My Favorite Songs of 2012: Part 2 (Southern Gospel)

First of all today, I have an apology to make. I did not post the vlog about Les Miserables. I did vlog but it was more of me just talking about what I saw more than anything. I was not pleased with it at all. My deepest apologies. I regret to say that I disappointed myself as much as probably disappointed you my readers. I will make up for it as I did vlog about me meeting a certain influential person in my life. I will post that as soon as I can. Thank you and I hope you can grant me forgiveness this time...

Ordinary Man-The Kingsmen Quartet

The Kingsmen Quartet is one of the best Southern Gospel groups today. A few years ago I would have said differently. They have improved on their sound and musical arrangements. If you like, old-time Southern Gospel, you’ll like the Kingsmen. Ordinary Man is off their Grace Says CD which has a lot of great songs. The song starts out a tiny bit weird and has its “random moments” and I definitely would have composed a different arrangement but I’m not the Kingsmen. It talks about how all of us are nothing special but God still uses us (the ordinary man (and woman)). My favorite line is “I would never trade this peace to be a fool for lesser things. I’m rich beyond the wealth this world can hold.” It reminds me of I’d Rather Have Jesus. Despite the random arrangements, this song is great in lifting you up and reminding you of God’s Love. We are not anything special just ordinary.

I’ll Be Praying by Brian Free and Assurance

Brian Free and Assurance are my #1 favorite Southern Gospel Quartet (if you haven’t guessed by now). I would be considered a groupie (if there is such a thing in Southern Gospel) as I have been to almost every concert in or around where I live in Ohio. I’ll Be Praying for You is not my all-time favorite song but nonetheless it is very good. The songs arrangement is very upbeat but could be turned into a slow, reflective song. I like the upbeat tempo though as it reflects the purpose of the song: encouragement. The first verse of the song goes “Hello my friend is it alright, I just dropped in to talk awhile, Lately you’ve been heavy on my heart, I know that life has been unkind and you can’t count the times you cried, I just want you to know, you are not alone…” This song has amazing lyrics and I would play for it anyone going through a tough time in life. Also a superb job by the lead Bill Shivers on the verses. The unsung hero of this song however, is the bass Jeremy Lyle. The bass harmony he sings provides a nice contrast and helps to keep the song upbeat and fresh so that it avoids the “getting old and annoying” stage of almost every song you hear. Great song for those down times in life.

It’s Still the Greatest Story Ever Told by The Gaither Quartet

I am not a Gaither fan in the least. I do love the harmonies and sound of the quartet but I can’t stand Bill Gaither. He’s more about money and what sells tickets than just singing for the Lord and praising God. That being said this song is still a good song. Mark Lowry, a very good baritone (and comedian), takes the solo part in the 1^st verse. His voice is easy to listen to and he gives great expression in every song he sings. This one is no exception. His voice expresses the feeling that he’s sitting down with the Bible open in his lap reading the Christmas story to his grandkids. The lyrics of the song explain parts of the story that all add up to The Greatest Story Ever Told such as the last few lines of the chorus “…Mighty God and Fragile Baby, Here a lowly manger holds, And it’s still the greatest story ever told…” Very brilliant writing and arrangement. The story of Jesus will always be the greatest story of all.

Prior to a Prayer by The Perry’s

Prior to a Prayer was one of those songs that I always skipped on The Perry’s CD Almost Morning (which is another great song too) because I didn’t like the first few seconds of the introduction. Note to self and others: Don’t judge a song by the introduction! I still don’t like the introduction because there’s a weird chord then they just start singing the song. I would prefer a longer introduction but that’s just me. Moving past the introduction, the song is a great reflection on the hard times in life. Its minor key reflects the despondency of the situation the song writer/singer/listener is facing. It reflects the sadness and hopelessness one feels in those hard times. Then the lyrics and tempo changes to reflect on the answer to our situation: Jesus and prayer. My favorite part is the tag: “But when Jesus came, when I finally saw Him, no more burdens, not one little care, It had been different, so different, just moments ago, Faith was fading, just prior to a prayer.” It ends on an upbeat note and tempo that says you are not alone, hope is on the way, you just had to pray. The song is a reminder that in those hard times when you’ve lost all hope, don’t forget to pray. Amazing song and truth!!!

So there you have it, my Top Favorite Southern Gospel songs in 2012. Look for part 3 as well as my vlog soon.

Thanks Everyone! 

