a few more years shall roll

I realize, as I title this post, that I have been complaining that Christmas decorations/music/hype should not start immediately after Halloween. In fact, as I was eating lunch yesterday with my friend Kim at Pizza Rustica where they actually had Magic Hat #9 on tap, we were surrounded by Christmas songs. Of course, just as they were getting annoying (Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree), Hark the Herald Angels Sing came on, and who am I to complain when “Mild He lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die” is piping out through the sound system?

That’s my introduction to my suggestion that you might want to pick up a box of Andrew Peterson’s Christmas CDs for gifts for your friends and loved ones. When the CD Behold the Lamb of God came out last fall, I bought 10 copies–one for me and 9 to give away. I may do the same thing this year, since a box of 10 is only $85. Since I heard Behold the Lamb live in 2001, and have travelled to Nashville the past three years to hear it live again, it’s probably not necessary to tell you how highly I recommend the CD. But, if you are looking for a “Christmas” CD that you can listen to all year (and I do), and one that provides a(n)? historical context for the birth of Christ, please check this out.

Or, if you’d like to be on my Christmas list, you could just let me know that.

Today is the release date for Andrew Peterson’s newest album The Far Country. I am hoping that my copies are waiting for me at home when I get there today. He wrote a few thoughts on the release. You can read lyrics and listen to clips here. Take my word for it, you want this album. And, if I have to buy you a copy to prove it, so be it. Buy your own here.

After a week of dealing with sickness and much mental and spiritual wrestling, it is good to be at peace. My blog has been neglected, perhaps because so much is happening in my life. I will try to unfold some of that over the next days and weeks.

we sang this hymn of martin luther’s yesterday. it has become one of my favorites over the past few years.
our hymnal does not include the 2nd and 3rd verses, which add even greater depth to the text, explaining the necessity for the death of Christ.

1. Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands,
For our offenses given;
But now at God’s right hand He stands
And brings us life from heaven;
Therefore let us joyful be
And sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

2. No son of man could conquer Death,
Such mischief sin had wrought us,
For innocence dwelt not on earth,
And therefore Death had brought us
Into thraldom from of old
And ever grew more strong and bold
And kept us in his bondage. Hallelujah!

3. But Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,
To our low state descended,
The cause of Death He has undone,
His power forever ended,
Ruined all his right and claim
And left him nothing but the name,–
His sting is lost forever.
Hallelujah!

4. It was a strange and dreadful strife
When Life and Death contended;
The victory remained with Life,
The reign of Death was ended;
Holy Scripture plainly saith
That Death is swallowed up by Death,
His sting is lost forever.
Hallelujah!

5. Here the true Paschal Lamb we see,
Whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursed tree–
So strong His love!–to save us.
See, His blood doth mark our door;
Faith points to it, Death passes o’er,
And Satan cannot harm us.
Hallelujah!

6. So let us keep the festival
Whereto the Lord invites us;
Christ is himself the Joy of all,
The Sun that warms and lights us.
By His grace He doth impart
Eternal sunshine to the heart;
The night of sin is ended.
Hallelujah!

7. Then let us feast this Easter Day
On Christ, the Bread of heaven;
The Word of Grace hath purged away
The old and evil leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed,
He is our meat and drink indeed;
Faith lives upon no other.
Hallelujah!

i recently watched the film Luther, and the line about Luther’s hymns being a reason the reformation spread unstoppably in Germany struck me. theology, the gospel distilled into verse–these hymns are treasures. i hope i never stop singing them!

“I, Doctor Martin Luther, wish all lovers of the unshackled art of music grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ! I truly desire that all Christians would love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given to mankind by God. The riches of music are so excellent and so precious that words fail me whenever I attempt to discuss and describe them…. In summa, next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits… Our dear fathers and prophets did not desire without reason that music be always used in the churches. Hence, we have so many songs and psalms. This precious gift has been given to man alone that he might thereby remind himself that God has created man for the express purpose of praising and extolling God. However, when man’s natural musical ability is whetted and polished to the extent that it becomes an art, then do we note with great surprise the great and perfect wisdom of God in music, which is, after all, His product and His gift; we marvel when we hear music in which one voice sings a simple melody, while three, four, or five other voices play and trip lustily around the voice that sings its simple melody and adorn this simple melody wonderfully with artistic musical effects, thus reminding us of a heavenly dance, where all meet in a spirit of friendliness, caress and embrace. A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”

Dies Irae! Dies Illa!

