Don Moen is an excellent pop singer. I finally realized what millions of fans have long ago discovered after finding myself in the midst of a Moen deluge. This is the recent release of a new DVD album, Don Moen, The Stories Behind The Songs, the reissue of his Christmas album, Christmas A Season of Hope and of the hit compilation Hymns Of Hope.
I had no question about Moen, the singer/composer. This guy has after all sold over five million albums and is known as the Barry Manilow of Christian music. But I would at times wonder if he makes hit songs because he is a very good songwriter. But how would he fare with songs that have already been covered masterfully by other artists? Like in the case of Christmas songs that have been recorded by many of the greatest singers of all time. This is the test that Moen faced when he did Christmas Season Of Hope.
The album has a few originals by Moen and other writers like Season Of Hope and My Christmas Prayer that he co-wrote with David Hamilton that are sure to become big hits. But it also has old Christmas carols like O Have Ye Not Known/ Good Christian Men Rejoice, a medley of Joy To The World/ Angels We Have Heard On High/ The First Noel/ Silent Night, Holy Lamb Of God, Agnus Dei/ O Come Let Us Adore Him that have been covered by other artists millions of times.
And what can one say about The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, remember the landmark original by Andy Williams. Also Cee-lo Green’s Mary Did You Know? and Frank Sinatra’s Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. I must say that Moen passed the test with flying colors regarding these songs. He has a limited vocal range but he sings with so much feeling. He makes his listener feel every word. And that is what singing is about.
If you love Moen’s music, then you should check out Don Moen, The Stories Behind The Songs. I must say that this is the best gift ever for the Don Moen fan in your Christmas list. The film shows Moen talking about his hit songs. He tells why he was inspired to write them, how they came to be written and how they were recorded. And he tells really touching tales of spiritual awakenings while writing the songs.
Those featured are Fresh Fire, God Is Good All The Time, God Will Make A Way, He Never Sleeps, Hiding Place, I Just Want To Be Where You Are, I Offer My Life, I Will Sing, Sacrifice Of Praise, Thank You Lord and This Is Your House. Then, Moen performs every song with only a piano or guitar as accompaniment or as a duet with Lenny Leblanc. It is an intimate acoustic concert and each song is indeed a first-person conversation with God or a testimony to the Lord’s infinite goodness.
To complete the Don Moen binge, you might as well also include Hymns Of Hope. This includes Praise To The Lord Almighty, Be Thou My Vision, Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior, Lead Me To Calvary, Jesus Paid It All, Fairest Lord Jesus, The Old Rugged Cross, O How I Love Jesus, My Savior’s Love, He Hideth My Soul, Trust And Obey, My Faith Has Found and Resting Place.
To make this Christmas truly a Season Of Hope for those in need, Moen through the album has issued a call for donations to any or perhaps all of these organizations: Food for the Poor — www.foodforthepoor.org; World Vision — www.worldvision.org; Operation Blessing — wwwob.org; Samaritan’s Purse — www.samaritanspurse.org; and World Compassion — www.worldcompassion.tv.
Back to Christmas music. Sure to brighten your Christmas celebration is this batch of albums for kids that Praise Music recently released. Best of the lot is Psalty’s Family Christmas Sing-a-long made up of simple arrangements of holiday songs that children and parents can sing along with.
Just pop the CD in the machine and have a merry Christmas sing along to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Little Drummer Boy, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Twelve Days Of Christmas, O Holy Night and others.
Also made for sing-along get-togethers is 25 Sing Along Christmas For Kids which is truly loaded with cheer and tunes like Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, Up On The Housetop, O Christmas Tree, We Three Kings, What Child Is This and many more.
And then there is Ultimate Christmas For Kids which has holiday favorites for kids and performed by kids. This is no sing-along album but who’s to stop the kiddies from happily singing along to their favorite carols like Joy To The World, Feliz Navidad, Silent Night, Away In A Manger, The First Noel, O Little Town Of Bethlehem and others.