Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Capitol Record’s WOW Worship release, WOW Christmas, is a 2 compact disk collection of “30 top Christian artists and holiday songs.” The songs are a mixture of religious and secular tunes all performed by Christian artists. All the songs have a Christmas theme. The musical styles range from contemporary pop, to country, to rap.  The artists include Casting Crowns, Sidewalk Prophets, Matthew West, Hillsong, Mandisa, Third Day, and Amy Grant.

Some may object that not all the songs are specifically  Christian. They include “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Jingle Bells.” The thing to remember is that all the artists are Christian. Their work is done “as to the Lord.”

Whether you are a lawyer, deliver dairy products, are a professional athlete, install carpet, perform lawn care, write magazine articles, are a soldier, drive a truck, are a hospital venipuncturist, grow potatoes, are a florist, or engage in any other legitimate occupation, the following words of Scripture apply to you. For the Christian there is no secular. We belong to God and all of our activities should be performed for His glory; “as to the Lord.”

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Colossians 3:23,24, NASB

“With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.” Ephesians 6:7-8, NASB

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

WOW Christmas WD2-888766

Amazing Grace Performed on Several Musical Instruments

Amazing Grace Performed on Several Musical Instruments

Ukelele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRJTLqUcBOY

Q-chord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrOduATSEaA

Bluegrass version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_48lTzLsnM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBgk8_hnCNA

Harmonica

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crxqFzslD0Y

Trump (aka: Jew’s Harp)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dirEn3ykyg

Harp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJCXXqwXODw

Camille and Kennerly Kitt

Amazing Grace Performed in a Falsetto Voice

超級星光大道 (第二屆  One Million Star is a Taiwanese television singing competition similar to American Idol. Here is a video of one of the contestants, Lin Yu Chun (林育羣), singing “Amazing Grace.”  Though he has an adult speaking voice, he is a counter-tenor.  He was born in 1986 in Taiwan and uses an alternate stage name of “Jimmy Lin.”

Two sites which discuss the counter-tenor singing style are presented below. The inclusion of these sites does not imply endorsement of all their statements. Counter-tenors are often natural baritones or basses who have the ability to sing in a falsetto voice which sounds natural though there are men whose natural voice is in the countertenor range. The countertenor part is believed to have been developed during the Renaissance in reaction to the prohibition on women taking part in church choirs, taking the place once occupied by the castrati.

http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/performers/countertenors.html

http://www.voiceteacher.com/counter_Tenor.html

Several Electric Guitar Renditions of “Amazing Grace”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-r-Vj8zgN8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiEozQ786nY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NXkWZ-qOwg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWGzpBvnG2k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69RA7vxmIcw
Several listeners insist that this is Jeff Beck rather than Carlos Santana.  The guitar style does seem to be more like Beck than the more Latin inspired Santana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPtX5gPT5KQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUZ24ZFBiok

An Excellent a capella Version of The Little Drummer Boy

An a capella version of The Little Drummer Boy by Pentatonix, a quintet who perform without instruments.  They named their group for the pentatonic scale, which has five notes per octave, since there are five members in the group.

The Little Drummer Boy was written by Katherine Kennicott Davis (1892-1980), a music teacher, composer, and pianist.  She based the tune on a Czech baby rocking carol which has never been successfully identified.  The original title of Davis' song was Carol of the Drum.  Davis left all her music royalties to Wellesley College.

Film Comment: The Phantom of the Paradise

At the grocery store I recently heard a little ten year old girl tell a woman, “When I’m twenty, I’m going to be rich.  I’m going to be an actress and a model.”  The child was quite serious, not realizing the near impossibility of her goal.  She certainly was unaware of the many compromises that people are willing to make to reach such a goal.

The Phantom of the Paradise (1974) is a highly exaggerated and stylized expression of the quest for success at any price.  The film incorporates influences, to name a few, from Faust, The Phantom of the Opera, The Cabinet of Dr, Caligari, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Psycho.

The film concerns a music producer who has sold his soul to the devil, a drug-addled mindless rock star who is complicit in the evil contract, and a mutilated and vengeful music composer.  The film is violent and bloody and all about success at any price. “He sold his soul for rock n’ roll.”