It’s hard to believe that I’m singing the Mozart Requiem this Friday evening, but the time has come. Only one dress rehearsal left, and I still don’t have the Osanna section down.

Come if you’re anywhere close to Philadelphia–the concert is free and will be phenomenal (even if I don’t get every note right–it’s not about me, people!). It’s at Tenth.

today is a rare day in the year. i had to come to the office on saturday to finish up some statistics before monday morning. my job is pretty much 9-5 with a few evening programs, and the flexibility to work at home several days a week over the summer. i never come in on weekends. but today i did. and now i’m enjoying the quiet of the office and the actual time to post something to my blog!

i’m heading home soon, so don’t worry! i have a tea this afternoon with a bunch of my friends from choir. then, sharon and i are driving to frederick, maryland to meet up with a bunch of folks for the caedmon’s call/andrew peterson show there. a late night it will be, but worth it! tickets are free since bryan got us on the guest list. i was planning to go anyway, but the free-ness makes the trip all the sweeter. i’m hopeful that andy will play his new song, Far Country, that he played at last night’s show in Richmond.

FAR COUNTRY

Father Abraham, do you remember when
You were called to a land and you didn’t know the way?
Cause we are wandering in a foreign land
We are children of the promise of the faith

And I long to find it
Can you feel it too?
That the sun that’s shining is a shadow of the truth

This is a far country
This is a far country
Not my home

In the dark of the night
I can feel the shadows all around me
Cold shadows in the corners of my heart
But the heart of the fight
Is not in the flesh but in the spirit
And the spirit’s got me shaking in the dark

And I long to go there
I can feel the truth
I can hear the promise of the angels of the moon

This is a far country
This is a far country
Not my home
Not my home

I can see in the strip malls and the phone calls
The flaming swords of Eden
In the fast-cash and the news flash
And the horn blast of war
In the sin-fraught cities of the dying and the dead
Like steel rock graveyards
Where the wicked never rest
To the high and lonely mountain
In the groaning wilderness
We ache for what is lost
As we wait for the holy God
Father Abraham
Father Abraham

And I long to go there
Out of this far country
Out of the far country
To my home
To my home

Out of this far country
This is a far, far country
Not my home

sharon and i are hoping to get a rendition of his ode to la hacienda, the mexican restaurant we visited in nashville. maybe after the show.

Last Sunday, I went with my alto buds to hear the Curtis Symphony play at Verizon Hall. The students at Curtis are phenomenal musicians who get a free musical education and go on to play in orchestras around the world. They are from 14 to 26 years old and are just amazing to watch. A few of them go to my church and play fairly frequently there. The musicians hold free recitals several days each week, so for people that live in Center City, there is no excuse to not hear great music.

A few blocks away from Curtis is the Academy of Vocal Arts, a four year training program for opera singers. A number of members of our choir are or have been resident artists there (which, by the way, does not hurt the quality of said choir). They perform operas throughout the year, and I finally went to my first last year, and hope to go to more this year. I’m trying to catch up on my culture!

And the point of this post? Not a clue.

Andrew Peterson just posted this on his site:

Hey, guys.

One of my goals for the month of January is to compile a live record (sort of). As many of you remember, I recorded a show with Ben and Gullahorn at the New City in Knoxville a few months back, and those of you who were there probably remember that it wasn’t quite…uh…perfect.

So I got to thinking that over the last 10 years (yes, TEN YEARS, can you believe it?) a lot have people, myself included, have recorded a lot of shows. So the record I’m going to be compiling this month will include some of the live stuff from the New City show, but it’ll also include random goofiness (and songs, of course) that I dig up from my box of old recordings. Part of the purpose will be to pause to look back at some of the history that some of you have been no small part of, thanks to your support and encouragement; part of the purpose will be to share with you some alternate live versions of songs you already know; part of the purpose will be to share with you some oldies that you’ve never laid ears on (and maybe never should, come to think of it); and finally, part of the purpose will be to help me raise the funds needed to record my new album.

