The idea of these posts is to share some sort of holiday tradition with each other. In the past I've shared our Christmas Eve nativity, our decorating the tree night, our advent box and lots of music. Here's the complete list, just in case you'd like to click back to the past.
I've had a blast coming up with all these different posts over the years.
For today's post I'd like to share with you a slide show I made years ago for a church Christmas party. I'm venturing into a little bit of new territory as I usually avoid the religious topic for the most part around here, but I feel like for a Christmas celebration, I can break my own rules just a little.
Simply put, this is a slide show made from pictures of the life of Christ set to one of my favorite Christmas songs, Silent Night by Mannheim Steamroller. It gives me chills. I hope you click and watch, and enjoy it and remember the "reason for the season" as they say.
Welcome to day eighth of the Virtual Advent Blog Tour! Now in its seventh year! Wow. I love it. You know it's a good thing when it sticks around this long, right?
I've been participating since nearly the beginning (see the list of my other advent posts below, I think I wasn't blogging the first year they started this) so I'm starting to really have to think about what I'd like to share with you regarding what says Christmas to me! But, I've a feeling I could go on for quite a few more years before I actually run out of ideas!
This year, I'd love to tell you about Kurt Bestor. He's a local musician (grew up just down the street nearly) who has made it pretty big out there in certain genres of the music world. However, my guess is you've never heard of him, am I right? (Unless you live here in Utah that is.)
So years ago he made several Christmas albums, there may be more now, I'm not even sure, and there are some "best of's" and some compilations, but these are the three "main ones" that I have:
Let me just say that it is NOT Christmas until we get these CDs out and play them! This music is definitely the background of all our Christmas doings... decorating the tree, baking, cleaning up for parties, during the party itself, Christmas Eve and for sure... Christmas morning.
Every year, he puts on an awesome spectacular Christmas concert, with guest singers and other musicians and his band and all sorts of production. For years it was my dream to go to this and finally, a couple of years ago, we manged to make this happen! It was so awesome. And the guest singer that year happened to Jason Castro who I loved from American Idol! Sweet!! (Here's a link to Jason singing during that show, with Kurt on the piano. So awesome.)
I've struggled trying to decide what songs to share with you, they are all so wonderful, but we've (daughter Toto has been helping me and in fact has made the videos and loaded them to her YouTube channel!) zeroed in on these few:
Joy to World... because this is the quintessential song from all three albums that means Christmas is here! Listen, blast it and see if you don't agree:
Little Drummer Boy.... because I love this arrangement and I can't help but la-la-la along when that part comes. So pretty. And there's cool drums of course.
He Who Crafted the Earth ... because my guess is this is one you've never heard before. It's based on a fourteenth century poem and I find it to be absolutely chilling. Toto has added the lyrics for you even!
And finally, the Kurt Bestor song that many of you MAY be familiar with... Prayer of the Children. It's not a Christmas song, but it's his signature song that he sings at every concert. This one will also give you chills and perhaps cause a tear or two, especially this video that I found that's illustrated with powerful images.
I hope you took a moment or two to experience these songs! I hope you loved them! I hope it brought some Christmas spirit and joy to your day. (And P.S. Kurt Bestor has a ton of other non Christmas CDs that are equally as awesome!)
Other bloggers participating in the advent tour today:
2007: Christmas Eve Traditions (including a movie the year the nativity reenactment went to pieces!)
