During the last month of the year, you don’t have to travel far to see what Christmas is for many people, a combination of sacred celebration and family tradition. Sara Groves’ first Christmas album, O Holy Night, which will bow on INO Records this October 14th, sits snugly in that spot where the magnificent story of Bethlehem coalesces with the sounds of yuletide gathering of friends and family, “I’ve always dreamed of doing a Christmas album,” Groves says. “Christmas music was such a part of life growing up. We had a huge stack of records that only get played for one month of the year. Ultimately I wanted to convey this story of Christ that’s been told so many times with as much artistry and creativity as possibly because it bears repeating,” she says.

Produced by Ben Shive, O Holy Night was originally intended to be an advent album for her family that would consist solely of sacred Christmas songs. When she began working on it, though, she decided to include some of her favorite songs about her family’s Christmas traditions. One such song (one of four originals) is “To Be With You,” about Groves’ family Christmas, a sentimental snapshot of their gathering at her grandma’s house. Another is the fun song any parent who’s stayed up late on Christmas eve can relate to, “Toy Packaging,” which mimics how manufacturers twisty-tie and rivet everything to pieces of cardboard, saying,  “my self-esteem is in the can, trying to open the robot man.”

Among the sacred Christmas songs included, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain” both have personal meanings to Groves; the latter recorded with family and friends gathered around, singing together.

About the first, which turned out to be one of her favorites on the album, Groves says,  “I hadn’t really thought about this song, but the lyrics jumped off the page to me. My family has had a really hard year. We’ve had some death and pain. The second verse of this song talks about “over our sad plains the angels sing.” It talks about how they come to sing about Christ, and “still through broken skies they come.” I was in tears reading the lyrics. It goes back to the theme of peace. You’re not traveling alone. You’re not laboring in vain. You’re not carrying this hardship for no reason. Over this, God still has His way.”

Over the course of two weeks, award winning Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman has hit six different cities throughout the United States, touching the lives of his fans with his family’s story of faith and perseverance. The July 17 concert in Clarkston, Mich., Chapman’s fourth since the tragic death of his daughter in May, had the crowd of about 2,500 “laughing and crying and praying and rocking, often at the same time,” committee member Phil C. Giesken told The Saginaw News. “It’s beyond expectations,” Lori Chatten from Carol Stream, Ill., said of the most recent Chapman concert, held just this past Thursday in Wheaton, Ill. She told the local Daily Herald that she was surprised at how openly Chapman discussed his family’s struggles and pain over the last few months. “It’s a blessing that he shared that with us,” she said.

Earlier this year, in May, Maria Sue Chapman, the Grammy-winning music star’s 5-year-old daughter, was accidentally struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle driven by one of her brothers as he was pulling out of the driveway of the family’s home.

Maria, the Chapmans’ youngest daughter and one of three that had been adopted from China, had celebrated her fifth birthday less than ten days earlier.

Her tragic death triggered a massive outpouring of condolences and words of comfort for Chapman and his family.

In the first two weeks alone, thousands of people contributed over $310,000 toward Maria’s Miracle Fund, set up in honor of little Maria. Additionally, over 19,000 people posted their prayers and condolences to the Chapman family on a blog site dedicated to Maria that is accessible from the ministry’s website.

“Thank you so much for your prayers and your support. It’s the reason my family is more than surviving, but sure how faithful and true our Redeemer is,” Chapman said during Thursday’s concert, according to the Daily Herald.

While performing many of the classics that have won him five Grammys and 51 Dove awards, Chapman peppered throughout how intimately Maria’s death has affected him, and his songs.

After performing “Yours,” a song from his latest album, This Moment, Chapman shared how he had to examine his beliefs and rediscover how much they still meant.

Chapman said in particular he “had to come to a new realization” in the song “Yours,” which specifically addresses how everything belongs to God.

“There’s not an inch of all creation that God doesn’t look at and say ‘all of that’s mine,’” he explained, according to the Herald. For the song “Yours,” Chapman had added a third verse that addresses life after Maria.

