CPH Goes MP3
Just a quick note — it looks like CPH has finally got into the 21st century with selling some of their CD’s as MP3′s. According to a CPH press release (no longer available), you can now buy selected CPH audio products from Amazon and iTunes. Both “Heirs of the Reformation” and “Martin Luther: Hymns, Ballads, and Chants” are available for download. The interesting thing is that the price on Amazon is $17.98 and $15.98 respectively, but the iTunes prices are $24.99 and $34.99. Hmm . . .
Both are excellent CD compilations of some of the finest Lutheran hymnody and a worthy addition to your audio library.
St. Olaf Christmas Festival
Minnesota Public Radio will present a live broadcast — on the air and streamed online — of the St. Olaf Christmas Festival, “My Spirit Sings of Wondrous Things,” Sunday, Dec. 7, beginning at 3:30 p.m (Central Time). MPR will present an encore broadcast Dec. 25 from 8 to 10 p.m.
Listening to the St. Olaf Christmas Festival has become an annual tradition for me.
Compline – Prayer at the Close of the Day
“The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.”
The Lutheran church has been blessed to have Compline – Prayer at the Close of the Day – included in its service books. While I don’t know how many congregations gather to pray Compline on a regular basis, it is a salutary practice to consider. With the recent introduction of Treasury of Daily Prayer, laypeople may be more inclined to pray Compline, if not in a group setting, at least in private prayer before going to bed.
O Sing of Christ
Some of you may be familiar with O Sing of Christ (LSB 362) by Stephen Starke – a wonderful Christmas hymn text that will be new to many, but coupled to the tune Forest Green (sometimes sung to O Little Town of Bethlehem).
While listening to my Christmas iPod playlist, I came across a recording of a delightful hymn setting of O Sing of Christ that I discovered a few years back. After a little bit of Internet research I found the source of it — Outer Rim Territories. The setting is by Kevin Hildebrand and is a rehearsal recording of one of the seminary choral groups. You can even sing along if you like.
Advent Devotions
If you’re looking for an audio devotion for Advent, meander over to Concordia TheoBLOGical Seminary. The faculty, staff, and students at the seminary have put together a daily devotion that you can listen to on their site or subscribe to in iTunes.
Heirs of the Reformation CD Set
Today the good folks at FedEx delivered one of two long awaited items I’ve had on preorder from CPH. Hot off the press is a “sequel” (for lack of a better word) to the 4 CD set Martin Luther: Hymns, Ballads, Chants, Truth. This next 4 CD set – Heirs of the Reformation – focuses on Lutheran hymnody after Luther during the 16th and 17th centuries. Audio samples are available on the CPH product page.
This evening I copied the CDs over to my iPod and have been listening to them as I walked the dog and did other evening tasks. The music is glorious – a melding of instrumental and vocal settings – some old and some new – some on period instruments and some on the organ. This set is truly a feast for the ears; a proclamation of the Word through some great texts and music.
Te Deum at Kramer Chapel
While reviewing some discussion threads over at Wittenberg Trail, a comment by Susan reminded me of my first experience singing Stephen Starke’s paraphrase of the Te Deum – “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God” (LSB 941). Susan wrote, “Go to Kramer Chapel and hear those men singing Starke’s Te Deum. When you can breathe again, you’ll want to sing it to.”
Sacred Music on the Web
Over the last few years it has become a habit of mine to listen to two weekly sacred music programs on the Internet. I thought these might be of interest to some of the blog readers.
Singing Difficult Hymns
It is unfortunate that many of Luther’s hymns and other Lutheran chorales have fallen out of use in the typical Lutheran congregation. I have been told more than once that those old chorales are difficult to sing. My response: These hymns have to be taught to be appreciated. Otherwise we get in an endless circle of: we don’t sing those hymns because they are unknown/difficult and they are unknown and seem difficult because we never sing them.
Share your thoughts . . .