How much are you willing to sacrifice for your goals?  Are your goals worthy goals?

A Christian Composition on the Theremin

“Hosanna” on the Theremin, arranged from the Romanian Othodox liturgy by Benedict Popescu. 

The Theremin was invented by the Russian physicist Lev Sergeyevich Termen (aka: Leon Theremin, b. 1896, Russia – d. 1993).  The instrument is unusual in that it is not touched by the person creating the music.   An electrical field is created between two antennas and the field is distorted by the moving hands of the performer.  One hand controls the amplitude and the other controls the frequency of the created signal.  The signal is amplified and sent to a speaker to produce sound.

The link below is to a secular composition which highlights the abilities of the Theremin.  The other instrument is a Vulcan Harp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRfbWrI03gc

The Vulcan Lute (aka: Vulcan Harp) was created for the original television series, Star Trek.

http://ontd-startrek.livejournal.com/1378268.html?thread=172342492

This link also shows the capabilities of the Theremin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAQChI7Yq-I

Amazing Grace Drum Solo!

I would not have thought this was possible but the Amazing Grace melody is clearly discernable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqF62r_XxOc

Swahili Gospel Music: Prince of Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nTaz4ICLRk

This is a Swahili Gospel song by the singer Solomon Mukubwa.  The song title is Mfalme Wa Amani (Prince of Peace) from the album Mungu Mwenye Nguvu (God Beatification Power). 

http://www.google.com/search?q=solomon+mukubwa&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=enlcUZqbC4W29QSQgoG4Cg&sqi=2&ved=0CFYQsAQ&biw=1202&bih=812

You Tube appears to have disabled their embed feature so only the link is available.

Christian Music from the Democratic Republic of Congo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MC_bqk8t5E

Christian music from the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire). The song is Ujamaya bwa Yezu (Dance for the Lord).  The language is Swahili.

What They Think of Us: Unblack Metal

Advisory: There may be profane and/or disturbing content in this post. 

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=64176

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110616205051AAMWMWX

“The whole purpose of black metal was to create the most dirty, unclean, antichristian sound possible. The spirit behind black metal will always be antichristian. That's where the sound comes from. You can't have good and evil mixed together and it be Christian” Death Raizer  (Note: Many black metal musicians draw a distinction between black metal music and satanism.) 

Unblack metal is music which sounds identical to black metal but which has lyrics and content which promotes Christianity.

http://christianmetalfellowship.blogspot.com/2009/10/interview-with-elgibbor-22208.html

2008, the Polish Christian Unblack musician Fire (Jarek), comments: "God created music and satan distorted it.  I want to bring people to know Christ through music that they enjoy.  My lyrics are always either from the Bible or inspired by my life testimony and experiences.  ... he delivered me from drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and black magic!  We serve an awesome God."

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22fire%22+%26+%22Elgibbor%22&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MjytUP2CFpDk9gTmk4DgCw&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1202&bih=812

http://sonic14va.tripod.com/Christianextrememetal/elgibborinteview1.html

You tube video

A list of Unblack Metal bands.  Several of the bands are European.  A few of the names are based on Hebrew or Greek words.
Admonish
Arch of Thorns
Armageddon Holocaust
Azmaveth
Bedeiah
Beeroth
Bleedience
Borgarzur
Cabalistic
Crimson Moonlight
Dark Endless
Demoniciduth
Diamoth
Dormant
Elgibbor
Exaudi
Fire Throne
Frosthardr
Grim
Horde
Hortor
Keber
Lo-Ruhamah
Phanerosis
Sanctifica
Shadows of Paragon
Slechtvalk
SorrowStorm
Soterion
Stronghold
Syringe
Trastorno
Vaakevandring
VIXIVI

My personal take on this: Unblack metal music is certainly on the far extreme fringes of Christianity.  I believe that the Christian musicians who produce it are sincere in their intent and that God knows men's (and women's) hearts.

Do the form and origins of this type of art make it inherently evil?  Is Christian country music acceptable?  Is Christian rap music acceptable?

A few years ago there was a woman named Kellie Everts who claimed to be a "stripper for Christ."  Could there be Christian pornography?  Where is the line?

