Pinewood Castle

In the CD Player

 I only have one good Christmas CD left, folks - Christmas at Ephesus by the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. I have no idea where it came from, but this CD is a unique collection of superbly sung carols and chant. Come to think of it, this CD may have come free in the mail! Everyone seems to like the music fine, but what is even more fun are the photographs in the liner notes: nuns sledding and ice skating with faces absolutely brimming over with joy. Nuns always look so radiant.

I actually do have three other Christmas CDs in the drawer, but I am not in the mood this year to hear them. One is Amy Grant, the second Charlotte Church and the other Jars of Clay. Oh well, we are still not yet tired of L'Angelus or Katie McMahon. The Relaxing Christmas Piano and Relaxing Christmas String Quartet have been moved to the children's rooms for a calming effect as they fall asleep, excited little ones that they are this week.

We are still singing Advent hymns (Download Advent Songbook) in Circle time and at least one of my children claims that she likes them even more than Christmas songs. For the first time ever, we are singing the appropriate verse of O Come, O Come Emmanuel after we pray the O Antiphon for the day, now that we finally have an O Antiphon house. Sometime I will have to use Sarah's idea of downloading recordings of Advent songs. 

*** Oh, one more thing - a disclaimer. I have noticed lately that some bloggers disclose when they do or do not receive any kickback from their recommendations. I read this and feel a little guilty for not having been upfront before. As many bloggers do, I have signed up for something called Amazon Associates which means that if a reader clicks on a link to Amazon and adds that item to their shopping cart, then the blogger gets a tiny tiny percentage of that item as well as whatever else they add to their cart. Usually this(for me and my blog) takes three or four months to accumulate into a small amount that is credited towards my Amazon account. I'm talking like $20-$50. So, not much, but every little bit helps with the book budget. (a BIG thank you to anyone who has ever made these purchases!) Really, though, even if this program did not exist I would still love posting about books and music we love. And it keeps me from being lazy about providing links for your perusal.

That's all. I will try to post one more time before taking a holiday break. Christmas blessings to you and your family!

This Week in the CD Player

These week we are cracking open the cases of some of my real favorites! 

Catholic Christmas Classics Vol. VIII - The Cathedral Singers

I am not sure which cathedral these singers are from, but this chorus and orchestra are certainly CD worthy. I love that the selections include some lesser known favorites such as Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella, Fum, Fum, Fum and the Sleep Holy Babe with such rich harmonies.

Sing We Christmas - Chanticleer

My grad school friends turned me on to Chanticleer and I have had a new appreciation of small choral ensembles ever since. The fact that a fellow grad student in the vocal department was a member made a huge difference as this was the first time I had ever heard the unforgettable quality of a male countertenor. If you like the haunting mood of Praetorius, Victoria and Desprez you will love this album. In the Bleak Midwinter is my favorite track.

Noel - Josh Groban

If you like Josh Groban you will love his Christmas CD. His voice is soaring, yet intimate, sounding as if he is singing especially to you, with love. My only regret in buying this album is that O Holy Night is suspiciously missing. My heart fell when I realized this! The inclusion of Panis Angelicus almost makes up for it.

Celtic Christmas - Katie McMahon

This vocalist used to be in Riverdance and used to live in St. Paul. I am not sure where she is now, but am glad to have discovered her albums. This CD includes all the great U.K. tunes such as The Boar's Head Carol, The Wexford Carol, The Holly and the Ivy and What Child is This. I love her version of In the Bleak Midwinter almost as much as Chanticleer's.

O Night Divine - L'Angelus

If this Catholic family Cajun band hasn't made a fan out of you I would encourage you to give them a listen! This Christmas album was produced just last year so you won't be too far behind the curve. Every track on this CD is a warm bath of familiarity sung with unforgettable voices and a Cajun twist.

Now you know what I like. Your turn now - what are your favorite Christmas albums? If I were to add a few albums to our collection this year, what would you recommend?

This Week in the CD Player

New week, new music. There are so many good Christmas albums and I like what we have in our collection much better than what I hear on the radio. Speaking of radio, have you been using Pandora? Many thanks to my friend Jana for the suggestions of John Rutter and Liz Story Christmas stations! These have been a wonderful accompaniment to our day and I love that my IPhone gets charged up while it is docked into the boom box.

