Tag Archives | Christmas music

New Christmas CDs (and One Old One)

Christianity Today offers a review of twenty Christmas CDs that are new this year. Hard to believe that many are being published. Artists include Travis Cottrell, Sara Groves, Fernando Ortega, Shane & Shane, and more. I hope to post any songs I find that may be worth considering. If you haven’t heard Sovereign Grace’s Christmas CD, Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man, you can preview samples at the Sovereign Grace Music site. We put this CD together a few years ago to add to the songs that glory in the Incarnation of our Savior. You can download the whole CD for 6 bucks at the Sovereign Grace store, purchase it  for 8 bucks, …

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Free Christmas Music CD

Last year we produced our first “Christmas” CD, called Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man. It contains twelve original songs that celebrate the incarnation of our Savior, and I think it’s one of our strongest projects. We wanted to put this album out because every Christmas a worship leader’s dilemma is finding new songs to sing. So we decided to contribute some new ones to the mix. I’d love for more people to know about this CD. So I’m going to give away a free copy of the Savior CD to the first 100 people who e-mail me and fulfill the following conditions: 1. You write a blog that gets over 1000 hits a month 2. You’ll write …

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Glory Be to God – Free mp3 Christmas Song

Last year we released our first CD for Christmas, Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man. It’s made up of twelve original songs that explore and respond to the miracle of the incarnation. When I say the songs are “original,” I mean that we didn’t include favorites like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Although, I don’t know if Christmas songs get much better than that. The CD contains many songs that can be sung all year round, but the focus is the Son of God taking on human flesh and giving up his life to bear our sins and reconcile us to the Father. One of my favorites is “Emmanuel, Emmanuel,” by Mark Altrogge. It has a wonderfully …

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Christmas Songs

Kyle wrote in to ask: Could you recommend any other CD’s of “contemporary” congregational songs about the incarnation?  I always struggle planning worship services as Christmas approaches, because the songs with which we are all familiar seem strange in anything other than their traditional musical setting.  Do you know of A) Good band arrangements of well-known Christmas carols, and/or B) New songs that are thoughtful and appropriate for congregational worship? I hope it doesn’t sound self-serving to say that I think you’ll find a number of these songs on Savior, our CD that will be out next month. It will contain twelve new songs that celebrate …

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In the First Light

I don’t know if anyone will be reading this today or not, but if you are, I wanted to post some lyrics I wrote about 20 years ago. We were working on an independent project with a vocalist named Kathy Sinni, and wanted an “all year round” Christmas song for the recording. A song that included the birth of Christ, but explored what happened both before and after that event. The result was the song, In the First Light, recorded by GLAD on two of their a cappella CD’s. I pray it will be an encouragement to you. In the first light of a new day no one knew he had arrived Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried But the heavens …

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Another Christmas CD Recommendation

Last year I came across An Acoustic Christmas, by guitarist Tom Hemby. The review I read said this was a CD that would "find its way into your CD player long before the Chistmas Season begins." I’m a fan of instrumental acoustic guitar CD’s, and wondered if the product would live up to its reputation. Here’s my report. I do indeed listen to these songs all year round. Tom Hemby is a Nashville studio musician who uses God’s gift of creativity to the utmost. He shies away from arranging a song the way others have already performed it, resulting in a CD that is truly remarkable. It’s certainly grown on me over time, but after multiple …

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Songs for Christmas, #2

Keith Getty is an Irish composer who is passionate about teaching the Christian faith through theologically rich hymns. We had the joy of hosting him, his wife, Kristyn, and Stuart Townend for an event this past September. I was inspired and challenged by Keith’s vision to use music to teach theology in the church. New Irish Hymns #3 (he’s produced 4 thus far) is dedicated to songs about the Incarnation. The musical style ranges from orchestral to light pop, with a touch of Celtic influence. Keith did all the orchestrations, and vocals are handled by Kristyn Getty, Margaret Becker, and Joanne Hogg. This project steers clear of nostalgia and …

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Songs for Christmas

I want to take the next few posts to recommend some songs/CD’s that I think are worth hearing/singing during this season of focus on the Incarnation of our Savior. Andrew Peterson is a gifted songwriter and lyricist who has put out a number of CD’s. Last year, he released “Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ.” The subtitle refers to the Gospel, the Great Story “that is bigger than life, but is astoundingly true.” The CD is filled with creatively written, skillfully performed songs that focus on our need for and God’s provision of a sacrifical Lamb. Most of them are presentational songs, but some could be used …

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