Keep Singing in the Rain

Be Happy Being Single

Christa

My Favorite Songs of 2012 (Instrumentals)

***My apologies to my readers for not posting anything in over a month. To be honest, I do not want to post something just to post something. My thinking is quality over quantity. However, I do endeavor to do a better job at posting in a timely manner. On to the blog…***

Ask anyone who knows me and you will find that I am a lover of piano. From the age of 5, the desire and burden to play piano was instilled in me. If you don’t know my whole story, you can read about it here on my post called A Passion for My Purpose. If you are an avid reader of this blog, you would remember I had written a couple posts about my favorite songs. I should have entitled it my favorite songs of 2011 since they change so much. That being said I have decided to go back and update some songs. What say you? I can’t! Well it’s my blog so I can do whatever I want to. No, I’m just kidding…maybe. Anyways, on with it…

Hatikvah (La Mantovana) by Jarrod Radnich

I first discovered Jarrod Radnich when The Piano Guys featured him on one of their YouTube videos. He played his own piano arrangement of the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme song. I feel immediately in love with his playing style and arrangements. I downloaded his Christmas CD Ornaments and discovered Hatikvah. Hatikvah or The Hope is a Hebrew song which is the national anthem of Israel. His arrangement of this song starts out very somber and a painfully slow tempo but then speeds up to more of a patriotic tempo. My favorite part is the octave run at 2:42. Any Israeli national would be proud to have this arrangement as their anthem. A superb and brilliant work by Jarrod!

Bring Him Home by The Piano Guys

If you don’t know about The Piano Guys, shame on you! No seriously, The Piano Guys are a group of super talented musicians made popular by YouTube. The Piano Guys consist of a cellist named Steve Nelson, a pianist named Jon Schmidt, and other videographers and sound dudes. Bring Him Home is a prayer in the play Les Miserables sung by the main character Jean Valjean. To get the total grasp of the song you would need to know the whole plot of the Broadway play which I don’t have time to get into right now (sorry) but we still can capture the essence. Jean Valjean is praying that his “daughter’s” love be returned back to her safe from the battle. The song is written for a high tenor but in this arrangement, the cello brings some richness and depth to the song that a tenor wouldn’t be able to provide. The last note is special as it is drawn out to create the feeling of longing for the prayer to be answered. If you just need to relax, it’s a very good song to listen to. A+ job by The Piano Guys!!!

Hymns by Anthony Burger

This CD is a masterpiece! Not only was it recorded in one session with no cuts these 10 or so arrangements truly work as one continuous, harmonious arrangement. This CD is a very good background CD when you are cleaning the house, hosting a party, or just need to chill. Anthony Burger hits every note with just the right amount of expression. These arrangements let the hymns speak for themselves as there are not a lot of fancy runs or jazzy moves in them. My favorite arrangement is The King is Coming. The harmonies and octaves just bring out the truth in the song and the placement of every note is perfect. Great work by a great composer/pianist!! 

Side Note: This video is not of The King is Coming because I wasn't able to find one that his arrangement. However, this my favorite video of him playing When We All Get to Heaven in many different styles. What a talented guy!!

1000 Years by the Piano Guys

Keeping with the theme of instrumentals, I first heard this song when I purchased The Piano Guys self-titled album. This song is special to me because it reminds me of a poem I wrote for my future husband. The lyrics state “I have died everyday waiting for you, Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.” The song was originally played in the Twilight movies. Never read the book or watched the movie so I have not a clue how it’s used but it’s a wonderful song regardless of how it came to be popular. Again the melody switches from cello to piano and so forth. The masterful thing about The Piano Guys is it they know what instrument would sound the best playing the melody. The cello plays the melodies of the verses creating the feeling of longing while the piano accents with the harmony creating a sense of anticipation. The piano takes over the melody in the chorus creating the feeling of hope and happiness while the cello creates depth and a feeling of reflection.

Little Drummer Boy by Jarrod Radnich

I know, I know Little Drummer Boy is the most repetitive Christmas carol there is besides the traditional version of The 12 Days of Christmas. Like the SNC version of 12 Days of Christmas, the Jarrod Radnich version of Little Drummer Boy is way more creative than I could ever possibly imagine. I was a little apprehensive when I saw this carol on his Ornaments CD song list but decided to listen to it anyway. Wow was I blown away! The creativity of each verse is astounding. The bass octaves keeps the tempo like a drum would while the treble brings new Celtic style harmonies to the old, repetitive melody. There is nothing repetitive about this song though, each new verse brings new harmonies, octaves, and chords into the mix. Variety is the name of the game here. Trust me, if you don’t like the traditional song (like me) you, you will love this version.

And there you have it my favorite instrumental songs of 2012. Up next are my favorite Southern Gospel Songs of 2012. Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon. Let me know what other categories to write on. Until next time remember,

Happiness is a Choice

Always Remember to Sing in the Rain

Christa