Uploaded August 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Bene Regesh was the brainchild of Dale Foreman, a church youth leader and associate Dean of Students at Seattle Pacific College, who composed a 17-song religious rock opera about the first 8 chapters of the Book of Mark featuring everything from love ballads to acid rock. The opera was performed at the college in June 1971 by Foreman and his youth group. At the urging of local entertainers, Foreman teamed up with Ron Lynch and arranger Dan Ruppert to polish and re-write the songs. The opera got its second premier in January of 1972 backed by the 40-piece Seattle Pacific Orchestra and the Bene Regesh rock band consisting of Eric Barger on guitar, Alfie Vann on flute, Judith Omdahl on piano, Jim Chiarello on bass and Rick Smelser on drums. This single, engineered by Rick Keefer, was released in early 1972 to promote the show's second premier.
Bene Regesh was the brainchild of Dale Foreman, a church youth leader and associate Dean of Students at Seattle Pacific College, who composed a 17-song religious rock opera about the first 8 chapters of the Book of Mark featuring everything from love ballads to acid rock. The opera was performed at the college in June 1971 by Foreman and his youth group. At the urging of local entertainers, Foreman teamed up with Ron Lynch and arranger Dan Ruppert to polish and re-write the songs. The opera got its second premier in January of 1972 backed by the 40-piece Seattle Pacific Orchestra and the Bene Regesh rock band consisting of Eric Barger on guitar, Alfie Vann on flute, Judith Omdahl on piano, Jim Chiarello on bass and Rick Smelser on drums. This single, engineered by Rick Keefer, was released in early 1972 to promote the show's second premier.
