind of coming to the end of a large chapter of my life where I had spent 20 years … well, that time it was 19 … if you can imagine. I know I probably look like I’m 12, but I spent about … just under 20 years traveling the world in the entertainment industry. And my work has been primarily within the music industry.

I started out as a boy soprano and began touring at age 9 and by age 10 I was working for a company, an opera company, working in the children’s chorus, and at the time, I mean even for someone my age, even an adult would have felt it was a great part-time job, so I kept doing it, but I followed music throughout my life and I had lived abroad for a number of years and had some extraordinary experiences, and about a year ago at this time I was bringing a large part of that to a close. I decided that I wanted to start to work on some projects that I myself was interested in bringing to other people – productions, exactly.

And Stella asked me the other day, “How is it that you came to focus on the book of revelations?” Well, I woke up one morning and I started getting what I like to call -- (and I only tell my close friends) – “messages” because when you tell people you’re getting messages, they’re like, well, something’s wrong with you. (Group laughter) So I feel safe. Nobody’s going to get crazy on me, okay?

Stella: You’re safe here.

Dominique: So I woke up and I called my colleague and I said, “I heard this voice. This voice told me that I’m supposed to read the Book of Revelation. I was the last person on the face of the planet to be reading the Book of Revelation, and quite frankly, that was that. So she said, “Okay, well what can we do?” And I said, “Well, I think I need to start studying.” So I started studying the Book of Revelation and what I got, almost right off the bat was that the message that I wanted to hear out of the Book of Revelation was a message of love and hope for humanity. And so if you know the King James’ Version of the Book of Revelation, you know that there’s a lot of talk about seven-headed beasts and, you know, fire-brimstone-people dying, all craziness, very little talk about love and hope for humanity.

And so I spent the summer … I was working – traveling and singing – and I was in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and I was sitting and trying to, if you will, for lack of better words, you know, squeeze blood from a stone, to get the message that I wanted so that I could share this vision that I could share of Apokolypsis – what I call Apokolypsis, or Revelations – and I wasn’t getting it. So I set it aside and about two weeks later I was in Boulder, Colorado, and I happened to be downtown, well, the mall area, and I went to the Boulder Bookstore, and when I walked through, I was on a mission.

I said, “I am going to find a book today that’s going to help me translate and understand what is possible in the Book of Revelations.” And so I walk in, go upstairs, go to the far end of this place, walk down to the farthest corner. It was stuck all – I didn’t tell you this -- it was stuck all the way back around in the farthest corner, and I walk up to the bookshelf and there’s this book looking me right in the face that says, “The Secret Revelation – Unveiling the Myth of the Book of Revelation” and I was like, “Well, that’s been waiting for me” (Laughter) “for about six months now. All I had to do was come to Boulder, Colorado and find it!”

So I picked it up and sat down and started reading the book and about four hours later I called my colleague in Santa Fe and said, “My God, I found this book. You can’t believe it; it’s amazing! There’s all this discussion about one possible version of what the Book of Revelations could mean, and they talk about this person and this person and I don’t know who this Corelli person is, but John’s in here,” and she says, “Wait! Wait! Wait!”

So I went back to Santa Fe the next week and we immediately contacted the publisher who put us in touch with the contact for Stella, and I think it was maybe a week and a half later or so, two weeks later, and I flew out Anaheim and, well, we’re sitting in front of each other at a hotel and talking about this vision for “Apokolypsis” and what could be possible for humanity if the true message of John … or what I believe, and share a vision with Stella … as to be the true message of John, through the Book of Revelations, which is love and hope for humanity.

So there we were, and several months later we kind of back burnered Apokolypsis. There was a lot of other projects going on, and I got a phone call from Stella saying that it just so happens that the Urantia Foundation folks are going to land in Albuquerque and here you all are. So, by no great coincidence I am really grateful that you are all here and I can share this possibility with you. So with that said, it gives you a little bit of a story about Apokolypsis and how we’ve come to be here.

I think I’ve given you a general overview of what the history of my experience within the entertainment industry end, but it’s really also been … the history of my 30 years on the planet, has really been in music, and for all the trials and tribulations of a young kid growing up in foster care, graduating high school and being set out on the world to fend for myself, I think I’ve done pretty darned well, so that is also part of my history and I wanted to share that with you.

