Crazy Christmas Music Give-aways!

So did I mention that it's nearly Christmas?!

About this time of year there are songs that keep coming around, some that we love and some that we don't. Hopefully you enjoyed Pageant Music's Christmas albums enough to re-visit them, and just so you can share them more easily with your friends, they are HALF OFF!

Yes, you heard/read right! If you use the code 'christmas2011' when you buy anything on the BandCamp sites of Pageant Music or Hiram Ring (where you can also listen before downloading), you'll get 50% off the total price of your order. As an added bonus, if you download a full album from Pageant Music, you'll get two Christmas songs re-worked for 2011.

And now to the OTHER free stuff: head to http://noisetrade.com/amerrymixtape (or enter your email below in the widget) to get 6 free Christmas songs from Kurt Scobie, Maura Jensen, Hiram Ring, Joy Ike, Brooke Annibale, and J.D. Eicher and the Goodnights. All donations to this album will be going to support the work of Operation Christmas Child, which brings the hope of Christmas year-round to children all over the world. Please embed this on your blog and share it around to everyone that you know!

Also, my computer (the one I use for recording, mixing, video editing, and documenting unwritten languages in a remote part of India) died last week. I just got a new one, but it has set me back rather significantly this month, so I have to wait until next month to purchase my air tickets to India (I leave at the end of January for 6 months). If you'd like to donate to the cause, and get some more free music at the same time, you can do so at http://noisetrade.com/hiramring

For even more great sounds, check out the music of my friend Cliff Lewis, whose Christmas EP is free for a limited time here: http://xmasmoviesoundtrack.bandcamp.com

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

PS: for ideas for your services the rest of the year, you might also check out the great collections on Cardiphonia Music's BandCamp site. A couple of the free compilations feature a Pageant Music track by yours truly.

ENCS Music and Real Life

I was hoping to get a blog post on this earlier, but alas, my macbook died last week, and I've only got to it now. But better late than never...

I've been involved in a few things here in Singapore, and one of the highlights has been getting to know people at church. Every Nation Church Singapore is a relatively new congregation which is connected with Every Nation Ministries worldwide. It's been a blessing to start getting involved in the ENCS music ministry with Sunday morning worship and special events.

In November they released a worship album with some great songs. It's called "All the Way", and you can check it out on iTunes or view the acoustic video version of one of the songs we do on Sundays below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c08ZFMslsbY

This past Sunday I was glad to be part of an event to raise money for the Real Life foundation in the Philippines. We were able to raise scholarship assistance for over 20 disadvantaged kids to go for college degrees, which was really exciting. Performances by myself, Alarice, the Next Movement, and ENCS music, and we ended with a group rendition of "This Christmas" (Donny Hathaway) - you can see me there in the middle. It was a great night.

Christmas Sampler Download

I'm heading back to the US in a couple days, and wanted to let people know about the Christmas Sampler of two of my songs that you can now download on NoiseTrade: http://noisetrade.com/hiramring - spread the love with your friends! All you do is put in your email address and you will be sent an email with a link to download the two songs.

Christmas is over..

..but the year has only begun. As you well know, Christmas happens every year - a reminder as sure as the sun comes up and goes down of the birth of our savior. It is always good to be reminded of our source, the One in whom we live and move and have our being.

This past season has in some ways been dark and toilsome as I struggle with vocation and purpose while continuing to try and forge ahead creatively. I have needed a reminder of the light that came into the world at our darkest hour, who still meets us there, at the end of our rope, to give us strength and courage for the long climb back into light.

May 2010 be full of joy and light for you and yours!

So I leave you with Wheatland Church's candlelight Christmas Eve service, and the following monday's Christmas Spectacular! in Lancaster. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZOXvGhDwlg&feature=youtube_gdata

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcdrDucTU-k&feature=youtube_gdata

More Christmas Gifts!

[EDIT: the songs below have expired from the site, but if you are interested in hearing them, just get in touch - ringrecords AT gmail DOT com]

Yup, you guessed it - cheery Christmas goodness for you and loved ones to enjoy!

  The holidays have arrived with gusto, and to tickle your highly-cultured musical tastebuds we have a couple of the more esoteric tunes which, due to time and other constraints, we failed to release last year on the highly-acclaimed 'Love >>> Begotten'. So, following the paragraphs below, which explain said delicacies, are links to each of the tunes where you can download (right-click and 'save target' if from PC, ctrl-click and 'save link' if on a Mac) or simply click to listen. We'd love to have your feedback!

Tune #1: How Brightly Shines the Morning Star
This reproduction of the Christmas hymn is a juxtaposition of familiar sacred elements with the more space-age-tendencies of modernity. Featuring the deep text of the original, the vocals of Cliff and Jen Lewis float over a bed of gossamer and silken yet edgy synthesizers following traditional chord changes (played by Matthew Monticchio). Through the music one envisions candy-coated consumerism portrayed by dancing elves in Christmas garb, yet in the words we are hauntingly reminded of the Child, the Son of Man who is the culmination of all creation - past, present, and future - and who delivers us from our selfishness.



  Download it here: http://www.hiramring.com/downloads/How_Brightly_Shines_the_Morning_Star-Pageant_Music.mp3

Tune #2: Once in Royal David's City
  Another re-done Christmas favorite, this arrangement evokes a sense of the earthiness and reality of our savior's birth. With the noises of a first-century village and the prophecy (in Hebrew) from Micah 5:2, we are immediately transported to the night in the stable with Mary and Joseph. Featuring the vocals of Katie Becker and the pitchy harmony of friends, travel back in time as we remember the One who fulfilled the law and the prophets, He who was what we cannot be - perfection.



