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Christopher
Parkening

EMI/Angel Records
0777-7-47525-2-7

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Simple Gifts

A recording of hymns and traditional sacred music for solo guitar including spirituals and works by Bach, Haydn, Humperdinck and Mozart.  Of this recording, Parkening wrote, “When I first had the inspiration for recording an album of hymns and traditional sacred music, I wondered if enough pieces could be found that suited the classical guitar to fill an entire album.  I have since discovered that many of the most beautiful pieces ever written were composed expressly for the glory of God.  For example, J.S. Bach regularly inscribed his scores of sacred music with the letters J.J. (Jesu, Juva: “Jesus, help”) at the beginning, and S.D.G. (Soli Deo Gloria: “to God alone the glory”) at the end.  “The aim and final reason of all music,“ Bach said, “should be none else but the glory of God.”  I feel privileged to offer these sacred works to share in music the joy and hope of the Christian life.  It is my hope that in some small way this album may be my ‘simple gift’ to honor and glorify my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

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• Präludium (“We Thank Thee, Lord, We Thank Thee”) from Cantata 29 (J.S. Bach)
• Our Great Savior (Rowland H. Pritchard)
• God of Grace and God of Glory (John Hughes)
• Three Spirituals
  Bretheren, We Have Met to Worship (William Moore)
  Deep River
  Jesus, We Want to Meet (A.T. Olajida Olude)
• Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck)
• Hymn of Christian Joy (Gordon Young)
• Simple Gifts (Traditional Shaker Hymn)
• Three Hymns
  Fairest Lord Jesus
  Stir Thy Church, O God our Father (A.L. Butler)
  All Creatures of Our God and King
• Variations on “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” (Austrian Hymn from Haydn’s Quartet, Op. 76, No. 3) (Ronald Ravenscroft)
• Praise Ye the Lord (Laudate Dominum from Solemn Vespers, K.339) (W.A. Mozart)