Craving This Simply Soothing Song

I must admit, I don't spend nearly as much time listening to music as I used to. In fact, if I listen to anything, it is likely to be a book on CD. I'm not sure why, since music has always been paramount in my life.

Moreover, my taste in music is eclectic. These days, I'm drawn to songs like "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse, "LDN" by Lily Allen, "Omnibus" by Lautsprecher, "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat, "Forever and For Always," by Shania Twain, " and "Thank You," by Dido. Yet, I'm also given to bouts of listening to older albums by Chicago or Bread or even Air Supply. A few years ago, my husband took me to my first and only rock concert, when Styx played at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Illinois, on Valentine's Day. What a fantastic memory we made that night!

As a teenager, while most of my peers were listening to rock on the radio (I know my brothers listened to a lot of Styx), I was fixated on Salvation Army brass band music. I would put on some brass band music, pull the piano bench over to the couch and sit and write endless letters while listening to the form of music which, to this day, can make my soul feel like it's standing on a mountain. At times, I would even play my horn along with the record (if I had the music). Dweeb, I know!

Of course, I left my Salvation Army brass band days behind when I got married. My heart still pines for that unique experience. My brain also misses those songs I grew up singing in The Salvation Army. Lots of times, a song will pop into my head and I will have to think really hard to determine if it is a song that is used in general Christendom or one that is unique to The Salvation Army.

For those who don't know, The Salvation Army is famous for writing new lyrics to bar tunes and old melodies. Many of the songs in the red Salvation Army Songbook were set to tunes which were popular with the common man. I guess early Salvationists were pre-Larry Norman thinkers with the concept of "why should the devil have all the good music?"

When I was a teenager, I remember one officer couple who tried to employ the same concept to The Salvation Army founder's song, "Oh, Boundless Salvation." John and Nancy MacLean sang these profound words to the tune of John Denver's "Annie's Song." It was breathtakingly beautiful, and I often find myself singing those words to Denver's melody.

Then, a few years ago, I discovered that a group of young people were reviving this trend. The Singing Company produced a CD called "The Red Book Sessions." The group's leader, Eric Himes, had written modern tunes to pair with the older lyrics in the red Salvation Army Songbook. I asked for a copy of this CD the Christmas when my YS was born and spent a lot of time listening to it during feeding sessions.

Imagine my surprise, when I learned that my own niece, Kirsten, had joined the group. This made me all the more eager to request their newest CD, called "The Mercy Seat Sessions," for my birthday this past May. My parents spent the weekend before our summer visit at The Salvation Army's Central Territorial Congress and picked up a copy for me.

Then, I sat on the darned CD for several months (who knows why? - it would have made excellent music for the drive up to CBLI!) and only ended up listening a few weeks ago. Since then, I have been transfixed. I can't get enough of this CD and especially one song in particular - a solo called "Abide With Me," sung by Kirsten.

At the end of a chaotic day, there is nothing better than plugging into this song. Kirsten has a beautiful Celtic lilt as she sings this melodic tune. The words are comforting and uplifting. I have listened to it over and over again. I had to share it, so my husband played it on the computer and my little guys were mesmerized by the swirling graphics dancing across the screen. Now, my MS begs me to play the CD in the van. He loves Kirsten's song, but he also loves other ones (especially new lyrics to "Morning Has Broken" - he loves this one because it mentions the biblical story where God brings the dry bones to life - called "Wake Up, O Sleeper").

If you visit the Singing Company's website and listen to "Abide With Me," you'll be craving this simply soothing song, too. Her voice is beautiful, the words meaningful and the music melodious. If I don't review as many books this month, it is because I can't get enough of this song! Kudos to Kirsten!