The New Year...

Momma and Ames Emmanuel
New Years kissin'. 

I'm pretty sure everyone needs some party music for tonight, right? Well, here you go. The King of Pop always brings the jams. My earliest memories of music involve me, at five years of age, standing on a pool table, singing Michael Jackson songs for my brother and his dates. He paid me in assorted candies and fruits. He denies this ever happened, but it it did.

My wife and I entered our wedding reception with MJ's "Rock With You" blasting through the speakers! My pal, Kevin McClain and I were going to record a cover of it for the reception, but during the run up to the wedding things were too hectic to get it done. Well, we finally did it, four years later. I enlisted a couple of other amazing musicians to play with us on it.

I hope you enjoy and happy new year!

Christopher

     Recorded November 29 and December 6-11, 2012. Kevin McClain played drums. Rudy Landa played guitar. Brett Banks played bass. These dudes are good. Thanks, brothers!

     "Rock With You" written by Rod Temperton. Originally performed by Michael Jackson. From the album Off the Wall

Week 43...

My friend, Rusty holding a
fresh from the oven, Isaiah Jane

We performed "Show Me What I'm Looking For" one Sunday morning as an opener, over at Ridge Church.

When I started leading worship at Ridge, I was basically a contracted musician. There was an ever-changing crew of leaders coming through a big revolving door. It worked well for a while, but at some point, they decided that they wanted some continuity from week to week. I figured that out after a couple of people stopped me in the halls and said, "We're pulling for you," or "You have my vote." I was a little thrown off at first, but was honored by their support and encouragement. Eventually, they asked me to come on staff as the Music Director.

Stepping into the job was interesting for me. I mean, I'm a guy with a past. I have history. I have baggage. I didn't understand how God could appoint me to this post. But He did! I couldn't have been more excited or petrified. I know that God has done wonderful things in spite of my many thoughts of inadequacy.

I was lucky to have someone to take me under their wing. At the time, the Service Programming Director for Ridge was a guy named Rusty. He's full of creativity.  He was great at challenging and encouraging me. He was an even better friend. He's moved on and I miss the mess out of that guy. He was forever trying to get me to do a Carolina Liar tune. It took a while, but here you go, Rusty!

Enjoy,

Christopher

     Recorded Dec 1-5, 2012. My pal, Anderson Hall recorded the drums in his practice space, then Dropboxed the files over to me. He's a good drummer and a great dude! I'm thankful for his hard work.
     "Show Me What I'm Looking For" written by Carolina Liar. From the album Coming to Terms

Week 42 (or something...)

I got to sing at Nick and Laura's wedding
even though I was still angry about the
Cincinnati Chili fiasco. 

I don't even know why I am still labeling these by weeks. Like I said in an earlier post... THIS IS THE BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR! Between the family, moving into a new building for Ridge Church, and moving to a new house, there isn't a lot of time left over. I have been working though. I promise. I'm just going to dump stuff on here, from now on.

Ok, "Your Children" is a song I wrote for my former church, Warehouse 242's Tenebrae service. I've talked about this Good Friday service before over here. It really was special to be a part of. I loved seeing God-given creativity and the Gospel, colliding.

The song was the final piece of the night. It's based upon the Bible verse John 19:30, which says, "when he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." Jesus died for a reason. Because we, all of us, are His children. He loves us like a daddy. He laid down his life just like any loving father would. He wants the best for us. He does.

Enjoy,

Christopher

     Recorded June 23, 2009 and November 2-7, 2012. This is another song that I thought was long lost on that dead hard drive. I'm glad it has gotten to see the light of day. Nick Nichols played drums with me for the Tenebrae service and later recorded them for me. While taking a break from working on the song, he ate all of my leftovers of Cincinnati Chili that Rachael had made the night before. I'm not gonna lie, I'm still pretty bitter about it. Thanks a lot, Nick. Seriously. 

