Songs of Christmas {Album Review}

ALBUM TITLE: Songs of Christmas

ALBUM ARTIST: Gaither & the Homecoming Friends

FAVORITE TRACKS: Jesus the Light of the World, Jingle Bell,Go Tell, Mary, Did You Know?

RATING: 5/5

Recently, I had the privilege to review Gaither Music’s two-volume Women of Homecoming Album. Not only me but my whole family is really enjoying it. If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, you are missing a lot! Now, I have in this post another Gaither Music offering, and this is very timely for the coming season. It’s their latest Christmas compilation album called “Songs of Christmas”, comprising 12 gorgeous and well recorded Christmas hymns featuring Bill & Gloria Gaither and their Homecoming friends.

The songs that are recorded in this album are covers and remake of most-loved Christmas songs of many generations. I am certain of this that this new covers will be enjoyed and loved by generations to come. The album was introduced by a lovely cover of Isaac Watts’ signature hymn Joy To The World. I've listened to countless covers of this song, and this is one of my favorites; its simplicity and elegance make it special.Another beautiful cover is Florida Boy’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas; very masculine, harmonious and jazzy. After this, comes the folky Beautiful Star of Bethlehem. Ben Speer’s low vocal compliments to the choir and gives a sweet country theme—it’s a complimentary song to Jake Hess’ C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S.

Jesus the Light of the World, Jingle Bell, and Go Tell are someof the memorable covers that are worth mentioning. The Hopper’s Jingle Bell is an outstanding remake, fast in tempo and dynamic in instrumentation. Another stand out is the elegant and well-orchestrated Oh Holy Night. The song is very ethereal and every inch of the song is perfection; so momentous and soothing just like the peaceful moments with Silver Bell that is thoroughly engaging.

In a powerful and driving violin plus piano introduction, Mark Lowry delivered expressively his rendition of Mary, Did You Know? The atmosphere built by the instrumentation jives perfectly to the thick emotion brought out by Mark, it’s an amazing worship hymn. The Christmas Song was also given an elegant jazz makeover sung by the Gaither Vocal Band. Of course there’s no question with the vocals—which is perfectly blended. It’s just wonderful to listen, it’s very relaxing.

To end the album, a stunning acapella rendition of Away In a Manger can be heard, but it is just an introduction to the entire song. After the audience’s applause, the choir restarted it in the middle having the same atmosphere of the first song Jingle Bell.Thus far, every revival that Gaither has released (not only in this album), I must say is better than the original, owing mostly to their very rich vocals and creative musicianship.

ABOUT GAITHER HOMECOMING 

Gaither Homecoming is the name applied to a series of videos, music recordings and concerts, which are organized, promoted and usually presented by Christian music songwriter and impresario Bill Gaither. To date, the Gaither Homecoming title is applied to more than 60 videos, dozens of music recordings, and an annual concert tour that drew more than half a million fans in 2004 (the most recent year for which statistics are available). On February 19, 1991, the Gaither Vocal Band had just wrapped up a recording session in aNashville, Tennessee, working on an album called Homecoming, which featured many of the great voices of southern gospel music: The Speers, the Gatlins, Jake Hess, The Cathedrals, Howard & Vestal Goodman,Buck Rambo, Eva Mae Lefevre, James Blackwood, Hovie Lister, Jim Hill, and J.D. Sumner & The Stamps. After the session, the artists stayed around to chat, swap stories and sing old standards around the piano. The impromptu session was recorded on video and later published. The recording was so well received that Gaither began a series of professionally-produced videos with larger gatherings of gospel musicians.

See more at: http://gaither.com/

Disclosure: I received free review copy of the album in exchange of my honest review.

Continue reading »

Women of Homecoming {Album Review}

ALBUM TITLE: Women of Homecoming (Vol.1 & 2)

ALBUM ARTIST: Gaither

FAVORITE TRACKS: You Brought Us Out, Oh Happy Day, 

God Will Open Up The Windows, It is Well With My Soul

RATING: 7/7

Gaither Music occupies a very huge space in the world of Gospel and Christian music industry. Through the years they have resourced the worship community with amazing releases. Their very famous Homecoming Series has impacted and inspired many lives globally and has been the home for numerous gospel artists. To add to the long list of Homecoming discography, Bill and Gloria Gaither hosted a night full of joy, stories, testimonies and celebration which they called ''Women of Homecoming.''