  Download it here: http://www.hiramring.com/downloads/Once_in_Royal_Davids_City-Pageant_Music.mp3

Tune #3: O Little Child
  For those of you who missed this song a few weeks ago, you will have the opportunity to download it again on December 22 (Christmas Eve eve, eve) through http://www.itickets.com - a source of daily free downloads from all over the US!

An MP3 Christmas Gift from Hiram!

[ EDIT: The free MP3 download offered below has expired. However, stay tuned to this blog for more free Christmas music in the coming week, including this song on iTickets.com on Dec 22, 2009! ]

O_Little_Child-Hiram_Ring.mp3 (one week only!)

This Christmas I want to give you a song that is still very close to my heart - newly re-mixed and mastered for 2009. It's a song that I wrote in 2006 as the holiday was approaching. I had just read GK Chesterton's 'Christmas Poem' and was thinking about his last stanza:

"To an open house in the evening
Home shall all men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home."

Beautiful words from a gifted writer whose thoughts continue to capture us. I began to think about how God left His home to become homeless on the earth, to become a little baby, and began to wonder whether He knew what was happening when He was born, or whether He simply had to rest in the arms of his mother, to be and do what all little babies are and do. The wonder of God growing older from infancy, preparing for the sacrifice of the cross... through which there is full redemption and forgiveness of sins... I picked up my guitar and this song wrote itself that evening.

"O Little Child, o tiny babe, are these your hands that came to save?
Held in your mother's warm embrace, remember me this Christmas day.

O Little Child, your tiny feet will bear the cross toward calvary.
Now tightly wrapped on mother's knee, on Christmas day I think of thee.

That God would come to us on earth, He who Himself did give us birth,
That the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

O Little Child, you must be fed - you who will give us living bread.
The final Word is said, it's yours to say - do you remember Christmas day?

That God would come to us on earth, He who Himself did give us birth,
that the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

Now let us sing with one accord jubilant praises to our Lord!
Join with the angels' heavenly choir, proclaim this wondrous clarion hour!
That God would leave his heaven above to live with us a life of love,
that the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

Glory to God in the Highest, Peace on Earth, Goodwill to men!

O Little Child, your eyes still sleep, your tiny form a mystery.
Come with the world on bended knee - on Christmas day I think of thee."

(if you would like a PDF chart of the words/music, please let me know - ringrecords AT gmail DOT com)

Musicians:
Hiram Ring - guitar, vocals
Alisha Ring - violin, background vocals
Matthew Monticchio - piano
David Green - bass
John Haughery - drums
Yolanda Mott - cello

Mixing Sacred Songs

Another thing I've been doing over the last few weeks that I've been home (besides running my sisters around and generally 'being dad' while my parents have been out of town) has been working on recording and mixing with my friend Matthew Monticchio. We're working on what has now become 2 albums of hymns and new songs done in a folky/indie/poppy way.
The album features a host of other musicians, like the Christmas albums of 2007 and 2008 that you can still find on iTunes. My friends Joy Ike and Brooke Annibale both sing (we recorded them when they came through on tour last month with Garrett Heath and myself) on a tune, and below you can watch as I eat lunch and mix the track that Joy sings on.

Better Late than Never?

Our latest Christmas album, 'Love - Begotten' is finally on iTunes. A day late and a dollar short, as they say. Only, in this case it's more like '3 months late'! Not that I'm bitter, it just kind of stinks that we couldn't say 'you can get it on iTunes' like we were able to say last year. But at least we're ahead of the game for next year.
If you have iTunes, would like to check out the album and write a review (which would be greatly appreciated), check it out HERE.

Love - Begotten on Amazon in time for Christmas!

I just found our Christmas album has posted to Amazon MP3! Check it out HERE.

A Christmas Song based on the nature of the Triune God

Glory to God in the Highest
What made the heavenly host sing on that cold winter's night? Was it wonder at the God of the universe becoming small and powerless? Was it amazement at His plan for salvation finally being made flesh, entering the history of humanity in a single, clear instant like the call of a trumpet? Were they simply rejoicing in the beauty and wonder of birth, or were they looking ahead to when He would destroy death with one fell swoop?
The wonder of this moment when the Word became flesh is what I was trying to capture with the song 'O Little Child'. The moment that changed history, the One who created it being Himself created, and what that would mean for eternity and humanity, is a concept that I believe we have to continually re-visit in scripture and song - to try and wrap our heads around and ultimately, joyfully, fail to understand.
It is with amazement that we find ourselves on the other side of the cross and can look back to see the giant steps and sacrifices that a little baby in Bethlehem would have to make to fulfill His destiny. A destiny to restore humanity to the relationship intended for it by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through salvation in himself, Yeshua - the Lord who saves.
O little child, o tiny babe, are these your hands that came to save? Held in your mother's warm embrace, remember me this Christmas day. O little child, your tiny feet will bear the cross toward calvary. Now tightly wrapped on mother's knee, on Christmas day I think of thee.
That God would come to us on earth - he who himself did give us birth. That the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.
O little child, you must be fed - you who will give us living bread. The final Word is said, it's yours to say. Do you remember Christmas day?
Now let us sing with one accord jubilant praises to our Lord! Join with the angels' heavenly choir - proclaim this wondrous clarion hour! That God would leave His heaven above to live with us a life of love, that the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.
Glory to God in the Highest! Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men!
O little child, your eyes still sleep - your tiny form a mystery. Come with the world on bended knee - on Christmas day we think of Thee.

You can find this song and more at www.hiramring.com