Lyrics 


Rest well, beloved
for you have been chosen
the son of man

Rest well, beloved
you body is broken
as a covenant

You carried me 
every step of the way
Oh, the weight of your gift
Oh, what a debt to pay

Rest well, beloved
your hands have brought glory 
to all the land

Rest well, beloved
the door has been opened 
to bring us home again

Rest well, beloved
for you will rise and reign over
every nation

You carried us
every step of the way
Oh, the weight of this gift
Oh, what a debt to pay

And with your last breath
you exclaimed

We are all your children
Every treasured life
We are all your children
You alone, our God

We are all your children
Your own flesh and blood
We are all your children
You alone, our God

We are all your children
Each one wrapped in light
We are all your children
You alone, our God

We are all your children
Precious in your sight
We are all your children
You alone, our God

We are all your children
Each and every one
We are all your children
You alone, our God

Week 41...

So, when I married Rachael, it was actually my second time around the block. My oldest boys are from my first marriage. My relationship with their mother was never easy. I didn't understand that at the time because it was all I had ever known. I don't think this is the place for sharing all of the gory details of how my first marriage fell apart. Just know that it exploded and shattered my entire world into thousands of tiny pieces. Some of it I glued and duct taped back together. Some parts had to be completely replaced. Some parts I never regained, and in most of those cases, it was a good thing. I hit the bottom and found out exactly what I was made of. I had never been so afraid to look at myself in the mirror. I had never been so afraid, period. 

I do know that I would not be the man, husband, father, leader or friend I am today, had I not gone through that pain. "Parable of the Broken Man" was written deep within the belly of my trials. You can hear that in the lyrics. Rachael doesn't like this song. She doesn't like remembering or thinking about things that scarred my heart.

I don't hold any grudges. It all worked out exactly how it was supposed to. I am thankful for it.

Today, my ex and I have a pretty great relationship with each other. My wife and my ex-wife have an even better relationship with each other. Crazy... I know. It has been a true blessing for everyone involved. We are all on the same team when it comes to the big boys. Every time my ex comes over, she loves on the three little ones as if she is family. 

If you had asked me twelve years ago how I thought my story would play out, I wouldn't have even come close to scripting this. I'm glad I'm not the one who is doing the writing. 

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Daniel Owen played bass guitar. Kevin McClain and I tracked drums for a rerecording this song in 2009. It sat on a hard-drive, that I thought was dead, for a few years. A buddy of mine recently showed me how to retrieve all of my lost data! There was some good stuff on that joker. 

     "Parable of the Broken Man" will be a decade old in December, 2012. Wow. The original demo version had a super dancy outro part, complete with some sweet electronic drums. Due to the subject matter of the song, that part didn't make the cut for future versions performed by One Amazin' Kid. 

Lyrics

I'm waiting on the phone call
That says you're coming home 
With willing hands 
And a heart that won't give up on this again

So many things we've held precious
Were left here beside this open door
Now who is to own them
Without us, what can there be?

I'm waiting on the light
That once filled your eyes and heart with hope
But every time I reach
I am crushed beneath the weight of your words


So many things we've held precious
Were left here beside this open door
Now who is to own them
Without us, what can there be?

I know now what Hell is
I've felt it's touch
I've seen it devour the one I love
I've run into the fire
And come out empty handed
My heart is broken

Tonight, I will wait for you for the last time
Don't give up, don't let me down

Week 40...

This is another Ridge Church opener! We used "The Waiting" to crank up our latest series called "The Waiting Room." I changed the feel of the song a bit. It definitely drives a little more than the original Tom Petty version. My partner in crime, Adam Locklear did an amazing job singing the song last Sunday. Anderson Hall played the drums that morning. Anderson, or as I sometimes call him, Arsenio and I sparked up a conversation about possibly recording it for 52. He said he just recently acquired some recording equipment and that he'd love to try to track it at his place. I said, "that sounds great!" All the while I was thinking about how much of a nightmare it would be to try to make this newbie's drum tracks sound decent. To my surprise, he killed it. I was so impressed. 

In other news, this song reminds me quite a bit of my relationship with my wife. "The waiting is the hardest part." Waiting and patience have been an ongoing theme in my life and in our relationship. We've had some hard rows to hoe, but we've always focused on the important things. We set our goals high and kept working toward them, even through trials and stresses. We are just now beginning to see and experience the fruits of our cooperative labor. I am so proud of this woman. She's a fighter and a go-getter! Sometimes, I can't believe she picked me to go with her on this crazy journey called life. She saw something in me that I couldn't even see myself. Slowly, but surely that man is coming out from within. Talk about patience?! She's got it. Sorry... I'll stop rambling.