Gathering famous and finest female voices of Christian music, Women of Homecoming is a two-volume collection of 40  gospel songs and hymns recorded live in an intimate worship setting. It's awesome to see some of my favorite Christian artists gathered together to do an album including Sandi Patty, Natalie and Amy Grant, and the youngest of them all--Jamie Grace.

Each of these songs is wonderfully-crafted and soul-stirring. What's amazing with these women is that they sing not because they were assigned to sing a particular song, but because they have some stories to tell. Behind each songs are testimonies of faith, hope, love, pain and grief that these women bears. The DVD-Video feature these testimonies and it makes a good stuff to keep for the family.

Breaking generational barriers, the album also showcases new covers of the most-loved old and new gospel songs; out of which are the classic hymn It Is Well With My Soul where Natalie Grant mashed with her single Burn Bright. There's the newly interpreted trio song--Oh Happy Day Medley by the Sisters that will surely bring you chills; and the remake of Nothing But the Blood, Days of Elijah, plus covers of Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone), Indescribable and Your Great Name.

If you are going through pain and grieving for a loss, Hurt by Hurt, In the in Between, Hear My Heart, In Good Hand, She's Better Now, Lord I'm Listening and Give Them All To Jesus will give you strength, peace, comfort and encouragement. These songs cuts through the heart and it will leave you comforted. I Know Who Holds Tomorrow is a modern re-write of Gaither's classic Because He lives, a perfect complimentary song to Getty's critically-acclaimed In Christ Alone that exhorts the hope found in Jesus, that he is worthy of our trust. Other songs on the album that are parallel in their messages are: Bread Upon the Water and God Will Open Up the Windows which speaks of the Blessings by Obedience. Another set is I Am Loved, I Will Go On and Standing in the Need of Prayer which talks of the forgiveness and love found in Jesus, and so we ought to let go of the hatred and bitterness within which cannot be blamed to others.

Everything Has Its Season is an exhortation of Ecclesiastes chapter three and it co-relates with Amy Grant's Our Time is Now. A reminder that time is an illusion, and so we ought to seize every second of our lives. To celebrate womanhood, The Women I Come From has been the anthemic theme song of the entire album. A mother's heart is wonderfully expressed with Kristyn Getty's A Mother's Prayer--filling the room with strong emotion and tears. You Brought Us Out is a picture of the Israelites' journey to the promise land, and also a depiction of a Christian's journey. Journeying through the wilderness and crooked ways to spread out the gospel is also the message of Jesus Saves.

Women of Homecoming is a no-ordinary album. It's just hard to express all of my emotions in this review, because all that I'm looking for an album is very well present: the powerful vocals, driving instrumental accompaniments, biblically-sound lyrics and of course the professional and well-talented artists. This album is simply perfect, and so I need to raise my standard of rating for this album.

+++

''Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.''
-Proverbs 31:30

ABOUT GAITHER HOMECOMING

Gaither Homecoming is the name applied to a series of videos, music recordings and concerts, which are organized, promoted and usually presented by Christian music songwriter and impresario Bill Gaither. To date, the Gaither Homecoming title is applied to more than 60 videos, dozens of music recordings, and an annual concert tour that drew more than half a million fans in 2004 (the most recent year for which statistics are available). On February 19, 1991, the Gaither Vocal Band had just wrapped up a recording session in a Nashville, Tennessee, working on an album called Homecoming, which featured many of the great voices of southern gospel music: The Speers, the Gatlins, Jake Hess, The Cathedrals, Howard & Vestal Goodman, Buck Rambo, Eva Mae Lefevre, James Blackwood, Hovie Lister, Jim Hill, and J.D. Sumner & The Stamps. After the session, the artists stayed around to chat, swap stories and sing old standards around the piano. The impromptu session was recorded on video and later published. The recording was so well received that Gaither began a series of professionally-produced videos with larger gatherings of gospel musicians.

See more at: http://gaither.com/

Disclosure: I received free review copy of the album in exchange of my honest review.

Continue reading »