CD Review
By George van Popta
Great Hymns of Faith and Other Favourites
The Covenant Christian School Community, under the direction of Joanne Hordyk and Tracy Jelsma, has produced an outstanding CD of eighteen ancient, traditional, and new songs.
The ancient is “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” a translation of a Latin poem, written either by Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153) or the Medieval poet Arnulf of Louvain (1200-1250). An example of the traditional is “It is Well with my Soul” by Spafford and Bliss, c. 1873. The credit for the newest hymn, “In that Day I’ll Sing Praises to You, Lord,” 2008, goes to Tim Nijenhuis.
The main choir is made up of the children of CCS. Mrs. Hordyk, the school’s music director, clearly knows how to bring the best out of the students. They sing with gladness and exultation. The school choir is backed up by a mature adult community choir and six young women with soaring voices. The songs are accompanied beautifully by several accomplished pianists and a lovely orchestra of strings, brass, and woodwinds.
Each song is delightful. If I were to declare my favourite, it would be the new (1997) rendition of “Holy, Holy, Holy,” written and composed by Michael Card.
This is a very professionally produced CD that old and young will listen to repeatedly with joy and delight. To preview some of the sound tracks, please go to http://ccschoir.blogspot.com/.
Other information:
- Cost, $20.00, cheques payable to “CCS PTA.”
- Order by email: covenantchristianschool@bellnet.ca or regular post, Covenant Christian School, 497 Millgrove Side Road, Millgrove, Ont., L0R 1V0.
- Production by Semantic Design and Audiocraft and recorded at Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church, Burlington.
- CD includes a booklet containing the words of the songs and various reflections.