I’ll be touring this February and early March (hopefully with Caedmon’s Call, those fine folks), and plan to hit the studio with the indubitable Ben Shive as soon as I can after that. So I figure this might help make the record happen, since I’m not a non-profit organization and gifts from any millionaires out there aren’t exactly tax-deductible. So if any of you have any old gems lying around, send them to:

Andrew Peterson
940 Davidson Dr.
Nashville, TN 37205.

I’m going to start putting the stuff together this week and next, so if you have anything, send it fast. If I use it I’ll give you a big fat thanks in the liner notes. Also, if any of you have ideas for album titles, let ‘em fly. Right now I’m planning to call it “Live (Sort of)”

But then, I’m not on a label so I can call it WHATEVER I WANT. Bwahahaha!
Just another indie perk.

AP

lovely, lovely, lovely. richard and gaines, i expect great things from you and your recording expertise!

a new album to buy from mr. randall goodgame. he has a redesigned site, too.

randall is one of those songwriters whose songs never go where i think they will. he takes a situation that first i’d never think of writing a song about and then writes something so right that it’s hard to believe.

his new album is War and Peace . Of the 11 songs, I think I’ve heard 7 live and two recorded by Caedmon’s Call, so I’m really looking forward to the produced versions and hearing the others.

i’ll get to hear randall perform this weekend in nashville at the big christmas show, so i’m hoping to pick my copy up there.

Here’s a link to an interview with Andrew Peterson. It’s good stuff.

i love fall. not just because the skies are blue and the air is crisp and the leaves are changing, but also because great music is happening! summer is the time of festivals and fairs, which i enjoy, but which do not come close to the more intimate setting of individual concerts. this fall looks to have a few interesting possibilities for me.

10/2 Bebo Norman (and Jason Morant and Bethany Dillon)
…ok that one’s past, and i really went because i knew gabe scott would be there playing with bebo. jm and bd were not my favorites.
10/13 the Roots at Penn (our new president’s favorite group apparently)
10/15 Bill Mallonee in Willow Grove*tentative–i may go home for the weekend instead
10/25 Indelible Grace in Glenside, PA
10/30 Reformation Hymn Festival at Tenth Presbyterian (not a concert, but music-related, so I’m listing it.
11/4 Joseph Parsons and Christopher Williams at The Point, Bryn Mawr, PA
11/9 Marc Cohn at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia
11/13 pedro the lion in Philadelphia
11/17 Eddie from Ohio at World Cafe Live
11/20 Caedmon’s Call in Burlington NJ
12/3 Andrew Peterson’s Christmas Tour in Greenville, SC
12/12 Andrew Peterson’s Big Christmas Show (see, all caps) at the Ryman in Nashville, TN

Go buy your copies now from Andy’s newly redesigned website! I promise that this will be your favorite Christmas album (OK, OK, I’ll allow that Handel’s Messiah is pretty good too!)

Also, tickets should go are on sale soon now for the Christmas show at the Ryman. (615) 889-3060

I’m feeling better already.

So, if you aren’t doing anything on December 12th, you really should find your way to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, where Andrew Peterson will have his annual Christmas show.

I just bought my plane ticket for this, my third visit, to the home of country music. I never thought I’d be a person who’d FLY to a concert, but I can’t help myself. Plus, there are some great airfare sales right now–PHL to Nashville for $122!

First, the show is just phenomenal. Andy invites special guests to join him for an “in the round” songfest of outrageous talent. Last year, Alison Krauss was there! The second half of the show is his original retelling of the Christmas story, beginning in the Old Testament and culminating in the birth of Jesus. Thankfully, for those who can’t make it, he’s releasing a CD of the music this October (hopefully).

