I am blown away. I just finished listening to "The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty: Under Drake's Flag."
A friend of mine, Aaron Fullan, whom I met attending the first Lamplighter Guild for Creative Disciplines in 2011, is working for a company called Heirloom Audio Productions, which just produced it's premiere of an exciting new series of dramatizations based off G. A. Henty's amazing historical fiction novels.
It's natural to be skeptical when encountering anything new. Who knows what the quality of the sound, acting, content, and message will be? But I had no need to fear! Using actors, writers, and sound designers who have worked with programs like Adventures in Odyssey, Radio Theater, Lamplighter Theater, and much more, the Heirloom Audio team has produced a captivating, edge-of-your-seat drama that will keep listeners engaged, entertained, and impacted. The production of the entire story is phenomenal.
G. A. Henty wrote action-packed adventure stories that weave in historical occurrences from all different locations and time periods. Under Drake's Flag centers on the 1500s during the time of Sir Francis Drake. These dramas will be invaluable tools for parents and teachers desiring to communicate the treasures of history to students who think it's boring in an engaging and memorable way.
Not only does it communicate history in an exciting fashion, but key character qualities are emphasized and taught through the stories and characters. Overcoming fear through faith and courage is a key element of this drama. The main thing that stood out to me, though, is the theme of becoming a man. In a culture where manhood is undervalued and underdeveloped, stories like these are essential for communicating the truths that boys need to know as they become men! The main character, Ned, grows up without a father, but he learns what it means to be a man through the influence of men like Sir Francis Drake, but most of all through the trials and tests placed before him by his Heavenly Father.
I definitely recommend looking into this exciting new audio drama series! Don't just take my word for it...listen to this 60-second promo, then go to http://www.hentyalive.com/ and download a copy for yourself! You won't be disappointed...the story carries you along into inspiration to not live your life passively and cowardly, but passionately and courageously!
In fact, this drama will inspire you to pray along with the words of a prayer penned by Sir Francis Drake himself:
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little, When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ. - See more at: http://www.hentyalive.com/#sthash.9aIiVe0g.dpuf
Found your blog through your facebook link shared...this is so cool! G. A. Henty was one of my favorites when I was younger since my dad collected the old editions. I loved With Lee in Virginia, the dragon and the raven, and true to the old flag. I need to tell my older brother about the new audio, he'd probably listen to them even after all these years!!
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