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Recorded October 16-20, 2012. Anderson Hall played the drums. While I was recording guitars for this, my almost three year old, Ames Emmanuel opened my office door and said "please turn that down, Daddy." It was absolutely priceless and had to stay on the recording. Listen for him at the end of the song. Oh, I immediately followed his request by saying, "EXCUSE ME? This is my house, young man..." Then, I went off into a long Bill Cosby inspired mumbling session. 

     "The Waiting" written by Tom Petty. From the album Hard Promises.

Week 38 (Reason in retroactivity...)

When I was in high school, a friend of mine named Ryan would take me home from school almost every day. We would fly down the road listening to our music as loud as possible. That's when it happened. Ryan, without even knowing, caused an addiction. Yes, I'll admit it. I was addicted to the Pixies. 

They were quirky. They made little sense. They were loud and abrasive. But something in the music spoke to me. They were also the gateway to other addictions, such as the Breeders, Belly, Tanya Donelly, Throwing Muses and Juliana Hatfield. 

Ryan and I got to see the Pixies open up for U2 on their Zoo TV Tour. It was a joyful time in my life. Every time I listen to the beginning riff of the Pixies song, "Velouria," I am back in that Maxima, speeding down Sharon View with the music blaring. Those were some good, good times.  

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Recorded in bits and pieces September 22-October 17, 2012. In 2004, I was recording some demos Hopesfall at my studio. Their producer came to sit in on the sessions. His name is Steve Haigler. Steve was the audio engineer on the Pixies' records Bossanova, Doolittle and Trompe Le Monde. Needless to say, I was stoked to hang out with and learn from him and incredibly intimidated to work in front of him. Goodness. Sorry this took so long. I had discussed having a guest guitarist, but the schedules never worked out. In the end, I had to do it myself, (and it isn't nearly as good as he could have done.)
     "Velouria" written by Black Francis. Or is it Frank Black? I'm so confused. From the album, Bossanova.

Week 34 (Sorta...)

A while back, Patrick Mitchell, the family ministries director at Ridge Church, asked me to play "Lean On Me" for our Student Impact service. I got to work immediately. I didn't want to just do a carbon copy of the original, so I started brainstorming. Somewhere along the way, deep within my brain the song morphed from Bill Wither's "Lean On Me," to Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." I mean, they kinda have the same message and feel, but they are definitely too different to mix up, right? Not for this numbskull. Sure enough, I worked up something I was pretty excited about. Even made a little video for my Sunday bandmates. Later that week, I had a conversation with Patrick. I said, "you are going to like the version of "Stand By Me!" He said, "you mean "Lean On Me, right?" Haha... I had to email my guys immediately to tell them about the confusion. I felt like a dummy.

Anyway, it was not all for loss. Here is my version of "Lean on..." I mean, "Stand By Me."

Enjoy,

Christopher

     Recorded August 28-30, 2012. This song always makes me think of the movie. Then my mind wanders to, "lolly pop, lolly pop. Oh, lolly lolly lolly..." Anyone? Anyone? 

     "Stand By Me" written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. From the album Don't Play That Song.

Week 33 (kinda...)

I know I'm behind. I have been busy lately. In between the kids and church, my wife and I have been working hard to procure a little piece of heaven on earth. We've fallen in love with an old farmhouse not far from where we now live. By old, I mean it was built in 1890. It's slightly bigger than our current home and sits on a little bit of land, which we need for all of these kids. We put in an offer and it was accepted. We've been weaving through mounds of mortgage loan papers, inspection results, lease agreements for our current house, insurance options, and what to do with this or that. It has been a sweet, sweet whirlwind of a time. If everything goes smoothly, we will be closing on the house in mid October. God has been so good to us.  

So, here is something for week 33. At Ridge Church, we are opening this Sunday's services with "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles. I thought I'd give you a scaled down glimpse of it. This is just three guitars in a room with a couple of mics. Sunday's version will have a full band and extra vocalists. If you like this, come out on Sunday for the real deal. We'll make it a fun morning. 