Paula Odom, executive director of the Mid Cities Pregnancy Center, told the Star-Telegram of Fort Worth, Texas, 17 miles west of Euless, Texas, where Chapman’s fifth show was held, that Chapman is “a great family man.”

“The fact that he is still coming at this difficult time just shows what integrity he has. It speaks highly to his faith,” Odom commented.

Although Chapman had stopped touring and declined interviews after the May 21 tragedy, he decided later to continue with his U.S. concerts, according to his manager, Jim Houser.

“We wanted to go forward and give him the opportunity to share his faith,” Houser told the Star-Telegram. “Faith is what he does. It’s a profound, sad time, but the family is clinging to their faith and the assurance they will see Maria again.”

Beginning with the July 11 Lifest in Oshkosh, Wisc., Chapman hit the road and plans to continue through Sept. 20.

Like a number of the concerts prior to Thursday’s, proceeds from the most recent night went to Shaohannah’s Hope, the foundation Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, established to help defray the costs of adoptions.

The Chapmans started the organization five years ago to give information and financial grants to families who want to adopt. Maria’s Miracle Fund, which the foundation created shortly after Maria’s death, has received more than $500,000 so far – an “overwhelming and honorable tribute to such a spirit-filled family and a beautiful young girl,” said foundation executive director Scott Hasenbalg on Chapman’s website.

At the present time, Chapman has six more cities to hit before concluding his tour in Puyallup, Wash., on Sept. 20. His international tours have been canceled so he can be close to his family.

Annie Moses Band’s Fine Arts Summer Academy Was A Huge Success Last Week in Memphis. The world-class musicians that comprise the five-member Annie Moses Band will release This Glorious Christmas on October 7, 2008 (Reunion Records). With the release of This Glorious Christmas, the all-sibling group makes its most stunning statement yet, telling the story of Christ’s birth, with a mix of original tunes and holiday classics, as never heard before. Annie Moses Band is an eclectic blend of classical, jazz and pop music that draws from the family’s three-generation musical journey, all the way from rural Texas to the halls of The Juilliard School. The Annie Moses Band is: Annie (lead vocals, violin), Alex (viola, background vocals), Benjamin (cello), Gretchen (violin, mandolin) and Camille (harp, piano). Jeremiah (guitar), the group’s 10-year-old brother, is currently working towards becoming a full-time member of the band.

Through This Glorious Christmas, which was produced by Alex Wolaver and Robin Wolaver, mother to the children, the family group focuses on finding fresh and unusual musical elements surrounding the Christmas season, through the new songs. In fact, This Glorious Christmas contains a dizzying array of musical styles, ranging from a bit of Latin flair on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” to the 1940s big band sounds of “Red, White and Blue Christmas.” Holiday standards, such as “Go Tell It On the Mountain” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” add a touch of the familiar to the project, but the Annie Moses Band’s indelible stamp is evident thanks to the arrangements of the sibling’s father, Bill Wolaver. “Christmas incites both happiness and reverence,” lead singer Annie Wolaver explains. “I hope people find that this album explores the miraculous event that inspired the ultimate good news of great joy – the birth of Jesus Christ. We really want it to be a ‘spiritual feast’ for all who listen; fully painting pictures and imagery in people’s minds and hearts.”

As the Annie Moses Band continues recording (the band will release a non-seasonal album in early 2009) and touring, they are ever mindful of passing on the legacy given to them, to a new generation of musicians. After nearly every concert, parents come up and ask how their children can excel in the arts. In evidence of the band’s hope to raise up a generation of excellence among musicians in the Church, the Annie Moses Band has begun holding “Fine Arts Summer Academies” to share the depth of musical knowledge the band has to offer. Its most recent academy took place last week, July 14-18, 2008 in Memphis, Tenn. For further information on the “Fine Arts Summer Academies,” visit http://anniemosesband.com.

