Every so often our family gets a new music CD. The first time we put
the CD in the player is a moment charged with eagerness. Will this
music be rich and multi-layered , or will it be just popcorn? Both
kinds of music are on our CD rack, but only the former gets played and
played and replayed. And only the former gets better and better, and
speaks deeper into our hearts, each time it is played!
Three weeks ago our copy of “Healing River” arrived in the mail. That
evening, after the day’s work and play were finished, the family
gathered in the living room for the evening. We dimmed the lights and
calmed our souls and listened to the new CD.
“Healing River” did not disappoint. True to the precedent that Oasis
Chorale has set, this CD delivered the majestic reverence that my wife
and I want our children to learn to love and give a high place in
their music repertoire. We love the blend of traditional hymns,
pathos-filled Spirituals, and worshipful contemporary choral pieces on
this CD. This is definitely not going to be a neglected CD on our
rack. Our whole family will be discovering new meaning and depth in
both the words and the music on this one for a long time to come.
The message of the song “O Healing River” is especially meaningful to
us here in western Texas because we’ve just come through a
several-year-long drought that rivaled the historic “dust bowl”. We’ve
recently experienced the despair of the parched, burning, barren land
and accompanying emotions… and now this past year we experienced the
healing waters that bring new life and healing. As we listen to this
song, we rejoice in the reality of hope, healing and verdant abundance
in both our land and in our spirits.
-Daniel Huber, TX