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Recorded live, August 28, 2012. I asked a couple of whippersnappers to help me out on this one. My brother-in-law, Tyler Brown is on guitar and BGVs. My buddy Christian Spence was slicing up the lead electric stuff. These guys are young and green! When I was their age, I would have been lucky to have half the talent they already possess. I ain't jealous, though. Ain't nothin' but love over here. 

     "Eleanor Rigby" was written by the Beatles. From the album Revolver.

***ADDENDUM***

September 7, 2012

Last Sunday, we did open the services with "Eleanor Rigby." We had obviously demoed the song, as you heard above. When I sent it to the rest of the band, I did not give any direction on how the rhythm section should sound. I just let them have at it. I walked into rehearsal at 7:30, having never heard or even talked about their ideas for the song. We started playing it, and bam, the song came to life. I definitely had not heard it this way. In fact, I'm glad I kept my mouth shut. I love the feel of the song. It is way more solid and edgy. Enjoy!

     Recorded at 9:33 am on September 2, 2012, at Ridge Church in Matthews, NC. Patrick Moore - Audio Engineer, Brett Banks - Bass, Nichole Broome - Backing Vocals, Tyler Brown - Acoustic Guitar and Backing Vocals, Skyler McNabb - Drums, Christian Spence - Lead Electric Guitar.

credits

Week 32...

I call this my Paunchy Pigeon. Thanks
Jacob, for the nice work!

I am the Music Programming Director/Worship Leader at Ridge Church, in Matthews, NC. We are in the middle of a series called "When God?" It is all about the questions and doubts that arise when we feel God is being inattentive, uncooperative and/or late. We opened last week's service with a Nickel Creek song called "Doubting Thomas." My guitarist for the morning, Jacob Hare* tried to mess me up** by changing the title to "Doubting Tumnus." The song has nothing to do with Narnia, but it sure is pretty. I asked Jacob if he would play some guitar on it. In true twenty-twelve technological fashion, he recorded his parts at home, then Dropboxed them to me. Then, at the eleventh hour, literally, I asked my friend Nichole Broome, who sang with me last Sunday, to sing some harmony parts into her phone. No joke. I threw those vocals through some processors and mixed it down! It is pretty cool what you can do, nowadays.

Enjoy,

Christopher

PS... If you like it, tell a friend or an enemy. C'mon, do it!

     Recorded August 16-17, 2012. This song goes out to my friend Nicole Godshall, or Nikki G, for that time when we were riding in the car and I skipped a Nickel Creek song when it came on the shuffle. You got really mad at me. I hope this makes up for it! To everyone else, I am sorry for the delayed release. This has been a crazy week for us. It might get even crazier in the next few. 

     "Doubting Thomas" written by Chris Thile. From the record Why Should the Fire Die?

     * Jacob Hare makes some really sweet custom guitar pedals. I have been using one of his overdrive pedals for the past couple of months. I'm stoked about the tone, the look and the price! Up next, I'll be rockin' one of his compressors. Hit him up if you need anything. 

     ** I've had some issues in the past where I have mixed up or replaced lyrics in songs. Here are a couple of examples. Once, I was singing a John Mark McMillan song called "How He Loves." I was supposed to sing the line, "I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory," but alas I sang, "I am unaware of these eclipsions affixed by glory." Yeah, one of those is not even a word. I don't think anyone noticed. Another time, I was doing a Matthew West song called "My Own Little World." The lyric was, "so I rolled down my window and I looked her in the eye." All week during rehearsal I sang, "so I rolled down my window and I poked her in the eye!" Seriously. Couldn't get it out of my head. I am the father of three boys, though. It only makes sense. My favorite was a song I had to learn for a wedding reception. It's a Kenny Chesney song called "Don't Blink." Yeah, I know. It's not my favorite either. Well, in each chorus of the song I was supposed to sing, "Don't blink. Just like that, you're six years old and you take a nap. Then you wake up and you're 25 and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife." Of course, I sang, "Then you wake up and you're 25 and your high school TEACHER becomes your wife." Yeah, It happened... and it was awesome. 

Week 26...

First off... OFFICIALLY HALF WAY THROUGH 52!!! 

