@ericnovak, Andrew Peterson is a favourite artist and author of ours. His overflowing creativity is astounding, including his love of gardening at his home, "The Warren" in Tennessee. Keith Getty says that "Is He Worthy?" may be the best worship song written in the last decade ... and Keith and team have written some long-lasting pieces during that same period, all of which I treasure, as well. But back to "Is He Worthy?": this magnificent song, based on Revelation 5, never fails to bring me to tears of joy. I cannot help but picture throngs around the throne of God, gloriously singing this. Whoa, amazing.

Have you read Peterson's "Wingfeather Saga" books? Or his more recent "Adorning the Dark"? (But those are questions for the book thread. )

@johobbit I've never read any of his books, but I loved his music, so I need to explore his work more! Are you part of the Rabbit Room Chinwag on Facebook? So many Peterson/Lewis/Tolkien fans, worth visiting for sure.

Posted by: @ericnovak

Are you part of the Rabbit Room Chinwag on Facebook?

I most certainly am!

Another Peterson song I really appreciate is "Dancing in the Mine Fields". I was going to share what it is about, but will save that for y'all to watch for yourselves. Quite precious.

For the first time in ages I have a reason to post in the music thread, Sovereign Grace Music has a new Christmas album, Heaven Has Come, coming out on the 30th. I love their two previous Christmas albums, so I am very excited about their new one.  

SnowAngel

@snowangel, I love Sovereign Grace Music's music ( ), and have been following this new Christmas album. Love, especially, "O Come All You Unfaithful". Powerful. But the entire album looks amazing! I have it on my Christmas list.  

I looked up that song when you posted it Jo. Wow! Very good. I'll have to see if Pandora will allow me to add their music to my Christmas station this year. 

I've had to laugh at myself because, for reasons I cannot explain, I have really gotten into instrumental bluegrass music running in the background when I'm working on things. Classical music doesn't help me focus, but bluegrass does. Who would have thought??? 
It's also having the side effect of making me want to go to the Appalachian Mountains.  

But my latest earworm is my very favorite earworm is Peter Hollens/Home Free/Their Patreon fans covering my very favorite song by U2. 

^ Wow, well done!

A song that I discovered a couple of years ago and which has become one of my most treasured contemporary Christmas-related pieces is also on Heaven Has Come, "Glory in the Darkest Place". It speaks to the weighty grief and sorrow we experience in this world, but also to the fact that we are not alone in our suffering: God became flesh and dwelt among us, therefore He knows our sorrows. The very real words to this song also have such a beautiful, reflective melody (and harmonies). 'Though, actually, I almost prefer the more rustic, unpolished version played by Bob Kauflin and sung by two of his daughters, one of whom wrote the piece (Brittany, the gal on the left). It moves me to tears pretty much every time I listen.

@johobbit, my family and I are really enjoying Heaven Has Come, although I'm trying super hard not play it too much. In the past I have often over played (according to others) my newest favorite album to annoyance of my mom. We have Prepare Him Room and Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man, so I did make a playlist of the three and I try to shuffle play them if mom is around. 

And now that we have the new album, it's time to start work on our Christmas decorating playlist for the 27th.  

SnowAngel

I've never gotten into the Enneagram personality test myself, but i listened to Sleeping at Last's nine songs on the different types, and i loved them. Not a huge surprise, since i really like Sleeping at Last in general. 

I'm probably a Five, but my favorites were One, Three, and Eight. 

Can you believe that it has been almost 9 years since anyone mentioned The Maccabeats? They have new material since then!

I have a little dreidel

The Latke Recipe

All About That Neis

Hasmonean

And a whole lot more. Clean, educational, and amazing.  

Does anyone here like space music such as Jonn Serrie and Geodesium? I am now listening to one of the Geodesium albums by Mark C. Peterson.  The music was composed for the planetarium environment.  I really enjoy it.  The CD is the best format for sound quality in that kind of music. There are also the Hearts of Space albums by Constance Demby, Keven Braheny, and others. Hearts of Space was broadcast on the radio during the 1980’s, although it was about ten years after that when I first started listening to the music on CD’s.  It was difficult to find  the broadcast on my local stations, so the CD was the better option for listening whenever I wanted to.  Then I began to appreciate the beauty of that type of ambient music. 🙂

On @shastastwin's recommendation, I recently listened to Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown album. Stylistically and lyrically, I didn't love it on first listen, but it probably also didn't help that I didn't know/had forgotten that

That said, I really do like the "Wait for Me" refrain, and I wish there was an actual song built around it, not just a refrain around dialogue. I'll consider listening to the full musical album at some point too; it's possible I'll feel differently on a second listen with the polished songs.

I've also recently been listening to The Lightning Thief musical, based on the book of the same title by Rick Riordan (AKA the first Percy Jackson book). On the first listen, only a song or two jumped out, but I liked it enough to listen again and, after a few repeats, I now enjoy the majority of the soundtrack. I saw some comments about how a few of the lyrics came straight from the book or connecting books. I recently reread the series and found a handful more. It's always nice when adaptations can keep lines from the original work, and even nicer to realise the composer/lyricist also studied the connecting books in order to pull lines from them. {ym};giggle:

Posted by: @valiantarcher

On @shastastwin's recommendation, I recently listened to Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown album. Stylistically and lyrically, I didn't love it on first listen, but it probably also didn't help that I didn't know/had forgotten that

Spoiler

it's a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice and not a retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone. The latter can have a hopeful ending, but not the latter. The setting itself is interesting, but also very bleak.

That said, I really do like the "Wait for Me" refrain, and I wish there was an actual song built around it, not just a refrain around dialogue. I'll consider listening to the full musical album at some point too; it's possible I'll feel differently on a second listen with the polished songs.

Yeah, the story can seem a bit bleak due to the myth it retells. If it helps, the full musical version has more of the myth you were expecting, and (I think) a bit more hope to it. It also has fuller versions of "Wait for Me". 🙂

@shastastwin, thanks! I've heard the musical versions (two, as far as I can tell) of "Wait for Me" and the refrain does keep coming through my head. Still not the same as a full song, but it was nice to have a bit more.

Sovereign Grace Music has a new song, Christ Will Be My Hideaway. It's excellent.  

SnowAngel