Wheels of Glory! Blog

Best Celtic Christian-Themed Artists

Posted in Lists | July 9th, 2020 | by

Celtic Cross against a blue sky — Courtesy papagnoc from Pixabay.com

I love Celtic music. I fell in love with it years ago, but I recently had a resurgence after my older sister presented me with my first Irish whistle last Christmas. Christian Celtic music isn’t very easy to find, especially original songs. There’s a plethora of hymns played in the Celtic style (which is absolutely wonderful – I just am often looking for more modern music). Here are five of my favorites (with two bonus honorable mentions!). This isn’t an exhaustive list by far, so if you know of ones that I’ve missed, please let us know in the comments, because I am always looking for new music to listen to!

Ceili Rain

Say KAY-lee album art — Say Kay-lee, Ceili Rain’s debut album

This is one of my favorite Celtic groups. It’s mainly Celtic/rock, but features a lot of traditional Irish instruments, including the fiddle, whistle, and button accordion. We were introduced to Ceili Rain (which roughly means “Party Rain” in Gaelic and is pronounced KAY-lee) in 2010 after we met lead singer Bob Halligan at a music conference (there’s a long story that goes along with that…for some other day). It was my introduction to Irish music, and I fell in love with it. Apparently, Bob gets many ideas for his songs from the Syracuse Times…which makes for some interesting songs. There’s often a lot of hard truths put humorously riddled (pun intended) throughout the songs. I wanna be different / I wanna be different / I wanna be different / just like everybody else! Ceili Rain’s last project was released in 2014, but we fans can always hope for more, right? Their discography also includes Ceili Rain: Say Kay-lee (1996), Erasers On Pencils (2000 – you know you want to learn what that song’s about!), Change In Your Pocket (2003 – my personal favorite), Whatever Makes You Dance (2005), I Made Lemonade (2008), Maunka Honey (2011), and Hymns and Hers (2014).

Eden’s Bridge

Celtic Psalms album art — Celtic Psalms (1996)

This was a very recent discovery for me. The music is not new (the last original album was released in 1999), but it is timeless in its beauty. Some songs are covers, others are originals. Eden’s Bridge’s discography includes Celtic Worship (1996), Celtic Psalms (1996), Celtic Worship (1998), Reflections on Celtic Hymns (1998), Celtic Lullabies (1998), Celtic Journeys (1999), Celtic Praise and Worship (2002 – it’s a compilation of the best songs from the two Celtic Worship albums with a new song, “Morning Prayer”), and Irish Christmas (2012). Led by siblings Sarah and Richard Lacy and hailing from Yorkshire, England, these melodies use many traditional Celtic instruments, including the uilleann pipes (which are essentially the Irish version of the bagpipe) and accordion. My personal favorite song that the group does is from their first record, entitled “Into the Light.” As I was perusing through some of their music not long ago, I discovered a song that we had listened to on the radio back when I was too young to remember, so it was cool to get to discover who the artist was after all these years!

The Willis Clan

While this family band is on permanent hiatus, some of their Celtic/pop/rock music was Christian-themed, such as City Down Below (based on the story of Abraham and Lot), City That I’m Looking For, and Is There More? The majority of their music is love songs, but the lyrics are very clean and family-friendly. And, if I can be 100% honest, it’s not so hard to turn some of those love songs in to love songs to Jesus…

The band released four albums, Chapter 1: Roots (2012), Chapter 2: Boots (2012), Heaven (2015), and Speak My Mind (2018). The first two are of slightly lesser sound quality than Heaven and Speak My Mind, but are worth giving a listen. The final album, Speak My Mind, features many songs of healing and finding restoration after (sadly) the father was arrested and sentenced to 40 years in prison for child abuse. If you’ve walked through anything of that nature, I recommend giving it a listen. And even for those, like me, who have never experienced pain on that level, I’ve found these songs to speak to me as well.

Robin Mark

Revival In Belfast album art — Revival In Belfast (2002)

Best known for his hit song “Days of Elijah,” Robin Mark’s music tends to have a Celtic edge, while being primarily pop/rock. He frequently features the Irish whistle and accordions on his songs, including on the original “Days of Elijah.” His music tends to be live, and none of it is very recently released, but it tends to be very worshipful, which is really nice. Mark was born and lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland, so this is very authentic Irish music! His discography is fairly extensive, including Room for Grace (1997), This City, These Streets (1998), Sanctuary (1999), Shout To The North (2001), Come Heal This Land (2001), Revival in Belfast (2002), The Mandate – Experiencing God (2002), Songs And Hymns (2004), East of the River (2008), Living the Adventure – Mandate 2007 (2009), Year of Grace (2009), Days of Elijah (2010), Fly (2011), and A Belfast Symphony (2018 – which is a lot of his well-known songs with a symphony behind him). I’m not as familiar with Robin Mark’s music, but I remember as a child, we sang his songs frequently at church, so it’s always nostalgic to go back and give these a listen!