Here are the CD's we have going in the house and the van this week: 

Christmas Celtic Sojourn 

Not too many familiar tunes, but this is what makes it perfect for Advent if you like the sound of hammered dulcimer, uillean pipes and penny whistle.

In the Christmas Mood - The Glen Miller Orchestra

Kind of cheesy and upbeat, but it reminds me of my high school jazz band days. Can you believe I played the bass guitar? This one is is the van this week.

Glad - An Acapella Christmas

Easy to hear in the van. My husband brought this to our marriage. I let him keep it. Mannheim Steamroller had to go, though!

The Nutcracker - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

I have this is the van too. The melodies become more familiar to the children each year and helps the storyline come back to them. Great prep before we see it live.

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Relaxing Christmas String Quartet - Lifescapes

I picked up this one at Target and we all really enjoy the mood it sets. It also forces the children to think of the words to carols and sing along.

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Christmas Brass - Dallas Brass

Big and bold and easy to hear in the van.

A Christmas Delight - Oklahoma Woodwind Quintet

To balance out the strings and brass with my favorite instruments!

And my all-time favorite: John Denver and the Muppets - A Christmas Together

Oh, so many memories from my childhood in the 80's. Nothing beats Miss Piggy belting out "FIVE GOLDEN RINGS! Da-da-dum-dum!"

In the CD Player

Here are a few CDs we enjoy in Advent before breaking out the more festive Christmas carols:

George Winston's December

Seasons of Angels - The Rose Ensemble

Slavic Holiday - The Rose Ensemble

Anonymous 4 - Legends of St. Nicholas

Christmas Chants - Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos

The Christmas Star - Mary Thienes-Schunemann

The last one we use mostly for Circle Time, but all the others seem to go well throughout the day without being too distracting during seat-work time. I've been heating up a little essential oil in something sort of like this (only mine uses a tea light candle), sipping a small mug of coffee followed by a larger mug of tea (on the right) and trying not to stress out when my kid's skulls get thick. The soothing music and beautiful aroma really helps me not to bop them on the head over-react when they do things like put dry dirty shirts in the dryer instead of the washer, don't get that however you slice a clock face in half it's always thirty minutes, find yet another boy's sock under the coffee table or when Wild Strawberry is throwing a tantrum because she can't have candy before lunch.I know you know what I mean.

Locals . . .

You won't want to miss this FREE concert at the Oliver Kelley Farm this Saturday July 25th at 7pm. Gates open at 6:30 for picnicking!

Ross Sutter and Laura MacKenzie specialize in Scottish music and family programs, which include Irish, Scottish and English song games. His sweet baritone voice is accompanied by her performance on a dazzling array of wind-powered instruments.

Concerts are held on the front porch of the historic farm house. Visitors can bring picnics, blankets and chairs to set up on the lawn. Drinks and snacks will be for sale. Sponsored by the Friends of the Kelley Farm.

These are the same musicians I loved hearing at the Scottish Ramble. I am ever so happy to have had a hand in bringing them out this way! Hope to see you there!

Music for Lent

The liturgy of the Church in Lent appropriately focuses on silence and chant. At home, however, we have not unplugged the CD player yet, rather, hearing some gems written for Holy Week.

Carlo Gesualdo's motet for Tenebrae is wild and wonderful. As the Prince of Venosa, Gesualdo (1560-1613) possessed his own artistic license and was known for his "undisciplined counterpoint". Although his mother was the niece of Pope Pius IV and his uncle was St. Charles Borromeo he is not remembered for holiness or piety, but rather for murders of his adulterous wife, her lover, an infant son and his father-in-law. His music is both anguished and other-worldly.

A Season of Passion is a 5 CD set that contains a variety of works. Lots of music for the money.