Second, the show offers a chance for a great get-together. Weird people from the internet converge on the city to see each other and this show. You should really should come.

was bono’s response when he was granted an honorary doctor of laws from the university of pennsylvania. it’s been a busy few days so i haven’t had a chance to write about the famous rock star graduation speaker we had at penn on monday morning.

i knew it was going to be a good day on monday when i went to get my morning coffee. now, this is not just because i love coffee (which i do), but rather, because on my way back to the office, i saw a large group of people in academic regalia standing near the ben on the bench. i looked a little more closely and saw, in his black cap and gown and blue sunglasses, bono.

the graduating class at penn marches five or six blocks from one end of campus to the other to start the commencement ceremony. they are led by the academic procession and bagpipers. . i stood at the spot where the parade officially begins and snapped a few shots of the dignitaries . . . this one came out a little blurry:

graduation is held in franklin field, an historic stadium, where U2 actually played a few years back.
i watched the procession, then hoofed it to the stadium and ended up getting some nice center seats so i could get a few good shots. there was some rousing applause for bono when he arrived–he seemed to be enjoying himself.

his speech was excellent; he was funny, down-to-earth, and challenging. he did not use the fcc banned word. instead he said they had taught him a lesson , and the only four letter word he’d be using that day was p-e-n-n. he laughed at the academic community for choosing a rock star as the commencement speaker: “God forgive me, actually God forgave me, but why should you?”

if you don’t know, bono started an organization called data which stands for Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa, and calls people to recognize the emergent situation in Africa. bono spoke with great eloquence about the ungodly poverty, the “stupid poverty” that exists when we (especially we americans) have the resources to stop it. i have to say, i was deeply moved and impressed by his humility and his unwavering conviction and his refusal to speak niceties in the face of crisis. i can’t do justice to his speech, but will post a link as soon as i can find one.

as promised . . .
here’s patty at borders:

and here’s one from after the eric peters show:

i’m getting behind on this blogging stuff already. this week has been a bit crazy for me . . . but i’ll start where i left off last week. patty griffin was amazing–she only played a few songs to a big crowd inthe border’s store, but she is just captivating. i could listen to her sing for hours. days even. weeks maybe. she stayed afterwards to greet and sign, i got a good picture but the scanner is giving me trouble so i can’t post it yet.

then, the conference at church. amazing. we went from the depth of our sin–the great need we have for forgiveness to the means of our forgiveness to the response to that forgiveness in our relationships with others.

seriously, if you have time, listen to the sunday services that Sinclair Ferguson preached to wrap up the weekend. i think at least the sunday morning one is up already. in the evening service, his opening example was of the muckraker who christiana (yes that’s where my parents got my name) came across in her travels in the second book of Pilgrim’s Progress. She and her four sons are at the house of the interpreter, where they are shown to various rooms inhabited by different characters. In one room is a man raking filth, over and over again, so intent on his awful work that he does not notice the one who holds a golden crown over his head in free exchange for his muckrake. christiana’s response is “o, deliver me from the muckrake!” dr. ferguson went on to expound on the first eleven verses of romans 5–his main point was that we do not realize the crown of glory that we have right now. that we have a true hope–not one that will shame us. one that christ died to give us, one that cannot be taken away, one that shapes the way we live now.

this week’s plumbing problems in my kitchen and my dentist appointment are small in comparison to the grace given to me in the death of Christ.

patty griffin does, at least. i’m starting my weekend early tonight by going to see patty perform an in store show at border’s downtown. her new album just came out, so she’s supposed to be playing songs in support of that. i’ve seen her perform before and she blows me away, so i’m interested to see her in a smaller venue, with a few less frills.
i’ll post my thoughts tomorrow or next week . . .

the rest of the weekend is full up, as well. my church is hosting its annual Philadelphia Conference on Reformation Theology. The topic this year is Forgiveness and the speakers include Jerry Bridges, Sinclair Ferguson, Michael Horton, Rick Phillips, and Philip Ryken. As part of the church choir, I get to go for free because we participate in the music Friday night, and do a sacred concert Saturday night before the evening session. I’ve gone to these conferences fairly regularly since college (with a break while I lived in NC), and have always been incredibly blessed. It’s always a time of rich teaching, warm fellowship, and great hymn singing. My first conference back in 1992, I think, included JI Packer and John Gerstner (who was fine until his last sermon on the “50 reasons why I am a Calvinist”–that is up there as perhaps the worst thing to pass for a sermon in Tenth’s pulpit that I ever heard).

