Finding Beauty Among the Ashes with Beth Nielsen Chapman

Beth Nielsen Chapman
“Sand and Water”
Reprise Records
1997

Beth Nielsen Chapman knows a lot about songwriting, having written or co-written for some of the most beloved artists in music. From Alabama to Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, and Michael W. Smith, she has established herself as a respected songstress and artist in her own right. Like all great songwriters, she writes about everything that makes life the wonderfully complex experience we all share. In 1994, life dealt her what must have seemed like a cruel hand with the loss of her husband to cancer, and yet, out of immense personal loss, she gave the world a remarkable gift with her 1997 album “Sand and Water.”

Make no mistake, what we have here isn’t an artist's embarrassingly sentimental indulgence. This collection of songs is entirely relatable, as Chapman’s well-executed statements reflect our own life journey. It is a beautiful, thoughtful statement that explores the many conflicting emotions we all experience during times of personal loss while seeking to find our way back to hope and joy.

“The Color of Roses" is a delicate piano piece with strings arranged and conducted by Michael Omartian that looks for meaning in loss. Michael McDonald adds lovely backing vocals to “Seven Shades of Blue,” evoking nostalgia for past days filled with love and tenderness. “Beyond the Blue” conveys a profound longing and a desire to reconnect with what has been lost. “All the Time in the World" reflects on how quickly time slips away in our busy lives, especially when we think about the moments spent with loved ones. “These precious days we experience, discarded like tissue, I wish I could offer you all the time in the world."

The eloquent beauty of the title track, “Sand and Water,” encapsulates the album's essence: love, loss, mortality, our place in this vast universe, and the hope of something more. Such matters have rarely been explored with the beauty and vulnerability presented here, resulting in an ultimately uplifting and enduring package.