Now, what I’ve prepared today … There’s a surprise in here, so if you fall asleep during the power point, which is only about three minutes, know that there is a surprise afterward, so the power point that I’ve prepared – for some of you this is going to be like sitting in the back of the airplane and trying to watch a movie at the front, with the little screen, because I don’t have anything other than this to show you, but what I’d like to do is move it up on top of here, actually, so that you can see it, but I would consider this power point more of a concept map of introduction, if you will, to what the Apokolypsis production is about, and you – unfortunately you’re not the first group to see it. Stella and Norman had a private viewing the other day at CD Café in Santa Fe.

So I will get this started and I’ll narrate while we’re watching. Can everyone see? If you can’t, try to get a good place. It’ll be as large as the screen here in a minute. (Pause)

“As the story of humankind continues to unfold,
“One question reigns supreme:
“Will we continue to live the story of our past?
“A past scarred by hate…
“A past scourged by fear …
“Or will we create the future possibility of humanity unified
“By following the example and teaching of the Eternal Son?
“Here our new story begins.
“Apokolypsis is a new story of what is possible for all in a future humanity unified.
“Apokolypsis is presented in the Soft Stage Production format,
“Created by Dominique Moralez.
“Inspired by the text of Stella Religa, the voice of John, and on being a stand for humanity unified through music, this sacred collaboration will provide a powerful vehicle for the delivery of John’s lost vision that will leave all those who experience Apokolypsis touched, moved and inspired.”

And this quote is a quote from Stella’s book and it says,
“This world is on the threshold of a golden age, an age of light and life.”
And Stella shared with me the other day that this is a quote that she believes originally spoken by Jesus.

Stella: It’s in the Urantia Book.

Dominique: “This gift is offered to all in preparation of a worldwide transformation of humankind into the age of light and life, for ours is a God of love, a God of hope. Through Apokolypsis, John’s lost vision will be known – is a vision of love and hope for humanity.

“Apokolypsis is presented as a multi-media audience interface fully staged music production.
“Apokolypsis is an engaging and introspective depiction of the historically controversial book from the Bible that communicates victory of love over fear and hope over despair. “Apokolypsis is a celebration of John’s lost vision expressed through dance, song, recitation, collaborative music, solo music, fixed and displaced artwork, costumes, set design, lights and film -- all seamlessly integrated.”

And that’s the end of the introduction to Apokolypsis. [Applause!!!!!!] So that’s the end of the introduction, and what I really would call more of a concept map, if you will, or an idea of where this is going. Now, the surprise! Now, I have yet to try this little surprise, and I’m glad that there is as many people here as there are, because we’ll need every single one of you.

Now, I know that there is perhaps some anticipation or great expectation that I’m going to bust a tune up here, you know, some big operatic aria, and although that more than likely is not going to happen, what I would like to do is share with you the introduction of this piece.

Now, if I can paint a big of a picture in your mind of a basic outline of the progression of the show, the very beginning of the show begins with what I’d like to call “A March Toward Destruction,” so this is a picture – a three minute picture -- told through both music and visually, of the story that we’ve written in our past about the Book of Revelations and what it is supposed to mean, and that story is a story of destruction; it’s a story of, as we said before, fire and brimstone; it’s a story of all the suffering. But at the end of the first three minutes, there is a complete silence, and we have what is a clearing, and an introduction to John as a timeless figure. Because the message of John has miraculously traveled all the way from his little cave in Patmos, across oceans, through many, many different languages, into different parts of different religions and different books, into this room today and to little old me to share with you what I think his vision means. So in that way, being timeless.

Now, what I love about the first three minutes of the show is that it’s almost like a purging, because in order to create a future possibility, you have to have this clearing. And in order to have the clearing, you have to finish the story of the past. So what we do is we have this emotional, visual, musical experience that’s just this unbelievable upheaval for the first three minutes of the show, in order to create the space for John to come into the room, and for this character to be introduced and for the true message to have that opportunity to be heard. Without it, we’re mixing messages, or mixing stories and I don’t want to retell the same story we’ve all heard a thousand times.

So! As you can see, unless they are here in spirit, I have no orchestra with me today. So you all are going to be my orchestra, and I’m going to try and demonstrate with you what the march toward destruction at the beginning of the show sounds and feels like, by asking you to help me in this demonstration. So, now, you’re all sitting in pretty good format for an orchestra. It’s okay. And Stella didn’t know I was going to do this, so if you’re sitting there cringing in your chair, it’s okay Stella. It’ll be fine. I promise.

