Thursday, December 9, 2010

Behind the Praise, Sunday December 12, 2010

"Sing Hosanna" - Quartet

"Angels We have Heard on high"

The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos Campagnes (literally, The Angels in our Countryside). Its most common English version was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick. It is most commonly sung to the hymn tune "Gloria", as arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes. Its most memorable feature is its chorus:
Gloria in Excelsis Deo! (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest")

Click here to listen to the Third Day arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K17zGHFrKU

"Glorious Impossible" - Worship choir & Quartet
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3EdX8-heAc

"My Soul Magnifies the Lord"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y459G_4cFnM

""Hark the Herald Angels Sing"

“Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A sombre man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDPwNPAV6tAg:

Click here see the various arrangements available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hark+the+herald+angels+sing&search_type=&aq=f

Lottie Moon video

"The First Noel"

The word Nowell comes from the French word Noël meaning "Christmas", from the Latin word natalis ("birth"). It may also be from the Gaulish words "noio" or "neu" meaning "new" and "helle" meaning "light" referring to the winter solstice when sunlight begins overtaking darkness.


Click here to read more about the song:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_No%C3%ABl#Animaniacs_parody

Click here to hear Helmut Lotti sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=We4xRHMuCNg&feature=related**

Click here for an interesting arrangement - one person, two guitars:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cyWiw3cSOI

Offertory - "We Three Kings"

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Behind the Praise - Sunday December 5, 2010


"Go Tell It on the Mountain"
Go tell it on the mountain is an African-American spiritual dating back to at least 1865 that has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers. It is considered a Christmas carol because its original lyric celebrates the Nativity: "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born."

Like many carols, the precise history of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is a bit fuzzy. Although generally considered an anonymous work, Studwell believes the piece was written by Frederick Jerome Work (1880-1942), a black composer, teacher and scholar. Work was deeply involved in the collection, arrangement and dissemination of black spirituals, so it is possible, says Studwell, that Work only discovered and preserved the song. However, Studwell’s research has led him to believe that Work actually penned the piece, which was then arranged and disseminated by his nephew John Wesley Work.
Studwell places its first publication in the early 1900s, but the piece gained little notice until the 1920s when the Fisk University Singers began performing the song. Even then, it did not make much of a splash.“I looked through hundreds of carol collections and other song books and I could not find it in any collection prior to the 1950s,” says Studwell.
About that time the song steadily began to gain in popularity, winning over listeners with
energetic beat and its enthusiastic call to action.
“Most carols of the 20th century are not so enthusiastic. This is more like some of the older carols, like Joy to the World or Come All Ye Faithful in that regard,” says Studwell. “It shows some real enthusiasm for the Christmas holiday."

Click here to listen to James Taylor sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifEUn1AxDYo

Click here to see the various arrangements available:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=go+tell+it+on+the+mountain+&search_type=&aq=f

"O Come All Ye Faithful"

Also known in Latin as "Adeste Fidelis", this Christmas carol is credited to an English hymnist named John Francis Wade (1711-1786). Written originally in Latin, 'O Come All Ye Faithful', it was penned as a hymn by an Englishman called John Wade. In Latin, it is known as 'Adeste Fideles'. Another Englishman called John Reading composed its music in early 1700s, which was first published in 'Cantus Diversi' in 1751. Rev. Frederick Oakley translated it to English in 1841.


Click here to read more about the history of the song:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adeste_Fideles

Click here to listen to Bianca Ryan sing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I8XAf4Rwa4

Click here to hear a traditional setting:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZKp4npV47Q&feature=related

Click here for the various recordings of this Carol:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=o+come+all+ye+faithful&search_type=&aq=f


"My Soul Magifies the Lord"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y459G_4cFnM

Phil Wickham - www.philwickham.com

"Cannons"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSo46FWGh8g

"Because of Your Love"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8d0Nh_CXKw

“How Great Thou Art”

The history of the hymn How Great Thou Art begins with Mr. Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940). He was a Swedish pastor, editor, and member of the Swedish parliament. Mr. Boberg was enjoying a nice walk when a thunderstorm suddenly appeared out of no where. A severe wind began to blow. After the storm was over, Mr. Boberg looked out over the clear bay. He then heard a church bell in the distance. And the words to How Great Thou Art begin to form in his heart -- O Lord, my God, When I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands hath made. . . Can you imagine what Boberg felt as he formed these words? There was such calmness after the fierce storm he could only utter those words of peace.

This poem, titled O Store Gud (O Great God) was published in 1891 in Witness of the Truth, the weekly newspaper that Boberg edited. It was later translated in German. In 1927, it was published in a Russian version of the German text.

How Great Thou Art was sung by George Beverly Shea at the London Crusade of the Billy Graham evangelistic team in 1954. He later sang this song over 100 times during a revival in New York at a Billy Graham Crusade. This caused the hymn to receive new attention in Sweden and America and be published in several songbooks.

Today millions across the world continue to sing this beautiful song. Giving God all praise, glory, and honor for who He is -- the Creator of this universe.

Click here to see the different arrangements available from Elvis Presley, Alan Jackson, The Grand Ole Opera Sandy Patti, Crystal Lewis, & David Phelps.
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+great+thou+art+&search_type=

"True Love"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sonjpHbeDQ