In all honesty, I never thought I'd make it this far. Like I said in the intro to 52, I am not a very disciplined person. Maybe I've taken some steps in the right direction, though. Stay tuned this week. I will be having a Half Way Party Contest. 

This is my friend Joe.

I have an old friend named Joe. He's a pretty great guy. For years, literally years, he has wanted the two of us to cover Queen and Bowie's "Under Pressure." I thought 52 would be a perfect place for our version to reside. Joe used to play in a band named the Radio Silence. He also filled in for One Amazin' Kid, for a stint. I first met him at our old church. He was this long haired, skinny kid who had a feather hanging from his Peavey Predator. He took guitar lessons and I'm pretty sure he wanted to be a shredder. Thankfully, he matured into a tasteful player and a great songwriter. It was nice getting to reconnect with him for the weekend; even though his son, Noah bullied my littlest sweetheart, Isaiah Jane. Noah is now banned for life from ever trying to date one of my daughters. 

I recorded the Radio Silence several times. The last time, I remember stopping during one of the vocal sessions to ask about the inspiration behind a song called "Graves." For some reason, it kept resonating with me. Joe cracked a small grin and sighed. He said, "Well, It's kind of about you." We had both gone through some rough times due to relationships ending. I was touched by his silent and sincere support. I don't know if he would have ever told me about the song if I hadn't asked him. I am truly glad I did. 

Well, Joe, we did it. I hope it exceeded your expectations. I hope the whole world enjoys it. 

 Christopher 

     Recorded June 21-25, 2012. Guest vocals by Joe Lieb. If you listen closely near the end of the song, you can hear some sleigh bells. I sampled these for Joe's old band back in the day and have purposefully used them on every recording I could. All of the sleigh bells on my Christmas record, And Winter, are these very bells. Because Christmas is not Christmas without sleigh bells. Thanks, Joe, for making Christmas what it is today!
     "Under Pressure" written by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, Roger Taylor and David Bowie.

Week 23...

This week, I thought I'd revisit a song from my old band, One Amazin' Kid. At the end of our time together, we had a bunch of songs that we were playing live, but hadn't recorded past the demo phase. This was one such song. 

I wrote it after having a conversation with an old friend. Our paths had separated along the way. We reminisced on old times and talked about our lives apart. We both had our share of struggles to deal with. I was dealing with the aftermath of my divorce and was trying to figure out how to start over. He was dealing with drug abuse and depression. He talked of feeling completely alone and turning to drugs and alcohol to fill the void. The conversation left me mourning for him. I walked away from the talk with fresh eyes and a new perspective. Even with all I was going through, I felt the complete opposite. My void was filled. I kept saying to myself, "the past is in past. Grace covers all. Life has worth. Why doesn't he see it?" I could never seem to find the right way to say these things to him, so I put it into a song. 

"Rest For the Weary" is one of my favorite songs I've ever written. The lyrics mean so much to me. I hope you find something in them for yourself. Tell your friends about it. It would mean the world.

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Recorded June 1-4, 2012. My old drummer Kevin McClain and I started tracking this in October, 2009, but never finished it. Those drum tracks had been sitting on a defective hard drive for a few years until my amazing neighbor kindly showed me how to retrieve the files! Kevin has recently been touring Europe with his new band, American Aquarium. Check them out if you get a chance.

Lyrics

Morning breaks, sweetly

Lift your face to the glory of the skies

It burns away the faults of yesterday

Open up, Blessed

Your heart aches and your soul was left to die

But don't believe you've been forsaken

We can be golden

We can feel innocence again

On this search for every reason

To give this life one more chance

We can be golden

We can forgive ourselves our past

Broken still

I feel it coming 'round

A mourning song begins

Strengthening before the shadows even fall

And it's become the thorn in your side

Open up, blessed

Joy awaits where hope is found

And the lights there are blinding

We can be golden

We can feel innocence again

On this search for every reason

To give this life one more chance

We can be golden

We can forgive ourselves our past

Broken still

I feel you coming around

Your burdens are fatal to hold alone

So you can rest them all on my shoulders

For tonight, lay it on me

For tonight, bury it in me

The winds blow colder with every step you take

But you, my friend, will never be alone again

For tonight

Week 22...