So what I have is … you know, just about every morning when I wake up, there’s about a thirty minute time period that I know really nothing other than just being a receiver is going to occur. I wake up, I get some messages for me, some messages for other people. And usually the messages I get for other people, I’ll write them down and then I’ll call them later and say, “Hey, you, someone’s supposed to tell me you told me this and dadada,” and they’re like “What? How’d you know that?” And the messages I get for me, I write down.

A lot of what I get in the morning is the music and the vision of this show. And there is one song in particular that I get and the name of that song is “When Michael Spoke to Me,” and it is something of a ballad that introduces the character of John to our audience, and it is literally a telling of what occurred when Christ Michael spoke to John while he was in Patmos and sharing this vision of Revelations or Apokolypsis.

So that is one of the things that I have gotten recently, and I’ll share just a little piece of that with you later. What I’d like to do is create the March with you, so if you’re all game, for those of you who are not, just kind of pretend and you’ll get into it, I know you will. So I wasn’t sure how many instruments I was going to have available to me. We have like enough instruments for several sections in each group, so what I’m going to do is just kind of give you a sense of, you know what is the March. Well, it sounds somewhat traditional in its basic format, but to try and share with you the occurring of the many different parts all at one time, just with me, it’s almost impossible, even in my mild autism I can’t quite get everything going all at the same time and sing for you and everything, so I would say that you’ll really be able to help me here.

The first thing is that we get that each individual instrument represents a telling. It is an illustration, if you will, through sound, of something in our world, something within our individual character, something with us as a society, something in the story of our past that can be illustrated through music, and so in order to understand why it is a March, I would start with what is the bass drum. So usually, it’s right around where you’re sitting. So, I don’t know if that back row, 1-2-3-4-5 people want to be the bass drum. I don’t know about you guys. The guys in the back. Yeah, you’re the cymbals, great! Because I need some of those. So you two will be the cymbals, and you five in the back will be our bass drum. Now our beat’s really simple. It’s nothing complicated, and I’m not going to make it difficult for you, and if I hear that it’s gone awry, I will jump in and help you.

So, the bass drum… why does it come first? Well, it is the march of humanity, and it doesn’t stop, throughout the entire first three minutes of the show, as we get this March Toward Destruction, there’s this march of humanity toward that story which is this horrible end. What a catastrophe! So, it’s such a wonderful story. It’s so dramatic and so everyone gets all crazy! But your job is to keep that beat. And keep it constant. So your beat is just going to be “Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.” That’s going to be your beat, so keep that in your mind, I’ll rehearse you in a second. You got it? (Yeah) Everyone gone it? (Yeah) Okay just demonstrate for me that last row real quick, once. Follow my hand so .

Drums: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.

Okay. They got the easy job. Easy yet critical. Quite critical. So what comes after that first – once that base is established – you know, what leads up to it is this sound. It’s a sound almost beyond an explosion, and what you end up doing, just “Bum. Bum. Bum” is actually a subdivision of that sound. Or, you know, cutting it in half. Doing it twice. So if we have this explosion sound, larger than life explosion sound at the beginning, we hear it like three or four times and then we start to hear it subdivided. So that’s you guys. “Bum. Bum.” So what we might hear before it is “Bom. … Bom. … Bom … “ and then we get you guys, “Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum” and humanity starts to march toward us.

What we get very soon after that is the sound of a snare drum. Does everyone know the sound of a snare drum? So you hear Chooooook Choooooook. Choooooook. So you hear this rattling, rattling, rattling and then Choooook on the snare drum, you have the stick and you hit the side of the (Bop) like that. The side of the drum, like that, and it makes this Clunk sound, right? What do you think that represents? It’s finality. It’s execution. It’s death. It’s all of those things. It’s what you hear before the guillotine falls over your head. So you hear Drum Roll, Please! Choooook Clunk! Done. So we get the March of Humanity: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum Choooook Choooook Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Chooook Choooook.

