News

New Piano/Vocal/Guitar music available

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:53:59 -0400

We have just finished the full music charts for The Builder And The Architect and In Feast Or Fallow! You can download the PDFs from the webstore and print them for performance use. Special thanks to Luke Brodine for his work on these arrangements!

Music City Unsigned and In Feast Or Fallow

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:04:12 -0400

We are grateful for the continued support of Nashville's own, Music City Unsigned. Check out their writeup about "In Feast Or Fallow"

www.newoldhymns.com

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:58:58 -0400

Writing new melodies to old hymn texts is an old idea. It has been practiced in religious communities as far back as you can trace. There are cycles of renewal in every facet of culture, and church music is no exception. We are beginning to see a resurgence of hymns globally and across denomination lines.

We have just launched a new website, www.newoldhymns.com (beginning with Sandra McCracken’s two hymn albums) in hopes that it will eventually become a meeting place for people to find conversation, critique, and common ground to help propel the movement of hymn revitalization.

Send your ideas, essays, or hymn submissions to newoldhymns@gmail.com

In Feast Or Fallow Pre-Sale

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:40:10 -0400

In Feast Or Fallow: Release Date April 27

"I was riding down a Nebraska highway a couple of years ago with Wendell Berry stories in my head and a new baby in the back seat when the phrase first occurred to me: ”in feast or in fallow.” Watching the fields go by in neat rows, I thought of crop rotation as a metaphor for my own life, mirroring the internal weather that governs the changing seasons I spend as a songwriter and caregiver. In that moment, “In Feast or Fallow” emerged as a record title, a tiny seed of inspiration, and now this new crop of hymns has finally come to fruition." --Sandra McCracken

PRE-ORDER NOW (with immediate download)

"In Feast Or Fallow" interview with Patrol Magazine

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:02:27 -0500

Charles Peters for Patrol Magazine interviews Sandra about the upcoming hymns record, "In Feast Or Fallow." It is a first glimpe into the making of this upcoming album (release date is yet TBD). In it, Sandra talks about the title, influences, and her hopes for this new batch of hymns.

"...Things are starting to become more integrated [in my songs], that spiritual is becoming everyday life, and everyday life is becoming spiritual." -Sandra McCracken, on writing another album of hymns

This Is The Christ (lyrics)

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:20:13 -0500

good news from heaven the angels bring,
glad tidings to the earth they sing
to us this day a child is given
to crown us with the joy of heaven

this is the Christ, our God and Lord
who in all need shall aid afford
he will himself our savior be
and from our sins will set us free

all hail, thou noble guest this morn
whose love did not the sinner scorn
in my distress thou come’st to me
what thanks shall i return to thee?

this is the Christ, our God and Lord
who in all need shall aid afford
he will himself our savior be
and from our sins will set us free

were earth a thousand times as fair
beset with gold and jewels rare
she yet were far too poor to be
a narrow cradle, Lord, for thee...
praise God upon his heavenly throne
who gave to us his only son
for this his hosts on joyful wing
a blest New Year of mercy sing.

this is the Christ, our God and Lord
who in all need shall aid afford
he will himself our savior be
and from our sins will set us free.

c 2009 drink your tea music
martin luther/mccracken

FREE christmas hymn and 10% off coupon

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:32:33 -0500

Happy December!

Greetings to you from East Nashville. I have been busy thumbing through old hymnals, mining for poetry and resonance in these old words, and adapting my favorites to make them new again. We have begun recording for a new project of hymns called, In Feast or Fallow. Like The Builder and The Architect, it will be a collection of old (and new-that-sound-old) hymn texts, with new melodies and intimate production.

One text I found for this project was written by Martin Luther as a Christmas hymn. Derek and I have given it a new form and are sending you an early work-in-progress version in time for the holidays. Use the "tell 5 friends" feature on the widget to share the music.

HOLIDAY HYMN: This Is The Christ (Rough Mix)

Also, if you're looking for Christmas gifts, we're offering a special 10% OFF EVERYTHING from today through the end of December on the webstore. Just use the coupon code 10OFF at checkout.

love and thanksgiving,

Sandra McCracken

Black Eye Tour

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:34:00 -0400

Sandra McCracken will be touring this fall with Derek Webb on the highly anticipated Black Eye Tour , following the September release of his new record, Stockholm Syndrome.

Sandra will be performing a solo set to open. The shows are selling quick, so check the tour page to buy your tickets today!

Check out our new store!

Thu, 07 May 2009 22:16:00 -0400

New look, new functions, new music...check out the new webstore! Red Balloon is now available for sale as a digital download. And the pre-sale for Live Under Lights and Wires begins this week...

...sign our e-mail list for updates and special offers.

NEW STORE

2 New Songs on NoiseTrade

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:26:00 -0400

Two new songs have been added to the Red Balloon-NoiseTrade Sampler. This sampler will be available until the end of the month. This is your last chance to download this sampler and help spread the word to your friends. Click here or on the widget on the home page to download, share, twitter and embed this music!