And, I just realized that I switched from no caps to proper capitilization somewhere in the midst of that post . . . my English teacher ways are popping out all over.

i’ve always been a lyrics-oriented listener of songs. (i think this is why i love hymns so much more than praise choruses. ) really, when i buy a new cd, the first thing i do while i’m listening to it is pull out the insert and read through the lyrics. i’m no poet myself, but i deeply appreciate songwriters who craft their words with painstaking care. they allow me to step into their thoughts for a brief moment, or tell me a story in a way i’ve never heard, and these are rare gifts.

this song is one of the many reasons i love listening to Eric Peters’
music. i get emotional just reading the lyrics.

These Hands

does anyone here remember Wilton Reeves?
does anyone here remember his sweet wife?
made a humble home in south Louisiana
he must have crossed these fields a thousand times

he held her shrivelled hands near his body
he lifted up her useless, withered feet
it’s hard when you hold the hand of struggle
but when you love there’s no way to retreat

these eyes have seen two wars…more than most men
but these hands have longed to hold your figure,
have you touch me with your fingers
and i could fall apart deep within your hands

they took their vows before the planting season
in 1901 there was no time for grieving
she never asked for any of the reasons
he never looked for his within the bottle

what he treasured most of all was giving
he’d kneel down at her side to kiss her cheek
it’s easy when you’ve held the hand of mercy
and when you love there is no way to leave

these eyes have seen two wars…more than most men
but these hands have longed to hold your figure,
have you touch me with your fingers
and i could fall apart deep within your hands

does anyone here remember Wilton Reeves?

william cowper is one of my favorite hymnwriters. he penned the words (i’m quoting from memory here–so forgive me if I’ve put the stanzas inthe wrong order):

God moves in a mystrious way, His wonders to perform.
He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines of never failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs and works His sovereign will.

His purposes shall ripen fast, unfolding every hour.
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace.
Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain.
God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain.

i think this was one of the first hymns i learned by heart. (”a mighty fortress” probably wins the prize for the very first). i never meant to memorize them, but it just happened. i used to love to request this one in church when we had “favorites night. ” at the time of my putting these words in my head for good, i’m sure i had little idea of their meaning. in fact, i remember just liking the way “unfathomable” ran over my tongue, sometimes tripping a bit before catching up to “mines.” and i liked the tune we sang it to, and tried to learn to play it on the piano as soon as i could.

but now, the reasons i love it go deeper. by no means has my life been a difficult one. sure, i’ve had the occasional sad breakup, the loss of a close relative, the tough decision to make, but i’ve never struggled the way william cowper did–battling depression his entire life yet clinging ever so tightly to the truth of grace. still, i’ve see God’s hand of guidance, moving me from place to place, putting people in my life to challenge and grow me.

providence is a strange thing. it is comforting in difficulty, to know that He is in control and is working all to His glory. i get frustrated by it as well, wanting to be in the seat of power, wrestling against the place God has given me. then lines like “Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace” come to me and i am reminded of His goodness and love in every situation, whether i feel happy or not.

of a concert . . . it’s becoming one of my favorite experiences. I never thought I’d even consider promoting a singer-songwriter concert, especially at my church, which is pretty focused on maintaining traditional worship (a focus for which I am quite thankful, by the way). But, last September I worked with Eric Peters to bring him to my church, and the response was really great. It’s a bit of work, but the payoff is worth it. I don’t want to make a huge habit of it, but anytime Eric asks, I think I will be willing to do it. So, on Saturday, we did another show.

