A blessed Maundy Thursday to my readers. Come to the table And taste of the glory Savor the sorrow He’s dying tomorrow The hand that is breaking the bread Soon will be broken Read more
Have you ever desperately wanted someone to apologize for wronging you, just so that you could forgive them? I have felt that way sometimes, because I’m a naturally tender-hearted sort of person. When relationships are broken, I long to make it right, even if I’m not the one at fault. So I wait… and wait… and wait. And the more I’m hurt, the less inclined I am to forgive. Yet all the while I keep hoping. If that person could... Read more
This comes from a little-known, yet astonishing album by Cynthia Clawson called Prayer & Plainsong. It was recorded entirely acapella at a very old mission building in Texas with two male singers, a tenor and a bass. It features daring arrangements that blend liturgical music with traditional hymns, arranged in the order of the mass. While her male backup chants in the background, Cynthia sings a thematically and musically complementary hymn in counterpoint. It’s the sort of thing that should... Read more
In slightly belated honor of Palm Sunday, here is Fernando Ortega’s stunningly gorgeous choral arrangement of the “Sanctus.” Do enjoy. Blessed, blessed is he who comes In the name of the Lord Read more
[Editor’s Note: Okay, so it’s been… let’s say a few years since I first wrote this one, and it seems to have gotten a lot of views since. I seem to have cranked up my rhetoric to an 11 out of 10 that day, so this is just a note to say I don’t write like this any more. Though “Hallelujah” is still totally not a worship song. For everyone’s info. ;-)] A while ago, some young, female, Christian vocalists... Read more
I am a fiercely attentive student of great songs and great music. I spend many hours just absorbing the work of skilled lyricists and musicians, trying to understand the rhyme and the rhythm. As a wannabe musician and songwriter, I am acutely aware of my own limitations in these areas, yet I seem to have a knack for recognizing greatness when I see it. Still, I realize that my definitions of “greatness” may differ from others’. So I would like... Read more
About a year ago, I asked Ernie Haase who his picks would be if he were putting together a young all-stars male quartet. He chose Andrew Goldman for baritone, a kid who’s grown up in Ernie’s own town and “has really caught my attention.” I made a mental note to keep an eye on young Andrew, and coincidentally he has been making recent waves with Ryan Seaton’s new group Union Street. It didn’t take more than a few Youtube clips... Read more
This post has actually been in the works for a long time, I just didn’t get around to writing it. But I wanted to get it written before the primaries were all over, just so it wouldn’t seem TOO embarrassingly late. Some people are reticent about how they cast their votes, but I’m choosing to lay my cards on the table and be public about where I stand. Whether or not you agree with my decision, hopefully my case will... Read more
Most people might not know what a smooth pop singer Steve Green was before he launched his solo career. But he turned in some truly silky work with the Gaither Vocal Band in his early years with them. One of their best albums was 1983’s Passin’ the Faith Along. The title track has stuck around, of course, but a lot of the other songs on that project have been left in the 80s. One such lost nugget is the Steve-led... Read more
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