So you start to get this very overwhelming sense that something very ominous is occurring. Something bad is happening. So I need snare drums. So who is going to be … usually they’re back there somewhere. Unfortunately I can’t have you both be the cymbals. One of you has to be the cymbals and one of you have to be the snare drum. Angus, you look more like the cymbal guy, because you gotta have some … to get those suckers going, so why don’t you be the snare drum. Can you do it? Who wants to help him be the snare drum? Ken, you look like a great snare drum.

Ken: I don’t know yet. (Laughter)

Dominique: Okay, how about you two go back with him and the three of you will be our snare drum. This won’t take much longer, don’t worry. We’re getting somewhere. Don’t worry. So now to demonstrate to you, if you guys can just – as three people, try to make that sound for me once really quick. Just go ahead.

Snare drums: What is it again?

Dominique: It’s almost like you’re saying “cheese” but you’re blowing air through your teeth so you go Cheeeooook. SO say, “Cheeeooook!” Yeah, longer. There ya go. So when you’re in the orchestra, you’re watching the conductor and he points at you, that means you better play. Something’s going on. So. What we’re gonna do is we’re gonna have the basses – we’re gonna have the bass drum start its beat, and when I point to you, you’re going to play. Right? SO when I point to you, even if I’m over here and I’m looking at these guys, and I go (point) that’s YOU. Because there’s like 60 people in the orchestra, and I can’t always be like … “Okay, now you guys.” So I point at you, you go.

So let’s hear the bass drum now, real quick. I’ll give you the beat and I’ll tell you when to start. Ready.

Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum
Cheoook. Cheooook. Cheooook.

That’s right. Okay. You can stop. [Applause]

Now everyone’s getting excited, like, “What am I going to get to do?” Well, some of you aren’t going to be as happy, because those are like the easy jobs. So … (mayhem in the room, having fun, laughing) … we’ve established, then, those first two pieces and since the cymbalist is back there, I’m going to throw him in now as well. So, you missed the demonstration but now you’re going to get to do it again, so don’t worry. Let me just hear you demonstrate your cymbals once. I want to hear sound comes up with.

Angus: “Kwissssssssh.”

Dominique: That’s close. Do it again?

Angus: “Kwissssssssh.”

Dominique: “That’s good. Can you do it even louder?

Angus: No. [Laughter!!!]

Dominique: Right on. Okay. So, you understand the rules. If I point at you, it’s time to play.

Angus: Yeah.

Dominique: So, basses, get ready. Ready? Basses, you’re always the ones that starts, okay?

Basses: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.

Snares: Cheeooook. Cheeoooook.

Dominique: You gotta keep going. If I’m still pointing at you. You guys were great last time, so just keep doing what you did. So, if I don’t point at you, don’t play. If I point at you, you play. You guys always play, unfortunately.

** We just keep bumming along?

Dominique: Just keep bumming along. [Laughter] Cause ain’t that what we do anyway? We just keep bumming along. And then along comes the Urantia Book and we go Eyiaa!
Okay. So go ahead, do your thing again.

Basses: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.
Snares: Cheeooook. Cheeeoooook Cheeoooook.
Basses: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.

Dominique: Okay. That’s fine. That’s good. You guys’ section sounding not bad. And quite frankly, I’m not the best conductor on the face of the planet. But, you know, we’ll get it. So we have our section back here. What do you think the cymbal means for us? What do you want to make the cymbal mean in this case?

** A dramatic scene.

Dominique: Yeah, it’s a crisis, a crash. It’s all the pieces just falling apart. There’s nothing to do anymore. Now, if you close your eyes for a minute and you just hear … go ahead. Close your eyes. (I’m not going to steal anyone’s purse, don’t worry.) (Giggles) If you close your eyes for a minute, and you imagine, you can hear that bass beat. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Cheeoooook. Cheeooook. Cheeooook. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. You can open your eyes now. Some of what you might see are colors. Some of what you might see are bodies are moving around the stage. You might see the groping of humanity trying to cling onto something, as the whole world’s falling apart.

Whatever it is you see, like, I see madness, up in my head, but that’s just me! But what you get is that this foundation that we’re marching toward, this destruction is what’s happening. Now it wouldn’t be the orchestra without all of the string section. So, strangely enough, there are a lot of – the people I see over here, they look like the string sections. (Laughter) So, what I’m going to do is, I’m going to give you what’s going to be our main theme. What we’re going to hear. Okay? (okay) So, our main theme is going to sound a little bit like this. Is this little guy plugged in, real quick? (Dunno.)

