I have had a lot of trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year, and I've figured out why.
It's because I haven't listened to my favorite Christmas CD this year. It could be the middle of September, and if I hear a song from this CD, I'm geared up and ready to go for Christmas.
This album has been one of my favorites ever since it came out. About the same time, my friend Andy and I had to work at KLWN in Lawrence on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. It was then, sitting through the strict Christmas Eve playlist of the "solemn 40" Christmas songs we had to play. There was a list consisting of people like Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Guy Lombardo and Kate Smith that we were NOT to stray from on Christmas Eve. We survived that night of holiday molasses, but only because of the hope dancing on the horizon of Christmas day. On Christmas day, we could play contemporary Christmas songs...songs we selected. This was our time to shine. Our time to share music we knew was good that was being kept from the people by the rigid restraints of holiday tradition at the station.
That Christmas morning, as people were at home listening to me play Christmas music, as people prepared their home for family arriving soon, as people enjoyed Christmas breakfast, I received numerous phone calls asking the name of certain artists or songs, not to mention many, many compliments on the music selection.
This was one of those songs. It was pretty upbeat for KLWN standards, especially to be playing it before noon. This is "Gloria" by Michael W. Smith, from his Christmas album.
This entire album is phenomenal! If you have never heard it, you are missing out on a tremendous collection of work. This album is so good, it moved Andy and me to take action.
Before Christmas tours were all the rage, we had an idea. This album needed to be heard live. So, we contacted Michael W. Smith's people and inquired about him coming to Lawrence to perform this CD live on the KU campus at Hoch Auditorium (before the fire). I don't think we realized the enormity of the request we had made. We certainly didn't think (or know) about what needs to happen for a concert to come to town. For this to be done right, we needed more than Smitty, we needed his band and an orchestra. Looking back, it wasn't a realistic request and it was bigger than both of us.
We were told that Smitty spends the holidays with his family and that touring wasn't an option for him during that time of the year. We understood and let the dream die.
So what happens a few years later? Amy Grant (who Michael W. Smith played piano for) starts a Christmas concert in Nashville. Before long, they take the show on the road year after year. And this year, who do you think went on a Christmas tour?
Michael W. Smith.
I'd like to think that Andy and I planted a seed. And that seed's name was "Gloria".
1 comment:
Thanks for that memory. I think I still have that list of the "solemn 40". If you recall, the Solemn 40 came from a wager...somebody said there were only about 10-15 songs that would fit the tight parameters. We found 40...and these were 40 DIFFERENT tunes...not just "O Holy Night" by different artists.
I have had a chance to see Smitty perform his music live since that day, but it tends to be filled more with music from his 2nd and 3rd albums more than number 1. I still think the first is the best...and I'd still love to hear it played in its entirety from beginning to end. At a recent Christmas party in Nashville, I spoke with a friend of Smitty's who helped produce some of those Christmas shows. He told me that the album was essentially written as a soundtrack to a movie (which was of course never made). While I still favor "No Eye Had Seen", I believe that song blending into "All is Well" is the most powerful Christmas music I've ever heard. Still gives me chills. Recently, I heard a John Rutter recording of the Claire College Choir doing All is Well. Smitty's friend says that song was inspired by the child singing in the Mission. From what I can recall from his story, I think this is the part of the movie that was the basis for Smitty's "All is Well".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSmlMTpFQJg
There are lots of orchestral productions of this piece on you tube as well.
-Andy
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