Celtic Christian Worship Music

"Amazing Grace" Performed On the Carillon

The carillon is the world's largest musical instrument, consisting of at least twenty-three large cast bronze bells housed, usually in a bell tower.  The bells can be rung to play a melody, or to produce chords, by a keyboardist performing on an organ-like set of wooden keys and foot pedals.  Music produced on a carillon can be heard for miles.

Most of the world's carillons are in the low countries of Europe.  There are 164 carillons in the United States, with many on university campuses and supported by the school's music departments.  Example's in the United States include Denny Chimes at the University of Alabama and the carillon at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where Dr. Stephen Brooks Knight has been the carillonneur for thirty-eight years.

Amazing Grace

Demonstration of how a carillon is played

The Psalms

The Hebrew name of The Psalms is Tehilim which translates into English as “praises.” 

These songs were apparently sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments and the musical instructions such as "selah" probably indicated sucj information as tempo or the tune to be used.

The English language name of the book, Psalms, comes from the Greek name Ψαλμοί (psalmoi), a translation of "mizmor," one of the types of psalms.  “Mizmor” is a Hebrew word meaning a sacred song set to music.  Psalmoi is derived from the infinitive “psallein,” “to play the harp.”

The other types of psalms also bear designations. “Shir” means the flow of speech in a straight line.  “Michtam” means “gold,” something you would keep close to yourself.  “Tehillah” means “a praise.”  “Shigayon” means “a mistake,”  songs of regret for sin.

(I tried repeatedly to place the Hebrew text into this post but the word processor insists on reversing the letter order no matter what I do.  Hebrew is read right to left instead of left to right.  The Greek text does not present this problem.)

A Christian Yodeler

Here is a link for Margo Smith, a Christian yodeler.

A definition from Wikipedia:
Yodeling (or yodelling, jodeling) is a form of singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal or chest register (or "chest voice") to the falsetto/head register; making a high-low-high-low sound. The English word yodel is derived from a German word jodeln(originally Austro-Bavarian language) meaning "to utter the syllable jo" (pronounced "yo" in English). This vocal technique is used in many cultures throughout the world.

What They Think of Us: George Carlin

"The only good thing that ever came out of religion was the music," comedian and social critic George Carlin (1937-2008).  Carlin was raised as a Roman Catholic but as an adult was an atheist and harsh critic of religion.

A Chinese Christian Song Entitled "Mission"

使命, literally, “mission.”

They're Not Happy About it!

On Facebook they are buzzing, Stop Unblack Music !  There are calls for Metalheads to unite and fight to the death.  They feel that their musical form is being hijacked by interlopers: Christians!

Black metal, a form of Death metal, is loud, fast, aggressive, hostile, and anti-religious.  Many of the singers actually growl rather than sing.  The music speeds up, then abruptly slows down, then explodes again.  It is obsessed with violence, death, and evil.

The same musical form is used by Unblack metal bands to present Christian messages.  The music sounds the same, but instead of Satan, murder, gore, and sex, the focus is Jesus.  This is apparently greatly resented by Black metal enthusiasts.  The link below is from metalunderground.com.

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=64240  This is disturbing stuff.

My take on the issue is that Christians have every right to be in every corner of the world.  Jesus is the Lord of the Universe and we are His Ambassadors.  Though I am not personally a follower of the Unblack musical form, I believe that it is pleasing to God because its intent is to praise Him.

Music is a thing, neutral in and of itself.  Whether or not it is evil or holy depends on the message placed into it.

Himmel oda Hall

I added the link to Himmel oda Hall to the post for German Christian Rap music.  It is also here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQfiLYtNGKQ

The You Tube embed codes do not always work so I will now provide the links instead.

Seventy-Seven Years As a Church Organist!

After seventy-seven years of faithful service, Lillian Bubsby Greene is retiring as the pianist for the St. Louis Missionary Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama (USA).  She started at the age of twelve.

She calls her special musical ability a gift from God.  "I can hear it, I can play it.  I don't have to have music. ... If I know the song, the Lord just puts it in me."

The St. Louis Church was built in 1872.

Because the link goes to a commercial site, there is a brief advertisement before the video about Mrs. Greene begins.