Well, anyway, your main theme is going to be: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.”

Strings: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.”

Dominique: That’s right. So you guys are so good, (laughter), I’m just going to test something out here in a minute. You guys are the first chairs. You got dahdeedum dahdeedum dahdee dahdee dahdeedum. Okay, now, so the second violins, unfortunately, have it a little more difficult. I don’t know how this is going to work. It might not work, and that’s okay too.

Gerdean: Dorenda knows music.

Dominique: So I want you, the second row, to say with me, really quick … actually, how about the five of you. You guys. Five of you together. I just want you to say for me once really quick, one two three four five six. One two three four five six. One two three four … 1-2-3-4-5-6. 1-2-3-4-5-6. 1-2-3-4…

Second Violins: 1-2-3-4-5-6. 1-2-3-4-5-6. 1-2-3-4…

Dominique: Yeah, now just sing: Da-da-da-da-da-da. Da-da-da-da-da-da. Da-da-da-da… Just four at the end. Okay? Okay, let’s try it in two sections together. So let me hear the first section, just by itself once.

First violins: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.

Dominique: Okay, you know your part? You guys clear? Front row, let’s hear you.

First violins: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.

Dominique: You guys are coming in a second. Get ready. 1-2-3-4-5-6. 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Second violins: “Da-da-da-da-da-da. Da-da-da-da-da-da. Da-da-da-da…”

Dominique: I know it’s difficult. We won’t hear very much of it in the actual orchestra when it’s playing, but it needs to be there because it came to me and that’s what it’s going to be. (Laughter) So let’s try this little orchestra. And I’m going to help the second violins. I know it’s very difficult and they’re going to be playing pizzicato and they’re going to be ticked off. They’re going to be like “tic tic tic tic tic” so let’s go ahead and put these parts together. We’re almost there. Everyone gets a little something. Don’t worry, you guys are coming up. So lets hear the bass

Basses: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.

Dominique: Follow my hand.

Snares: Cheeooook. Cheeeoooook Cheeoooook.

Dominique: Keep going.

Basses: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.

Cymbals: Kwissssssssh.

First violins: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.

Dominique: Keep going. Pick it up! Here we go. 1-2-3-4-5-6. 1-2-3-4-5-6. 1-2-3-4.

Second violins: “Da-da-da-da-da-da. Da-da-da-da-da-da. Da-da-da-da…”

Dominique: Okay, stop! Again, it’s a little bit of madness.

** It is!

Dominique: And when you can start to hear what’s happening, you hear that the bass … it’s not stopping! It’s just going to keep going! It’s like when it’s 12:05 and it gets to be 12:07, they’re not going to go back to 12:05. It just keeps going, with or without you. So the time keeps moving forward, and the march keeps moving forward. So, I gave you guys the most difficult part and thank you for sticking in there and trying. I appreciate it.

Okay, so now I need three or four very high voices. Those would be ladies. SO now you know who you are. You’re one of the basses, so why don’t we take you and put you in the high B trumpet group, which I think is going to be, I think, these three here.

Virginia (from very deep): I am not a very high …

Dominique: Oh, Lord! [Laughter] Okay, so you guys … gentlemen. Yes. You don’t have a high voice. I need a couple of high, kind of trippy voices.

Dolores: How high?

Dominique: That’s good! I like that one. It’s high enough. But it’s not strong. Why don’t you come over here.

Dolores: I am, a second soprano.

Dominique: You’ll beef it up. You’ll give it that resonance and body that we need. Okay? So you guys are the high B trumpets. Does everyone know what a high B trumpet is? (No) It’s that long, skinny one, that goes out like that and goes out to the end that you see like when the queen comes. They’re like “put-putter tut tut tut” really high and really chirpy. So, what’s going to happen. I don’t think we’re going to have a flute section because, quite frankly, that part’s really difficult.

** Oh, thank you.

Dominique: But you guys will be the high B trumpets. So you part’s really easy. You just go: Ta-Ta-Ta-Tum.

Trumpets: Ta-ta-ta-tum.

Dominique: So as high B trumpets, unfortunately, it has to be really, really crisp. So .. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm.

Trumpets: Ta Ta Ta Tummmm. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm Ta Ta Ta Tummmm

Dominique: That’s right. Now who wants a really easy job?