The Annie Moses Band dates back three generations to the sibling’s great-grandmother, who is the actual Annie Moses for which the group is named. Though she was a simple field worker in rural Texas, Annie recognized her daughter Jane’s profound musical talent and desire to learn more. Thanks to Annie Moses’ determination, Jane was able to excel musically, despite the family’s meager resources. Jane passed that same drive on to her daughter, Robin Wolaver, who in turned passed it on to her children. The family has taken its musical inheritance, passed down through its family tree, to create a distinctive musical world, all its own. In fact, Annie, Alex and Benjamin have been trained at the world-renowned Juilliard School, in New York City.

This Glorious Christmas comprises the following 12 tracks (sequence subject to change): “Sussex Carol Vocal Intro,” “Sussex Carol,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Bethlehem, House of Bread,” “What Child Is This,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Little Baby,” “When The Christmas Baby Cries,” “We Three Kings,” “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “Red, White & Blue.”

Hope, Volume One, a compilation CD with proceeds benefiting Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), was released on June 24, 2008. The release features selections from Kevin Max, Joanne Cash featuring Johnny Cash, Lisa Loeb, Charlotte Martin, Katy Rose and others, plus an exclusive mix of Curtis Peoples’ “Wake Up.” Five online auctions are planned to coincide with the release of the CD. 100% of the auction proceeds will be donated to SAVE. Items include an autographed guitar from Trisha Yearwood, a gift pack from Tegan and Sara, and an autographed CD from Matt White.

The mission of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce stigma, and serve as a resource to those touched by suicide. Daniel Reidenberg, Executive Director of SAVE, is humbled by the number of musicians and labels willing to partner on this project. “To have names like we do on Hope, Volume One is incredible to me,” Reidenberg said. “These artists are willing to stand up and fight the stigma associated with mental illnesses and suicide, and to tell the world through music ‘we are going to do something positive about this’ – and that is the goal of this CD.”

Hope, Volume One is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com and can be purchased on June 24, 2008 courtesy of Visionary Concepts via iTunes, CD Baby and most digital retailers.

Hope, Volume One Track Listing:
1. Charlotte Martin – Crimson Sky
2. Lisa Loeb – Come Back Home
3. Curtis Peoples – Wake Up (SAVE Mix)
4. Shannon Curtis – Paris Can’t Have You
5. Nathan Morris – Close Like Me
6. 5th PROJEKT – Resistance
7. Far Beyond Frail – Portland
8. Kevin Max – Your Beautiful Mind
9. Terami Hirsch – Back to the Start
10. Crash Encore – A Little Time Away
11. Ken Andrews – Up or Down
12. VideoPhonic – Something Great
13. Katy Rose – Cool Whip (Edit)
14. Kevin Herchen – Tasteless Kiss (Live)
15. Joanne Cash featuring Johnny Cash – Softly & Tenderly
16. Max Schnitzer – The Return (Bonus Track)

“Diversity” is the word coined to best describe the remarkable creativity of Matt Bronleewe who will speak this week at Saddleback Church’s much anticipated Worship Conference and Festival in Lake Forest, California. Bronleewe will co-spearhead panels at the mega-church event on subjects that include studio production, song critique, vocal productions  and  a recording panel Q&A session for an anticipated registration of more than 1,500 worship pastors, senior pastors, and worship team members from across the U.S. and overseas. An award winning record producer to an impressive list of top names in both pop and Christian music, Bronleewe’s creativity both behind the control board as well as his creditability as a hit songwriter has to date produced multi-platinum successes and sales of more than 20 million units.

A co-founding member of the multi-platinum selling band, Jars of Clay, his early formative years in the industry as a creative force in a groundbreaking Christian group  that broke all boundaries  to forcefully impact mainstream has given Bronleewe a unique “global” vision in his production.

This is witnessed in his current “work in progress”– the Compassionart production project which crosses continents in bringing major name artists together to aid the world’s neediest.

Outside the recording studio, Bronleewe is personally enjoying his new role of best selling author.

His debut novel thriller, Illuminated, published by Thomas Nelson, reached readers in 2007.

Packed with mystery and woven with accurate historical research  built around the world renowned Gutenberg Bible, Illuminated formed an instant franchise for a complete series of books based on the high level international adventures of rare books dealer, August Adams.