• Disc One - a sampling of Bruckner, Schubert, Bach and Bizet
• Disc Two - Highlights from Handel's Messiah
• Disc Three - Highlight's from Bach's St. John's Passion
• Disc Four - Highlights from Verdi's Requiem with Pavarotti
• Disc Five - Pergolesi's Stabat Mater

Palestrina's Music for Good Friday represents the best of polyphonic Renaissance polyphony. Palestrina (1525-1594) held various positions in Rome beginning as a choirboy at St. Mary Major and moving on to the Sistine Chapel choir, choirmaster of St. John Lateran, choirmaster at St. Mary Major, full-time service to a Cardinal, master of the papal choir at St. Peter's Basilica and a role in the reforming music after the Council of Trent to include polyphony. His music is known to reflect the insights gained as a spiritual disciple of St. Philip Neri.

There Will Be More!

Have you checked out The Days Gone By CD yet? A pianist friend of mine (with whom I used to play music such as the Mozart and Beethoven Piano Quintets) gave it a listen and liked it as much as I hoped she would.

This music is my obsession every October. I listen to the tracks over and over and sing rather loudly in the van. People like me (former musicians with children) need music like this. This is the kind of poetry and music that my soul craves and my children can enjoy  until they are old enough for the depth of Mahler and Brahms.

Don't take my word for it, though try reading these reviews.

I have been marveling at this music so much lately -the perfect combination of instruments, the best-suited vocalists for each style, the meters and keys, the ebb and flow of the songs. I have been longing to know who this Ted Jacobs is and if there will be more CDs in this vein yet to come.

After some googling I finally found this fabulous musician on myspace.com. I signed up just to be able to ask my burning question.

And he replied!

hi tracy -

thank you so much for your kind note. it makes me all kinds of happy to know you are enjoying the music. i sure enjoy making it!

the timing of your note couldn't have been better. i have just purchased the rights to both my cds from the record company that released them 9 years ago. this means i will be starting my own independent label to re-release them. there will be a great website and we (my brother rob and i) are very excited.

in the last few weeks i have received permission to do poems by robert frost, rudyard kipling, and lewis carroll. i've finished 7 songs for a new cd of robert louis stevenson! big fun!

my best to you -
ted jacobs

How exciting! I hope it won't be a long wait!

BTY, he also has A Child's Garden of Songs - all Robert Louis Stevenson. This is the one I start playing when daylight savings time begins. You know, "In winter I get up at night and dress by yellow candlelight. In summer quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day."

Bed in Summer

Way back when I first started blogging I posted about one of our favorite CDs, The Days Gone By. Were you reading then? Did you check it out? Did you happen to find the companion CD titled A Child's Garden of Songs? There are just some books and CDs that are so good I want to tell the whole world about them.

Having no formal training in the art of writing reviews, I am tempted to just say: It's really good. Try it, you'll like it! Actually, that's about what said last October in my post on The Days Gone By! I'll try to think of a few more intelligent things to say this time -

Each spring A Child's Garden of Verses finds it's way to our CD player. When my own children are climbing into bed while the sun casts long shadows and the neighborhood children are still outside I am reminded of the title track, Bed in Summer.

The album features the well loved poems of Robert Louis Stevenson set to the most pleasant and memorable melodies and lilting rhythmic combinations still available in Western music. Each piece is about as perfect as it can be and I am especially fond of My Shadow, The Lamplighter and The Moon.

I love love love everything about this CD from the poems to the musicians (Ted Jacobs and friends), the vocal ranges (singable) to the acoustic instruments used. You might recognize the timbre of the uilleann pipes, djembe, mandolin, accordion, dulcimer and bodhran. The auxillary percussion tracks are crystal clear and every time I hear this CD on our van's sound system I marvel at the recording engineer's expertise. Most of the CDs I listen to in the van must not be mixed as well as this one.

For those mothers who make encourage your children to memorize poetry, particularly the verses of Robert Louis Stevenson, this CD can be a great aid to those children who prefer to sing!

Listening samples are available on the Amazon link and all fourteen reviews give the album five out of five stars.  A Child's Garden of Verses illustrated by Tasha Tudor makes a nice combination for home school poetry studies or as a gift for someone special!

Magic CD

We had not listened to this CD in a long time, so I put it in the CD player for our trip to Mass for the Feast of I.C.  For twenty-five minutes there and twenty-five minutes back the the children were absolutely quiet! Need I say more?