** Everybody.
** All that’s left.

Dominique: So why don’t the four of you – this little quad right here -- be the chimes. And what you are going to do is you’re just going to do: Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. That’s it. You stand there with a little rubber hammer and you go Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. So. What I’m going to do is practice these two groups here. SO let me hear your chime. Follow my hand.

Chimes: Tum. Tum. Tum. Tum.

Dominique: Let me hear your part.
** We forgot.

Trumpets: Ta Ta Ta Tummmm. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm Ta Ta Ta Tummmm.

Dominique: There you go. Okay, that’s fine.

Trumpets: Ta Ta Ta Tummmm. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm Ta Ta Ta Tummmm.

Dominique: It’s just for demonstration. Don’t worry. We’re not in the London TV Orchestra. Okay, let me hear the chimes.

Chimes: Tum. Tum. Tum. Tum.

Dominique: Okay, now let’s hear the two together. So. I’m going to point to you and you’re going to play. I’m going to point to you and you’re going to play. Ready? So, 1, 2, 3, 4 –

Trumpets:
Ta Ta Ta Tummmm. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm Ta Ta Ta Tummmm.
Ta Ta Ta Tummmm. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm Ta Ta Ta Tummmm.
Ta Ta Ta Tummmm. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm Ta Ta Ta Tummmm.

Dominique: Whoa! Let me give you an idea of what that’s supposed to sound like. (Laughter) No, because sometimes that helps! (Laughter) So if you have the others “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.” “Ta Ta Ta Tummmm. Ta Ta Ta Tummmm Ta Ta Ta Tummmm.” And in the background you hear, “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.” “Dum, Dum, Dum, Dum.”

Chimes: Tum. Tum. Tum. Tum.

Dominique: Don’t play this other part. We gotta clean it up. (Laughter) I’m going to give you guys the this and you guys the that. So, (pointing)

“Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.”
“Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm.”

Dominique: It’s madness. You know what? I’m pretty satisfied. But I’d like to hear all the parts played together, just once, for my pure enjoyment (Laughter), and then what I’m gonna do is I’m just going to tell you what else there is. Because I think it’s important that you know some of the other things that are going on here. So we have high B trumpets, we have chimes, we have cymbals, we have the snare drums, we have the bass drum, we have the violins, we have the pizzicato, second violin, we have the cymbal in the back, I said, and then we have the cello, which is doing “TaTaTaTaTaTaTaTa Tuuum Tuum. TaTaTaTaTaTaTaTa Tuuum Tuum.” And then we have the trombones.

**We do have a cello player right here.

Dominique: Oh, please come forward! (Laughter) Why are you hiding in the back? You should be up here conducting! So that’s what we’ve got the cellos doing. And the trombones, we have on top of that. You have a lot of percussive stuff within these different parts right now and what you don’t hear is a lot of line with the exception of the first violins, so when the trumpets come in, we hear this WahWahWahWahWah – it’s like really ugly sounds. Like “Wlaugch” (laughter) and then we get the flutes on top of that, so we’ve got this WahWahWah, LaLaLa, Gong, Gong, Gong, Kwisssssh. Bum Bum. Bahdahday, 1-2-3-4-5-6, all that’s going on, craziness -- how would you like to be in my head? – and you got the flutes which are coming on top of that which … our cellist will understand, ascending and descending scales at quite a fast rate, so it’s it like Yadadedadade, Yadadedadade, Yadadedadade, Yadadedadade we have WahWahWal Yadadedadade, Yadadedadade, Gong Gong, Skwisssssk. All at the same time!

So then the last little piece is actually the little piece that I’m sticking in which I think is kind of like … it’s the secret. It’s the hidden feature. It’s the part that you really have to listen to the orchestration in order to hear, because it’s not an instrument that really sticks out at us. It’s the bassoon. And so the bassoon kind of sounds a lot of time like a duck. Well, a sick duck, with like bronchitis. It’s like, “Bruop. Braup. Broup. Braup.” And that’s kind of like, to me, that’s kind of like, you know, humanity with all of its story, with all of its illness, with all of its weakness, hobbling. You know, if it had one leg that was short and the other was long, it would be like “Broup Braup Broup Braup” so that’s kind of in the bottom also following along and that all culminates into this massive sound that at the end of the three minutes it all stops.

