Project 119 is an effort by Chris Vickio and Joseph Goehringer to record original songs based on each
section of Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and is divided into 22 sections. Each
section is 8 verses long, for a total of 176 verses in the entire chapter. Each of the 22 sections
corresponds to one of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. In the original Hebrew text, each line in
each section starts with the Hebrew letter assigned to that section - an ancient rhyming scheme.
The lyrics in the songs for Project 119 use phrases taken directly from the section that the song is based on. Some of the phrases in the section are shuffled to support more modern song flows, others are kept word for word from the beginning of a section to the end. All the lyrics are taken literally and directly from the Bible, none contain original additions. Each song is titled according to the Hebrew letter that the section that the song is based on corresponds to.
All of the songs are written, arranged, and recorded on the spot in a makeshift studio. Many of the recordings are the first take of the song and are often the only time we ever played the song all the way through. The entire
collection is divided into two volumes, each containing eleven songs from Psalm 119. The first volume was
completed in just two nights, totaling about 13 hours of actual time spent writing and recording the
songs. The second is not yet recorded, but is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.
Project 119 is completely free to distribute. In fact, we are relying on people who enjoy it to share copies with their friends. Our distribution model is simple: If you like Project 119 and know others who might enjoy it, just burn a copy of the CD (or get someone to burn a copy for you) and give it to them. All we ask is that you write the name of our website - www.project119.org - clearly on the CD so that they can find the details of the project.
Although we are giving away this project free of charge, we do ask that you do not sell copies of Project 119 for profit or include any part of Project 119 in a compilation that is for sale without our permission. We are accepting donations if you would like to contribute to our cause. We have several other projects planned and are seeking to purchase better recording equipment. Any support is appreciated.