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Artist: Andrew Peterson
Time: 43:17 minutes plus bonus material
To borrow from one of the song titles, this concert, which tells the story of Christ through song, is a "Labor of Love." How else can you explain many of the finest Christian artists around coming together year after year to present one of the best musicals that you will ever hear.
This is one DVD where you should watch the "Behind the Scenes" part before you watch the concert. By doing so, you get a sense of the history of this project, and just how much it means to the artists. For some it’s the highlight of the year.
They feel privileged to be part of telling the story of Christ without ever speaking a word. There’s no introductions or dialogue between songs and only polite applause from the audience. This group of artists, led by Andrew Peterson, let the songs do the talking.
Andrew Peterson’s ability to creatively incorporate Scripture into song is comparable to what Michael Card does. They both are proficient at turning Bible truths into likeable songs. Peterson takes us through the law and prophets before heading into the familiar gospel accounts.
Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, as Andrew says, "these are not Christmas songs, they are songs about Christ." Except for one short instrumental, "O Come, O Come Immanuel," these are not recognizable as Christmas songs and can be enjoyed anytime of the year. All of the vocal songs are originals written by Andrew in his usual creative and artistic style.
That’s why you have people like Phil Keaggy playing lead guitar on "So Long, Moses" and Randall Goodgame adding his vocals to "Passover Us." It’s what makes a seasoned veteran like Phil Madeira continually grace the stage with his accordion and steel guitar playing.
Peterson is not afraid to share the spotlight with his friends. Derek Webb delivers a moving vocal to sparse accompaniment on "Deliver Us." His beautiful wife, Sandra McCracken, also lends background vocals on a song or two. Pierce Pettis sings the lead on "It Came to Pass," and Jill Phillips takes her turn on "Labor of Love."
Through it all many talented musicians and singers join in unannounced, including a string quartet, to lend their talents to a beautiful and cohesive telling of this story of stories.
The lighting and sound might have been better, but the focus is clearly on the words and music rather than the personalities or the production. This is a community of creative artists who come together with the purpose of sharing their gifts to glorify God.
Peterson has also previously recorded a CD version of this thematic piece, which features some of the same people.
Michael Dalton
August 26, 2006
