I just realized while preparing this e-mail that cMusicMail has never
featured my favorite Christmas album. My favorite treat of the last three
Decembers is this disc, Your King Has Come. Yes, when I first heard it I did
not recognize any of the musicians on it, but that does not diminish from
its quality. Including a number of favorites performed superbly, the strong
points are the brand new musical reflections on Christ's birth. It's getting
somewhat late for the last-minute shopping, but you should definitely
purchase this disc for next year's holiday season if you've run out of time
for this one. Also, come back to cMusicWeb.com for the first part of our end
of the year feature, where some of your favorite artists as well as us staff
tell you what we've been listening to in 2004.

GOT COMMENTS?? - We want your input on cMusicWeb.com! Send it to
webmaster@... or find me on AOL IM.

UNSUBSCRIBE?? - Logon to http://groups.yahoo.com to do so, or drop us an
e-mail telling us why you're annoyed by hearing from us.


YOUR KING HAS COME - VARIOUS (2000)
by Jason Ewert

Folk music—for some unbeknownst reason—is synonymous with storytelling.
Starting with the jazz classics of the early 20th century (Louis Armstrong
leading the way) and moving into the 70's with the rock-oriented musings of
Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, folk music has always had a tale to tell,
and it usually tells it well. Your King Has Come, an independent folk
collection headed by Matthew Smith, attempts to add a worthwhile disc to the
rich vein of folk music and the lengthy list of Christmas CD's everyone
should own. And, lo and behold, they pull it off quite nicely.

Your King Has Come doesn't just tell you the standard Christmas story of
shepherds and angels and wise men and stables--it tells you the story of
longing and fulfillment, depravity and redemption. "Come Thou Long Expected
Jesus" (Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken) and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
(Matthew Smith) present the paradox of an unfulfilled salvation: those who
lived and died before Christ's birth were saved by the death that would
come. One can hear the longing in the poetry, but in the end there is a
light of hope because God's promises are sure. It is no wonder, then, that
awe filled the hearts of those who saw the culmination of the prophets'
words. There is amazement at the humility of a God who is born a child
("What Child Is This"—Billy Cerveny). There is both peaceful reflection
("Still the Night," a re-working of "Silent Night," by Katy Bowser) and
powerful triumph ("O Holy Night"—Matthew Perryman Jones) on the anointed
night. Humble shepherds rejoice in the freedom announced by the heavenly
host who turned the lowly servants into royal messengers ("Joyful
Fire"—Jeremy Casella; "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear"—Jill Phillips). The
people of God are sent forth to announce to birth of a King and the arrival
of a Savior ("O Come All Ye Faithful"—Mandy Ihrig).

Yet, the most powerful songs on this album are those that sum up the event
and its implications. Matthew Smith builds on "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and
fulfills it on "Your King Has Come," a song of rejoicing that Christ has
come and has saved us from our sin. The old covenant has passed into the
new, and God's glory is made brighter still. The other summary song is "Of
the Father's Love Begotten." Aurelius Clemens Prudentius's words are given a
blues-rock package by Andrew Osenga's southern guitar workings and rolling
vocals. Christ is eternal, Christ is eternally praised, Christ's kingdom has
been eternally established. Amen!

Where many other Christian music projects fail to provide a well-rounded
approach to Christ's birth, Your King Has Come shines brightly. It hasn't
sold millions or lined the shelves of music stores. What it has done is
taught its listeners not to look at Christ's birth as a pretty snapshot, but
as one part of the glorious tapestry of history that God has created and is
creating. Rejoice! Your King has won.

Read more about Your King Has Come at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/christmas/yourkinghascome


MORE NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Review: Christmas In Black And White - Nicole C. Mullen
http://cMusicWeb.com/christmas/nicolecmullen/christmasinblackandwhite.shtml


THE LATEST NEWS HEADLINES
- Long-Delayed Awards Broadcast Set To Air This Month
- And more!

View all the latest stories on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply
to this e-mail or send them to webmaster@.... We'd love to hear
from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
AOL IM - dMusicWeb