To be honest, I was pretty stressed out about the show a week ago. I felt that I hadn’t done enough to promote it, the sound stuff wasn’t finalized til a week before the show, I had other stuff both for church and for work on my mind, and I just didn’t know if it was going to happen well. However, all was well. Simon, a guy I had never met, came to set up sound, which he did wonderfully. My friend Jeff graciously agreed to run the sound during the show, and Eric and Gabe set almost everything up before either Jeff or Simon arrived. On this two week tour, Eric was joined by Gabe Scott, musician extraordinaire, and all around nice guy (he toured with Andrew Peterson for five years and is now working with Bebo Norman) . In the past when I’ve seen Eric perform, he’s been solo, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. But Gabe’s guitar, lap steel, dobro, accordion, and backing vocals added a whole new level to the concert experience.

Here’s the rundown of my day. I was already at church because we had a women’s breakfast that morning, which was excellent! Then, I headed upstairs to the music office to help organize the tickets for our 175th anniversary concert at the Kimmel Center. I even solved a few problems along the way. My friend Sharon and I then went for a little walk around center city, stopping at capogiro, an adorable place that makes the best gelato you will have outside of Italy. Truly. They make about 35 flavors each day, from burnt caramel to avocado to cactus pear to bitter chocolate to grapefruit. The hardest part is deciding which two flavors to get on my cone. I went with cactus pear (mainly because it was the brightest pink I had ever seen in gelato) and pistachio (which is salty and sweet like real pistachios—not like the fake bright green sweet flavor you usually get). Sharon had bourbon butterscotch and mocha, for those keeping score. Then, back to the church, where the catering company who had been feeding the extras for the new Cameron Diaz movie filming in town was clearing out. I’m telling you, it was an exciting day—even before the concert.

Eric and Gabe showed up around 4pm and we unloaded all their stuff and headed upstairs where they immediately began searching through the back closet, where all the sound stuff is kept (in not so clearly marked disorder). Seriously, who does that? Comes for a show and starts setting up the sound stuff on their own? These guys are great. Humble men, who love jesus, who play and sing so well, who are so gracious to everyone even though they just spent five hours on the Pennsylvania turnpike. Perhaps this is why Sharon told me on Sunday that she understands now why I travel around to see these musicians. Anyway, Sharon and I sat around feeling somewhat useless (since we know nothing about sound setup), although we did set up merch, so that was one accomplishment. And, we thoroughly enjoyed the hour long sound check, which is really almost as much fun as the show itself, or at least make me appreciate the show even more. Then, we headed over to get cheesesteaks, because when one visits Philadelphia, one must have cheesesteaks. And, Gabe, although he’d been to Philly before, had never had one. And, yes, they are better with ketchup for those who wonder. And, no, it’s not worth it to order them outside this region.

We headed back in plenty of time, and heard the story of Gabe and his fiancée on the way back, while Eric was on the phone with his wife Danielle. I was a little worried at about 7:15 when no one had shown up . . .I took them downstairs to see the sanctuary. The lights weren’t on, so we could only see by the street light and moonlight coming through all the windows, but it’s such a beautiful room. By 7:25 (for a 7:30 start) there were about five people there, but in the next ten minutes, people jus streamed in. I have to remind myself that getting into the city and finding parking always takes people a little longer than they expect. We ended up with a few over 60. Not as big as the last time but we were also competing against the final four.

Gina Campbell, a friend who goes to Tenth, opened with her band, and warmed the crowd up well. Like Gabe said, “Gina looks perfectly normal, and then she starts singing and she’s got this cool funky voice.” It’s true–she’s putting out a cd in the next few months, and it should be a good one. Then, Eric (with Gabe for most songs) came up and played a great set, with a few minor sound issues.
Clenched Fist
My Tripwire
The Ending
Mary (A Husband’s Lament)
September Sunday
These Hands
In the Meantime
Love is Real
Waterloo (”a little predestination . . .if you believe in that”)
Little by Little Things
These Three Remain
I Know the Mountains
May Your Tenderness
Then an encore of Recovery and Dust to Dust (this one they hadn’t performed together before, but it was wonderful!).

They had to head off to Baltimore for a morning concert for Eric and a morning flight for Gabe, so didn’t have as much time to hang out as usual after the cleanup, but it was still a great night!