Millard "Mel" Pressley

I used to manage at a retail store called Lucky Brand Jeans. It was a great place to work. The atmosphere was energetic and fun. There was always laughter and the music was loud. For some reason, the merchandising team thought it would be a good idea to have a Fender acoustic guitar in the store. Like, a real one. I would rush to get my tasks done, then when it was quiet, I'd pick up the guitar and strum. It may seem counterintuitive, but I sold my fair share of denim just because people wandered in to listen to me play. 

On a sunny day in 2008, an elderly gentleman walked in while I was bangin' out some tunes. He was definitely of the mall-walker persuasion. You know, the people that you secretly pick on because of their amusing gait and stark white walkin' shoes. Mel, as he introduced himself, was wearing a large straw hat, a button down, pleated chinos and New Balance walkers. I was probably wearing tight fitting jeans and a hoodie. "You play?" Mel asked. "I act like I can play," I said. We both chuckled. I took the guitar by the neck and offered it to him and said, "Wanna play it?" He grabbed the guitar, spit on his fingers (which made me laugh,) took my pick and started playing. 

At that moment, something happened: Two people who seemed to have absolutely nothing in common... Two people on opposite ends of the spectrum... Those two people met on the sacred ground of song and sparked the initial flame of a sweet friendship. 

From that point on, Mel would stroll in every few days. We'd talk about work, family, current events, but mostly of music. He didn't seem to want to share too much. But every time he visited I learned something new. I gave him a cd of some music I was working on. I thought he would say it was too loud or harsh. To my surprise, he said "I love it. That drummer sure does have a nice beat to him. And, your voice is wonderful." I was floored. He regularly commented on how well the guitar in the store played. I told him that I had done a lot of work on it. He asked if I could work on his guitar sometime. We set up a date and I met him at his house. He showed me his collection of instruments: Mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass and guitars. Then, he all but forced me to sit down, pick up his Taylor 414 and play some music with him. Little by little, I got to hear the stories of his glory days. How he used to travel with country and bluegrass groups. How he played on television shows. He'd tell me about all the people he met. He would teach me his favorite songs. He would shout out the chord changes as we played. I could barely keep up with him. I loved every minute of it. 

We tried to get together once a month or so. It was always the same agenda: stories and songs. One day in February of last year, we had scheduled a pickin' session but I had to cancel. A few weeks passed with no contact. About that time, Rachael and I were busy preparing for the twin's arrival. I was driving home from church one Sunday and thought to call Mel. The phone rang and his wife answered. I said hello. She said, "Oh Chris. We've been trying to get in touch with you. Mel passed away." I was crushed. I kept thinking about having to recently cancel on him. It was the first time since I was a kid that I had lost someone close to me. I went home and told Rachael. The whole family sobbed over lunch. We visited with his wife that evening. She told us that on his last night here, Mel and his son, Marty sat and played 30 songs together. It was a great evening for them and a touching way to go. 

I thought I'd honor him with a song. I chose Patsy Cline's "Gotta Lot of Rhythm In My Soul," because his soul was filled with it and he liked Patsy! Thanks for befriending me, Mel. Thanks for talking and teaching. You blessed my life. I can only hope it was mutual. I love you, brother.

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Recorded May 27-29, 2012. The sizzling mandolin playing at the end of the song is my friend Mel Pressley. It was recorded on my iPhone on October 16, 2009. He sure could shred, huh?

     "Gotta Lot of Rhythm In My Soul" originally performed by Patsy Cline. Written by W. S. Stevenson and Barbara Vaughan.

Happy Friday...

This is how we do it. Might not wanna ask us to your party...

Feel like dancing this weekend? Wanna cut footloose? I got somethin' fo ya... 

A while back, Dave from Your Dirty Habit remixed my song "Overcomers." It's a fun little dance rock piece to play in your car on the way to the club. (Is that still a thing? People do that, right?) 

Enjoy, 

Christopher

Week 21...

She's the winner!

So the winner of my Quarter One Contest was the one... the only... Mrs. Patti Dawn Reese. She was the lucky winner of an entire bag of cash, a full wardrobe makeover from my very own haute couture collection, and the right to choose a song for me to cover for 52. It took her an extremely long time to choose one, but she finally decided on this little diddy: "Don't Look Back In Anger," by Oasis. I hope that I made you proud, young lady.

