Reading in 2015, Year-End Report

Being a graduate of a liberal arts college, I obviously enjoy reading books (pardon the stereotype...but it my case it is true!). One of my "soft" resolutions at the beginning of the year was to read at least one book per month. I managed eleven; I blame the slackening over the summer on the Chicago Cubs' thrilling season being so distracting.

In any case, here are the books I read this year, in alphabetical order by the author's last name:

• J. Mark Bertrand, Rethinking Worldview
• Dale Brown, Starfire
• Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday
• Greg Forester, Joy for the World
• Michael Lewis, Moneyball
• Russell Moore, Onward
• Paul Nyquist and Carson Nyquist, The Post-Church Christian
• Philip Graham Ryken, Loving the Way Jesus Loves
• Patrick Smith, Cockpit Confidential
• R. C. Sproul, The Consequences of Ideas
• Paul Taylor, The Next America

And I still have the unread part of an ever-growing list of titles accumulated from my daily blog and news reading, so I am already well on my way to lots of reading in 2016. At least in theory...

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 25

Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas Day)

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Text by Charles Wesley (1739)

Music by Felix Mendelssohn (1840)

Performed by Celtic Women

Thank you for joining me on this musical journey through Advent.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 24

Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Arise, Shine!

Text from Isaiah 6
Musical setting by Dan Forrest (2007)

Performed by the Baylor Concert Choir

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 23

Wednesday, December 23

Love Came Down at Christmas

Text by Christina Rossetti (1883)
Musical setting by John Rutter (1960s)

Performed by the City of London Sinfonia

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 22

Tuesday, December 22

Good Christian Men, Rejoice

Text by John M. Neale (1853), paraphrase of a 14th century Macaronic carol 
Music a traditional 14th century German melody

Performed by the Robert Shaw Chorale

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 21

Monday, December 21

O Holy Night

Text by John S. Dwight (19th century)
Music by Adolphe C. Adam (19th century)

Performed by Nat King Cole

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 20

Sunday, December 20 (The Fourth Sunday of Advent)

Of the Father's Love Begotten

Text by Marcus Aurelius C. Prudentius (fourth century), translated by John M. Neale (1854) and Henry W. Baker (1859)
Music is thirteenth century plainsong

Performed by the New Jersey Chamber Singers

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 19

Saturday, December 19

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Text by John F. Wade (1751), Frederick Oakley (1841), et al.
Music by John Wade (1751)

Performed by Celine Dion

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 18

Friday, December 18

Joy Has Dawned

Text and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend (2004)

Performed by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 17

Thursday, December 17

We Three Kings

Text and Music by John H. Hopkins Jr. (1857)

Performed by Straight No Chaser

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 16

Wednesday, December 16

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Text and Music traditional English carol, c. 16th century

Performed by Annie Lennox

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 15

Tuesday, December 15

Joy to the World

Text by Isaac Watts (1719), based on Psalm 98
Music by George Frederic Handel (1742) and Lowell Mason (1848)

Performed by Faith Hill

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 14

Monday, December 14

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Text by James Montgomery (1816, rev. 1825)
Music by Henry T. Smart (1867), arranged by Mack Wilberg

Performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with The King's Singers

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 13

Sunday, December 13 (The Third Sunday of Advent)

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Text from Isaiah 9:6
Music by George Frederic Handel (1741)

Performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus with Robert Shaw

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 12

Saturday, December 12

The First Noel

Text is a traditional English carol
Original musical arrangement by John Stainer (1871), this setting by R. Christopher Teichler (2006)

Performed by the Wheaton College Choirs and Symphonic Band

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 11

Friday, December 11

O Magnum Mysterium

Text is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas Day
Music by Morten Lauridsen (1994)

Translation:
O great mystery
And wonderful sacrament
That animals should see the newborn Lord
Lying in a manger
Blessed is the virgin whose womb
Was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus
Alleluia

Performed by the Westminster (London) Cathedral Choir

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 10

Thursday, December 10

What Child Is This?

Text by William C. Dix (c. 1865)
Music a traditional 16th century English melody, harmonized by John Stainer (1871)

Performed by Josh Groban

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 9

Wednesday, December 9

Jesus, Joy of Highest Heaven

Text by Kristyn Getty (2011)
Music by Keith Getty (2011)

Performed by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 8

Tuesday, December 8

See Amid the Winter Snow

Text by Edward Caswall (1858)
Music by Sir John Goss (1871)

Performed by Erin Bode

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 7

Monday, December 7

O Little Town of Bethlehem (with Away in a Manger)

Text by Philip Brooks (1868)

Music by Louis H. Redner (1868)

Performed by Kari Jobe

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 6

Sunday, December 6 (The Second Sunday of Advent)

Once in Royal David's City

Text by Cecil F. Alexander (1848)

Music by Henry J. Gauntlett (1849)

Performed by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 5

Saturday, December 5

Breath of Heaven

Text and music by Chris Eaton and Amy Grant (1992)

Performed by Amy Grant

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 4

Friday, December 4

Mary, Did You Know?

Text and Music by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene (1991)

Performed by Pentatonix

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 3

Thursday, December 3

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Text from a 3rd century Greek Eucharistic chant based on Habakkuk 2:20, English translation by Gerard Moultrie

Music by Ralph Vaughan Williams based on French medieval folk melody (1906)

Performed by Fernando Ortega

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 2

Wednesday, December 2

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Text by Charles Wesley (1744)

Music by Rowland H. Prichard (c. 1830), arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1906)

Performed by Ashley Spurling and Red Mountain Music

Musical Advent Calendar 2015, Day 1

Tuesday, December 1

O Come, O Come Emanuel
Text is a 12th century Latin hymn, translated into English by John Neale (1851)
Music is the 15th century hymn tune VENI VENI EMANUEL

Performed by Selah