And as our stage has been completely covered in human bodies dancing, writhing, visual images on the screen of the story of our past of the Apocalypse in Revelations, we’re inundated. It’s this purging out of all of this story, all of a sudden it all becomes completely clear, the stage is empty and we see total white in front of us. White floor. White background. And we see nothing. And then we see John, our character, emerges and there is no music in this section. It’s total silence. And part of what I did was I took from the Book of Revelations in the King James’ Version and said, Okay, well, this is representative of the 30 seconds or this time period, whatever it was, of silence on heaven and earth.

And so we get this silence in order to create that clearing to introduce John, our character, on the stage. John, our character, comes onto the stage and what I really would like to do in the show is create a simplicity to what it is that we experience from that point forward, because the message is simple. And the reflection of that message in our staging, in our character, is also very simple. If it’s not, there is not the complexity that there is in the … all that stuff. All the story that we make up about revelations, so. What follows is timeless John. Then we hear the voice of the Eternal Son. We hear the message. And then we get a vision of a future humanity unified and what is available to us as a result. Things like peace, love, union, tolerance, hope, joy, abundance, paradise on our planet. And this becomes a representation of a vision of the age of light and life.

And the final scene of the show is a celebration of love and hope for humanity, and it takes on a very contemporary feel. It is youthful. It is dance electronica. It is lights. It is people just absolutely in the spirit of what it is to be love and hope. And what I see then after the show is the possibility of you people being able to go out and share and then also respond and different things around that, as well.

So, thank you for letting me absorb and gobble up part of your afternoon today. I’m absolutely totally grateful for you allowing me this opportunity, and I just wanted to finish my opening and asking if anyone has any questions or comments about what I’ve shared with you today. Did I frighten you? (Laughter) No. I’m kidding.

Gerdean: Did I see that’s going to be produced in Santa Fe in 2005 or 2006? Is it … earmarked for presentation yet?

Dominique: Well, I tell you, I’ve established myself in this community. I went to school here for a couple of years before I went away. I’m giving you the roundabout answer for a reason. So I am not in a hurry. I am not in a place where I have to say, “This has to happen next month.” Everything that’s happened with this project has come in the absolutely perfect time and I have a vision. Part of the continuation of this project is that I’m planning a trip to Patmos. I’m going to be out in L.A. next week and I’m going to meet, hopefully, another individual that Stella knows who is a young woman who is doing film work on Apokolypsis, and so I know that organically this will come to be. It’s not difficult for me to get a venue. It’s not difficult for me to be able to put together what it would look like. I have a large community and existing network of friends, colleagues, throughout the world who always want to be a part of something that I’m throwing – whatever little party’s going on. So I am committed to Apokolypsis being real in life for all of us and I know that it will come to be when it is intended to be, so that could be in the next six months, could be in the next nine, but I keep hearing 9 months is like the gestation period. Because this has already been a year. So, within the next year, yeah, and I would love for the first production to be in Santa Fe.

Gerdean: We would love to have a Teaching Mission event or a Urantia Conference around it so that we could all come and see you and …

Dominique: And play in the orchestra! [Laughter] Well, you’ve heard all the parts! Come on! That would be wonderful. So does anyone else …?

Gerdean: So stay in touch.

Dominique: Yeah, I will.

Eugenia: We want ample notice.

Joan: I’m sort of disappointed. I mean, I wish you would have us do this all together. I mean, you’ve had us do the sections.

JoiLin: Yeah, we haven’t heard the whole story!

Dominique: Do you think you’re up for it?

Group: Sure!

Dominique: Well, if you’re up for it, we’ll try it once. Who wants to be the bassoon? It’s an easy part but it’s really important. Who wants to be the wump wump?

Group: Wah, wah, wah, wah.

Dominique: Okay. Norman?

Norman: Brump. Bromp.

Dominique: No, you gotta go down and up, so Wamp, Wump. Wamp, Wump. That’s right. So, what are you doing?

Stella: I’m over there with the WahWah’s.

Dominique: Oh good. Okay. You know your part? You’re with the second violins. You remember? Will you scoot up to the front row and be the first chair of second violin? The second violins need some help.

Leoma: Yeah, we do.

Dominique: So we will give you your rhythmic infrastructure. So let’s hear the first violins. Go ahead.

First Violins: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.”

Dominique: Yeah, pick it up a little.

Second violins: “Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm.”

