Day Three

My latest eBay winnings arrived today, the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the New Testament on audiocassette read by the late Alexander Scourby.

My parish priest, who reads the Bible in Greek, says (with tongue firmly in cheek) if you simply must read the Bible in English (uh-hem), the RSV and New International Version (NIV) are the best translations, in his humble opinion. So I carry the RSV with me to work every day in what passes for a briefcase. Have somehow been drawn to the RSV these last few months, upon which I can elaborate in another post. But now I have the RSV read by one of the great narrators of the electronic age, all to my very own. On tape. Soon to be converted to digital format for preservation. Yee-haw!

Was home today with blood-sugar crashes (a.k.a. hypoglycemic events), two of them in five hours in the early morning, along with the resulting exhaustion and stiff muscles they bring on, but was still able to get something constructive done and earn my paycheck anyway by finishing up a long-delayed manuscript via remote desktop connection. Isn't Windows XP the greatest thing since sliced bread? (Mac users groan aloud, worldwide.)

I can literally run the computer at my desk in the office building where I work nearly 10 miles from where I sit at home. Very cool to a boomer like me. Had just about finished with the Manuscript From Hell when the United States Postal Service (the mail) arrived. As the chorus of our barking dogs died down, my wife walked into my office here at home and presented me with a thick package.

It is something of a rarity, I believe, the RSV read by Scourby. (If you click here, you might well recognize his voice as he reads St. Matthew 8:5-13, which contains the story for which this blog is named ).

Scourby is better known for his reading of the King James version (KJV), tapes and CDs of which are for retail purchase everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. In fact, Alexander Scourby once said the KJV was his favorite version. In light of that statement, it's even more rare to find a New Testament in the Revised Standard Version from him, I would think.

Well, thanks anyway, Mr. Scourby, wherever you are Up There today, for taking the time and effort to do your voice magic with the RSV while you were still here on Planet Earth. Have been unable to find on the 'net any listing or history or story about Scourby recording the RSV. Aside from the eBay auction and some bare-bones Amazon Marketplace listings for used copies, nothing showed up in Google.

Unusual markings on the box the Scourby tapes came in today. It's one of those molded thin-plastic jobs you may recall from the 70s, or 80s, even the 90s for cassette collections, unusual in that the markings are so generic, simple, spare. No publisher name, no ISBN, no nuthin'! All it says is, "The Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version of the New Testament read by Alexander Scourby." The cassettes themselves have a street address in Albuquerque, and which particular book and verses are on that particular cassette, but nothing else. Just a mysterious recorded RSV from New Mexico by Alexander Scourby with no provenance.

As Spock would say, "Sensors indicate...,"that Alexander Scourby passed away on 22 February 1985 at the age of 71. Therefore we safely can conclude his RSV was recorded before then. (grin) His Internet Movie Database mini-biography calls the Brooklyn native, "The possessor of one of stage, screen, radio and audiocassette's most distinguished vocal instruments."

A little further checking reveals he had a long history on radio, beginning in the late 30s and from 1947 through 1956 on the ABC radio network played in the role of Joseph in The Greatest Story Ever Told, which inspired George Stevens' movie of the same name in 1965. A listing for an episode describes King Herod order the Slaughter of the Innocents, so that would make him Joseph of Nazareth, instead of Joseph of Arimathea from the Passion story. Would be interesting to find some episodes of this long-running radio program, no? Yes! Note to self: check it out.

Sensors also indicate Scourby recorded books, including the KJV, for the blind for over four decades. And how about that, he's from Brooklyn, I had always thought from the sound of his voice that he was British. What I didn't know about Alexander Scourby!

Any readers out there, if there are any readers out there on Day Three, please feel free to chime in if you know something about Scourby and the RSV. I like to think I'm pretty good at turning up stuff like this, but am drawing a blank so far. When, where, why, did he record the RSV if the KJV was his favorite? And did he ever do the Old Testament as well?

Alexander Scourby, circa 1940.

Maybe you recognize him now. Or not. I remember Scourby from the late 50s and early 60s as an actor and ubiquitous presence on the great live-drama programs of the era like Playhouse 90, Alcoa Presents, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, etc., but recall him most clearly as the island governor in the terrific and highly underrated Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) with Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra. But those performances were nothing like this. I knew him before today as a familiar face from days gone by, a character actor with a very distinctive voice. I could be in the next room and hear the television or radio and tell you it was Alexander Scourby. Now I also know him as an absolutely marvelous narrator of Holy Scripture.

The first cassette in order in the thin-plastic box is of course, since this is the New Testament, the Book of Matthew. Wow. I've read the famous verses of St. Matthew many, many, times, especially over the last year since I joined the Ministry of the Word at my church as a Lector, but never have I had such an experience as sitting on the front porch late this afternoon, feeling the cool blustery wind of our first major norther of the year blow clattering leaves across the yard, listening on the now ancient 15-year old Walkman my 30-year old son left behind when he moved out on his own 11 years ago, to Scourby's voice pouring the Word of the Lord into my head. Indescribable, almost. Words fail me, really. It's a completely different experience for me to hear the Bible read. Never thought it might be, just wanted an RSV on audio of some sort done by a good reader.

And boy, did I get one! "Ask and you will receive...," as the quotation goes.

What a day! Three a.m. hypo event, fitful and tortured dozing after that for a few hours on the couch so as not to wake my wife, until what would have been "get up" time; calling in sick to work instead of getting up, having another hypo just at 7:30 after calling sick, spending the morning and almost all of the afternoon finishing that blasted manuscript that has hung over my head since September, and finally, having the warm honey of the Gospel via Scourby's dulcet tones poured into my ears to wrap it up.

And now, the pork roast my wife started hours ago is nearly ready and the house is full of warm, wonderful, supper smells and I am warm and wonderful and happy to be alive.

Thank you God, for all You have given me.