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| Official album art for Chris Tomlin's 2015 Christmas album "Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship" |
Chris Tomlin's Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship is the go to album as far as congregational worship over the festive season is concerned.
Though the market is saturated with seasonal outputs every year and though it's almost mandatory for every artist to release a Christmas album somewhere along his/her career, few are the Christmas songs made for congregational worship.
Tomlin whose pen has supplied the vocabulary and scores of countless worship services with staples such as "Love Ran Red," "Our God, "How Great is Our God," is back with his festive debut Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship. The titular is most revealing, this is an 11-track record made for the service of the church. This is arguably the CD's chief strength.
The strength of this album is that many of these songs are going to work their way into the soundtrack of many worship services in the years to come. Already making its way into this reviewer's church Christmas repertoire is the worship ballad "A King Like This." Capturing melodiously both the majesty of the Christ-child as well as the palatability of his incarnation, "A King Like This" is both intimate as well as Christ-exalting. "Adore" has all the melodic arrays of a Tomlin ballad (a la "Love Ran Red" and "Jesus Messiah"). And the choir which gives the chorus a more substantial backing creates an inviting atmosphere that calls forth the worship in us.
Worship leaders who get tired of just churning "O Little Town of Bethlehem" year after year may check out Tomlin's newly written "Bethlehem." Just like the hymn, "Bethlehem" is a show and tell worship number where Tomlin gets us up, close, and personal with the Christ-child in the stable in Bethlehem. "He Shall Reign Forevermore" is lifted as the album's introductory single. One can grasp the reason behind the choice with one listen. It's an anthemic worship piece that traverses through from the softer notes to those high and glorious crescendos. But at the end of the day, "He Shall Reign Forevermore" borders on the safe and clich side.
Worship leaders who get tired of just churning "O Little Town of Bethlehem" year after year may check out Tomlin's newly written "Bethlehem." Just like the hymn, "Bethlehem" is a show and tell worship number where Tomlin gets us up, close, and personal with the Christ-child in the stable in Bethlehem. "He Shall Reign Forevermore" is lifted as the album's introductory single. One can grasp the reason behind the choice with one listen. It's an anthemic worship piece that traverses through from the softer notes to those high and glorious crescendos. But at the end of the day, "He Shall Reign Forevermore" borders on the safe and clich side.
Besides the brand new songs, Tomlin also does what is quite a prevalent move these days, that is to weave a new song into an old hymn. In this regard, Tomlin does an A+ job with "Midnight Clear (Love Song)." Here "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" becomes not just a song about
Christ but it becomes a song of love to Jesus. Kristyn Getty, on the other hand, doesn't add much to "Silent Night" and Lauren Daigle would be better off doing one of Tomlin's original rather than a rehash of "Noel." Precisely because this CD is made for congregational singing, Tomlin is not as creative as say MercyMe (on their newest Christmas album) with his re-imaginations of the old carols.
Christ but it becomes a song of love to Jesus. Kristyn Getty, on the other hand, doesn't add much to "Silent Night" and Lauren Daigle would be better off doing one of Tomlin's original rather than a rehash of "Noel." Precisely because this CD is made for congregational singing, Tomlin is not as creative as say MercyMe (on their newest Christmas album) with his re-imaginations of the old carols.
Bearing all the marks of Tomlin's worship albums, "Adore" carries on Tomlin's rich legacy of making music for the church. If you are looking for songs made to be sung as worship pieces to God, this is a treasure trove.
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| Official album art for Danny Gokey's 2015 Christmas album "Christmas Is Here" |
Danny Gokey, well known for his mega hit singles “Hope In Front of Me” and “More Than You Think I Am”, brings his own style and flair to a new holiday album, Christmas Is Here.
In addition to featuring a few brand new songs, the record is full of holiday classics like “White Christmas,” “Mary Did You Know?,” and “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Each song is unique from past versions because his unparalleled voice and musical style bring such a soulful and powerful flavor to each track. Speaking about his new release, Gokey says, “My fans have been asking for a Christmas album for years, telling me my voice would be perfect for these songs. Everyone had their favorite songs that they wanted me to include, so we tried to get in as many as possible. I’m really proud of the way it turned out."
“Give Me Jesus” truly reflects the meaning of the Christmas season. Danny turns this familiar hymn into a Christmas song that you won’t soon forget. This song is soft and quiet but carries a strong message that is meaningful for the Christmas season. Gokey yet again brings so much heartfelt emotion into the lyrics he sings in a way that only he can.
“What Christmas Means to Me” has everything you expect a truly great Christmas song to have. It’s even complete with a choir and a trumpet section. Danny fills this song with Christmas spirit, love, and joy. When you listen to this song, if close your eyes, you will be instantly able to vividly picture Christmas trees, lights, family, and friends!
“Lift Up Your Eyes” is fast and upbeat. This song talks about lifting up your eyes to the Savior, Jesus Christ, during the Christmas season. “Lift Up Your Eyes” is unique from most traditional holiday songs in that it focuses on the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birth! This song can really be played any time of the year, because its message stays the same, powerful and encouraging.
Danny Gokey’s Christmas Is Here is definitely the perfect album to get you in the holiday spirit. Whether it's a beautifully written original song or a fresh take on a holiday classic, Danny brings a unique sound to Christmas music with this record. This album proves what Gokey’s fans have been saying for years, that his voice is perfect for Christmas songs!
I hope you'll enjoy both albums and we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
References
Bonface Morris.
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