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Casting Crowns
Peace on Earth
Beach Street Records
There are several songs that are considered holiday classics and often we sing them because they have some significance to our life course. There is a sense of nostalgia maybe,for days past. However, after reading the liner notes from Peace on Earth, I realized that I hardly ever thought to discover the roots of the songs that I held so dearly, to discern the context in which it was written.
The notes start out with the story behind the original poem, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. The poem, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was written in the midst of the American Civil War period. At the time,Longfellow was suffering personal losses – the loss of his wife and a crippling war injury to his son. In this dark time, Longfellow wrote this poem to remind him there is still hope. Aptly titled, Peace on Earth,exhibits this same feeling.
The theme of some of the tracks is despair conquered by hope. Songs like “While You Were Sleeping” and “God Is With Us” bring me back to looking at Christmas with a Christ-centered approach. Christmastime is a good time to sing happy songs and dream about peace on earth, but it’s even a better time to believe it and have faith in a God of Peace.
Along with these songs there are Christmas classics like “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night,” and “Away In the Manger.” As one of the leading praise and worship groups on the market,the CD is nothing less than perfect. The arrangements and the harmonies really give the songs a heartfelt feeling.
Casting Crowns will be touring through December with a full orchestra and choir. Joining them on the tour will be Natalie Grant, Denver & the Mile High Orchestra, Avalon, Michael English and pureNRG. (Maybe next year we’ll be viewing the live DVD version of Peace on Earth!).
Ken W.