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The Asia North Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is excited to announce a ‘Live’ online concert featuring music composer Brett Raymond’s ‘First Light, Scenes from The Restoration’ album. Originating live from The Conference Center Studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 5, 2020 (8 p.m. MDT), this concert will be broadcast live via Facebook on June 6, in Japan (11 a.m. JST), Korea (11 a.m.), Guam (12 a.m.), and Mongolia (10 a.m.).
First Light, Scenes From The Restoration is a collection of songs and instrumentals written and produced by Brett to bring the ‘First Vision’ of the prophet Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel to life in the minds of listeners through feelings stirred by harmonious melodies and reflective lyrics. Singing artists for the concert include, Lexi Walker, Casey Elliot (of Gentri), Peter Breinholt, Asher Reynolds, Yahosh Bonner, Daniel Beck, and Brett Raymond.
“This online concert is a great way to inspire the Saints in the Asia North Area, and commemorate Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” Asia North Area Presidency Second Counselor Elder L. Todd Budge stated. “This year marks 200 years since young Joseph Smith entered the Sacred Grove in upstate New York. That remarkable event has changed all our lives. This concert will give us a chance to reflect on what it means to us individually.”
Brett Raymond has deep roots in the Asia North Area in general, and Japan in particular. He served a rather unusual mission in his youth in Tokyo. While serving in the rural town of Maebashi, he got together with other missionaries and formed a band, playing used instruments in a church-owned garage. Elder Raymond and a friend wrote songs for a family program. The band was asked to tour the mission to perform the program. The band also recorded the family program in a Tokyo studio and sold cassettes throughout the mission and elsewhere in Japan. With approval from the Area Presidency, they even entered a new song in the Yamaha Song Contest. They were offered a contract with a Japanese record label but declined.
A few years after returning to the United States, Brett returned to Japan with his wife, Becky, and their two young daughters. While composing and singing on jingles (Hitachi aircon, Tokyo Disneyland, Nissan) Brett procured a recording contract with a label in Tokyo and recorded an album which was recorded in LA but released and promoted in Japan. Brett and his family lived in Japan, making lifetime contacts and friends, before finally returning to the US. During his career he has written jingles for commercials (Kraft Tombstone Pizza), TV show themes (The Agatha Christie Hour) and promotion work for College Football on ABC, and The Today Show on NBC. In addition to producing musical compositions, Brett still manages to get out occasionally to play with his band, The Brett Raymond Imitation Jazz Trio. The Raymond family resides in Kaysville, Utah.
“Brett is a very talented musician,” Elder Budge remarked. “His music will be a great lift to all our spirits. Brett and the other performers share their testimonies of the gospel and the restoration through their music. We express our gratitude to Brett and all of the other musicians for sharing their talents with us.”
More information on how to connect to the online concert will be provided over the next several weeks on Church Newsroom Japan, Korea, and Mongolia, in addition to the Church’s Official Facebook pages for Japan, Korea, Guam and Micronesia, and Mongolia.