The book "Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet" by Luigi Castiglioni is a striking example of how a book can convey a powerful message—not through words alone, but through its very structure and essence. At the heart of this work lies the composition written by Gavin Bryars in 1971. The story behind the piece is as haunting as it is moving. Composer Gavin Bryars recounted that filmmaker Alan Power had been working on a documentary about the homeless population around London’s Elephant and Castle and Waterloo Station. During the filming, some of the individuals—many of whom were intoxicated—began to sing. Among them was one man who did not drink; he sang a simple, heartfelt refrain: “Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.” Though the clip was ultimately left out of the final film, Bryars—who had assisted in the post-production—rescued the unused recordings before they were discarded. He was deeply struck by the emotional resonance of the man’s voice. Moved by its raw sincerity, he began crafting a composition around it, despite not knowing at first what shape it would take. The result was an extraordinary piece built entirely around a loop of this anonymous homeless man’s voice. The fragile, unwavering refrain becomes the anchor of the music, and through it, Bryars captures a profound sense of hope, sorrow, and dignity. The intensity and melancholy of the piece stem not only from its composition but from the deeply human story it preserves. In 2021, Luigi Castiglioni brought this deeply moving story to life through a groundbreaking music artist’s book—Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet. Far beyond a traditional artist’s book, this work is conceived as an open artwork, where structure and concept are as vital as the visual and musical elements it contains. Despite its exceptional craftsmanship—featuring handwritten inserts by composer Gavin Bryars himself, and produced with the highest quality materials and printing—the book’s true innovation lies in its vision. It is not a closed edition, but a living, evolving project. Castiglioni’s goal is to create 120 copies, each one made unique through the collaboration of artists from around the world. Rather than assigning the entire edition to a single illustrator, each individual book becomes a canvas for a different artist, who brings their own vision, spirit, and emotional response to the music. This approach echoes the nature of the original piece. The refrain—“Jesus’ blood never failed me yet”—originated from a nameless, homeless man singing a popular melody. A song like this has no single composer, no definitive version. It is passed from voice to voice, always interpreted anew. There is no right or wrong—each rendition is an act of personal expression. Likewise, no two copies of the book are alike. Each is a reflection of an artist’s soul, shaped by their personal response to the music’s melancholy beauty. Each becomes a unique and unrepeatable work of art. The first two books in this evolving series were illustrated by Italian artist Maria-Pia Bentivenga and French artist Pierre Barraud De Lagerie. As you read these lines, eight artists from U.K., France, and Italy are at work on the next eight copies, allowing this powerful music to “sing” once more—differently each time, yet always with the same emotional truth.