Composed, Arranged, Recorded and Produced by Callen Clarke. Inspired directly from the Hebrew Origins of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, Verse immerses you in a musical dimension of sound, bringing to life the Ancient Near East and the events of Biblical Times in a powerful and unique way. More than a soundtrack to Scripture, this compilation is a new genre of music that allows the listener to imagine and discover anew the central events of the most influential document of human history. Look for additional upcoming releases in the Verse series, Verse 2, and Verse 3, scheduled for release in 2012. Composer and musician, Callen Clarke, began composing at the age of five when his family moved to Oklahoma. He was encouraged to become a symphonic composer at the age of ten by his piano teacher, Virginia Campbell, an Oklahoma-based pianist of international reputation. Clarke studied composition at Oklahoma City University under Dr. Ray Luke and Frank Payne while minoring in piano performance. Later he continued his education at Oklahoma Baptist University, receiving instruction from Dr. James Vernon. Callen is one of the first American-born musicians to discover and champion the Oud, the Middle-Eastern lute that he studied under renowned virtuosi scholars like Simon Shaheen of the Arab American Arts Institute, and Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, professor of Ethnomusicology at UCLA. Musicians: Callen Clarke: Oud, Tar, various wind and string instruments, percussion, noises, sampling. Becky Clarke: Vocals. Bassam Saba: Nai and Flute. Johnny Farraj: Riqq, Durbekke. Taoufiq ben-Amour: Durbekke, Daff. Kyle Dillingham: Violin. Yoel Ben-Simhon: Vocals. Thafr Ouazzani: Vocals. Maya Raviv: Vocals. Hicham Chami: Qanun More about Callen Clarke In 2007 Clarke composed the Oklahoma Centennial Overture as part of the statewide celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the State of Oklahoma. The Centennial Overture was premiered by the Enid Symphony Orchestra, in December of that year. Since then Callen has premiered at least two works a year with various orchestras, choirs and ensembles around the state. Among these are the Concerto Medeterra, Normandie, the Argosy Overture, The Mary Rose, the Spirit Symphony, the Sanctuary Overture, Wiley Post and numerous chamber and solo compositions, many of which have been featured in whole or in part on the Internet, Radio, and Television. Callen's 2009 world premier, "The Mary Rose" officially launched an exciting initiative to revive Symphonic Music in America and the world through the creation and performance of engaging new orchestral repertoire that combine artistic depth with immediate appeal to audiences of all backgrounds - two goals which Callen believes are not only compatible but essential. Prince Charles’ delegates from the Mary Rose Trust and the new Mary Rose Museum, in the city of Portsmouth, England, were in attendance for the event. It had the full support of Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, Lt. Governor Jari Askins, and Mayor Mick Cornett proclaimed November 17th, 2009 “Mary Rose Day.” His latest composition, the "Life Symphony", premiered with Kyle Dillingham, on solo violin, and the Amici New York Orchestra at the Grand Finale of the 2012 OK Mozart Festival on June 16th 2012, to an extended standing ovation, rave reviews and an unprecedented audience response.