Dominique: You know, I’m going to make it easier. That’s what I’m going to do. So do, “Bum-Bum Bum-Bum Bum-Bum Bum-Bum Bum. Let me hear you rehearse it on your own once.

Second violins: “Bum-Bum Bum-Bum Bum-Bum Bum-Bum Bum.”

Dominique: Good. So now let’s do it together. So why don’t you guys start first, cause you’re the rhythmic.

First Violins: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.”
Second violins: “Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm.”

Dominique: Got it? (Laughing) Okay stop. You guys are really good! (Laughter) Does everybody know their part?

Norman: Mugwump.

Dominique: Okay, I’m going to start you off and then I’m gonna leave. (Laughter) No, I’m kidding. Why don’t we start with our basses, since that really is where the march starts. Does everyone know, you’re a frog, you’re a this, you’re a that. You’re all good.

Dolores: And we’re only going for three minutes.

Dominique: Oh, we probably won’t make it that far. (Laughter) We can sure try!

Edith: We’re all union, now to do this. Orchestras are all union, so we’re all union!

Dominique: Are you trying to tell me it’s almost time for a break? (Laughter) Because I know that. You’re right. We do have to be in union. So let’s start the bass drum. You guys ready?

Bass: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.
Snare Drums: Cheeooook. Cheeeoooook Cheeoooook.
Basses: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.
Cymbals: Kwisssssh. Kwisssssh.
First Violins: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.”
Second violins: “Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm.”
Bassoon: Wamp, Wump. Wamp, Wump
Bass: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum.
Snare Drums: Cheeooook. Cheeeoooook Cheeoooook.
Basses: Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum. Bum Bum Bum
Cymbals: Kwisssssh. Kwisssssh. Kwisssssh. Kwissssh.
First Violins: “Dahdeedum, dahdeedum, dahdee dahdee dahdeedum.”
Second violins: “Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm. Ta Ta Ta Dummmm.”
Bassoon: Wamp, Wump. Wamp, Wump

Dominique: Whew! [Applause!!!!] You all got together. That was very exciting! Thank you very much.

Group: Thank YOU!

Dominique: Thank you very much, again, and I will keep you all informed as developments occur.

[Applause]

Helen: the light bringers, right?

Group: What? What?

Helen: Forget I mentioned it. There just aren’t enough light bringers on this planet. I’ll talk to you when they are throwing marshmallows at you after your production.

Dominique: Who?

Helen: You! Them.

Dominique: Who’s them?

Helen: Them march. The guys that have given their whole lives over to the death …

Dominique: Oh, yeah. Well, I was concerned about that, and that’s the reason I didn’t talk to any of the people within the Catholic Church community that I was a part of, as a Cantor. I mean, I go and cantor there; I’m not a practicing catholic, but I was very concerned at the beginning because I thought, you know, this is … is this rewriting it? Is this saying it’s totally something else? That you’re wrong. You know, what is this? And are you going against up against an institution? Well, you know, I’m in Santa Fe, so it’s not a very place to gauge whether or not what it is that I’m saying and what I’m getting a response from the nuns that I’ve been speaking with is – because they’re really quite liberal and they’re quite open – but yeah, you’re right. I get that. I got that. But it’s okay.

Dolores: I don’t think you’ll get it from the Catholics so much. You’re gonna get it from the conservative Christians.

Helen: That’s right.

JOYce: Catholics don’t do much with Revelations.

** Yeah, the left behinds.

Dominique: It’s interesting because within the Latino community, it was so long used as a tool of control. With fear. Revelations. You know, all this stuff. And so a part of it for me is also part of that. You know, bringing a new story to my community, as well.

Dolores: Just tell them it’s a new interpretation.

Dominique: Yeah, a new interpretation.

Barry: The important thing is, this is what you are doing. It’s your mission. Don’t worry about them. Don’t concern at all.

Dominique: I know they’ll come with their tomatoes, but that’s okay. We’ll just cook them afterwards. (Laughter) Thank you! Thank you. [Applause]

Angus: Dominique Morales and his trained animal act. (Laughter) Let’s all take a break for about 10 minutes and then we have some presentations. Norman’s got a presentation coming, so … let’s get back here at 2:30, okay?

There is also T/Ring going on in the chapel. If there is any healing that needs to be done, that’ll be going on in the map room. Discussions a cross the hall also, in the library.


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