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Recorded on May 21-22, 2012. You should check out Patti's husband's work. His name is Brandon Reese, and he is an incredible artist. He once did a sweet show poster for my old band, One Amazin' Kid. 

     "Don't Look Back In Anger" written by Noel Gallagher.

Happy Friday...

Delilah and Samson beggin' for scraps.

So, just to clarify, all of the songs from 52 are available to download for free. There is a slight difference between my original songs and my cover songs. The cover songs say "Free Download," while my originals say "Buy Now - name your price." With the latter option, just enter $0.00 to download the original song* for free. If, by chance, you deem said song worthy of recompense, feel free to enter any amount up to $1000. When doing so, remember that I work in ministry**, I have five children***, two pound hounds****  and a bearded dragon.*****

So, to recap... All songs are free.****** And now, here's a little pick me up to end your work week;******* An old cover of Jonathan Edward's "Sunshine (Go Away Today.) I recorded this long before 52 was ever conceived. It's still kinda fun. 

Enjoy, 

Christopher

* You know, the song that's drenched in my blood, sweat and tears.

** Man, this little ol' church doesn't even have a steeple. I mean, c'mon!!

*** Who are quite somber looking and can really put some food away when given the chance.

**** Namely, Samson and Delilah. We rescued from the clutches of certain death from euthanasia.

***** Jeffrey didn't make it because not enough people supported the music.

****** Unless you actually have a heart. Hah, I'm just being playful, y'all. 
******* Stick it to the Man.

Week 20...

Every Good Friday evening, there is a service at my old church. It's called Tenebrae: the Service of Shadows. It's divided into seven sections, each part devoted to one of the seven passages Jesus spoke while he was on the cross. There is usually a team for each piece. Each team receives complete artistic license in creating the piece; be it art, poetry, spoken word or music. The evening is dramatically heavy with literal and metaphoric depictions of what Christ endured in his suffering. After each piece, a candle is extinguished until the room is completely dark.

One afternoon, a few weeks prior to being assigned my section for Tenebrae 2010, I sat down at the piano. My guitar fingers hacked at the keys until, all of a sudden, a song appeared. I had no clue from where the lyrics came. They weren't specific to anything going on in my life. They just came; almost like they had been given to me. 

I had participated in two prior Tenebrae services, so I was getting pretty excited about writing for the next one. I emailed Steve Whitby, creative director at Warehouse 242. He was in charge of the planning for Tenebrae. I asked him if he had decided who was doing what for the service. He said that I was doing the second portion. This is the corresponding verse...

One of the criminals hanging there threw insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" The other one, however, rebuked him, saying: "Don't you fear God? Here we are all under the same sentence. Ours, however, is only right, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong." And he said to Jesus, "Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!" Jesus said to him, "I tell you this: Today you will be in Paradise with me." Luke 23:39-43

After reading the verse, it all made sense. The song that I wrote at the piano that day was written for Tenebrae. I was so surprised and excited to share it. 

"A Conversation" is about reaching the end of yourself; About realizing that life is empty without faith; And that everyone is worthy of grace. It has been a couple of years since it has seen the light of day, but I'm excited to share the song again, with you. 

Enjoy, 

Christopher

     Recorded May 13-16, 2012. This was the first and last song that I've ever performed live, on piano. Please don't make fun of my playing. 

Lyrics

I hope You don’t notice but I’m going nowhere 

Almost as fast as the years

I hope You don’t notice but I’m falling apart

And not even just at the seams

And You say hold on, my love

Well, what is the use        

What is the use

Haven’t You noticed that I’m only half the man

That I have been claiming to be

I thought I was greater

I thought I could stand tall

But that just was deep within my dreams

And You say You want my love

Well, what is it good for

What is it good for

You say, hold on, my love

Well, what is the use

What is the use

You want to save me

You want to save my soul

Don’t You know that I’m a thief and a liar

My mind murders

It kills Your creation

These hands strangle love and compassion

My mouth has cursed You

This heart has hardened 

And still You’re here knocking at its door

I hope You don’t mind if I lean on your shoulder

I haven’t the strength to go on

Or carry me over these constant reminders

Of all that I’m not and You are