Keith & Kristyn Getty

The North Coast Sessions album art — The North Coast Sessions (2018)

I would call Keith and Kristyn Getty’s music slightly less “noticeably Celtic,” although their music, especially their hymns albums have some Celtic influence. (Note that Keith Getty is the same one who wrote the modern hymn In Christ Alone with Stuart Townsend.) Again, I’m not quite as familiar with their music, but the songs that I do know are very nice, though, as I said, depending on the album, it may not satisfy everyone’s Celtic tastes. The North Coast Sessions, for example, are quite Celtic in style, whereas Awaken the Dawn is not. Generally speaking, the later the album is in their discography, the more likely to is to have strong Celtic influences. The couple also has a number of albums for kids. Other albums in their discography include In Christ Alone (2005), Awaken the Dawn (2008), Joy: An Irish Christmas (2010), Hymns for the Christian Life (2011), The Greengrass Session (2014), Facing A Task Unfinished (2016), North Coast Sessions (2018 – this one is my personal favorite), Sing! Psalms: Ancient + Modern (2019), and Incarnation (2019).

And as honorable mention – Aural Axiom

He has released two songs on YouTube. Both are instrumental, but both are also absolutely beautiful. In his own words, “In exchange [for listening and using the accompaniment track], I ask only that you share this video with your friends. I believe that beauty is one of the more profound ways through which the Creator reveals Himself; it stands apart from the mundane and affords us a fleeting glimpse beyond the horizon of the shadowlands. Thus to experience beauty is to have an encounter with the divine, at least in some small way. So again, if you find beauty in this piece, please share it. Sola Gloria Deo.”

I’ve been blessed by his willingness to give away his music, along with the backing tracks so that I could learn the Irish whistle part on Celtic Hymn…which has been really fun, though my family’s ears sometimes complain because when I play it, it gets really piercing at the top of the range! (His version is not nearly so piercing…I will have to learn how that is done).

And as a second honorable mention – Wheels of Glory!

We released Celtic Hymn a few months ago, so go check it out! In addition, there is also some Gaelic influence on Mercy & Grace, our latest single.

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11 Best Albums to Fall Asleep to (For Kids and Adults)

Posted in Lists | June 9th, 2020 | by

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I go to bed, I am jazzed. Or I’ll occasionally wake up in the middle of the night and be unable to go back to sleep. Or sometimes, my life has been stressful (I just graduated from college, ya’ll), and I just need some peace before I’ll be able to sleep well. Some of these albums have words; others are instrumental. I’ve found that both are good, but different people prefer each type for falling asleep. For example, my eldest sister says that she can’t fall asleep to music with words, so she chooses instrumental. I’ll note which album is of each type. Each of the albums featured on this list is great for both adults and kids for creating a peaceful, calm atmosphere that is conducive to sleep.

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat– for he grants sleep to those he loves.” – Psalm 127: 2

Heaven Made You – Kimberly Hazlett (with words)

This is a personal favorite. With 10 tracks, it’s geared for children, but as an adult (with several adult siblings who feel the same way), I can testify that it has a strong anointing for bringing rest to the listener (I refuse to listen to it unless I’m trying to go to sleep because it will make me fall asleep). My oldest brother says that he can barely make it through three songs. I find that when I listen to it, I am more likely to have dreams that I’ll actually remember when I wake up. If I can’t go to sleep, this is usually the album I turn to. It also has a track record of calming children experiencing night terrors, and I have heard stories told of children with disabilities being healed as it was played over them as they slept. In addition, insomniacs have been able to sleep for the first time in years while listening…there is a powerful anointing on this one! I think my favorite song is “You Have My Heart.” (track 8).

All Things New – Kimberly & Alberto Rivera (primarily with words)

All Things New Kimberly and Alberto Rivera

I recently discovered this one. On this 7-track album, Alberto’s beautiful piano is the backdrop for Kimberly’s soaring vocals as she sings prophecies over the listener. It is completely unscripted, so you won’t recognize any of the songs, but it is terrific at bringing a sense of calm and peace into the atmosphere of the room it is being listened to in. I can’t choose a favorite song – they are all so good! A couple of the songs are instrumental, but most have lyrics.

Awakenings – Alberto Rivera (instrumental)

It’s funny that an album with the name of “Awakenings” would put me to sleep, but it does – especially the title track. Each of the five tracks on this album is about an hour long and very peaceful. I like to describe it as swells of music. It’s not musically very “interesting,” so it isn’t a distraction from falling asleep, for those who may be so focused on listening to the music that they don’t sleep. My personal favorite is track 3, “Dreams.”

After All These Years (Instrumental) – Brian & Jenn Johnson (instrumental)

After All These Years Instrumental Brian and Jenn Johnson

This is simply the instrumental version of an album released by Brian & Jenn Johnson in 2017. However, it carries a similar anointing. If you’re familiar with the original album, you’ll know every song off of this one – but for those who prefer to go to sleep without words, this is a better choice. This album features an 80-piece orchestra, but it’s cool because there are some electronic-style drums behind it, which is an interesting combination of styles. There are 10 tracks on this one, and my favorite is track 3, “Gravity.”

Without Words Collection – Bethel Music (instrumental)

This collection consists of three albums: Without Words, Synesthesia, and Genesis (Without Words is featured in the image). All of them are worth listening to, and all of them are good at creating a peaceful atmosphere (if I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be Genesis…but they’re all so good!). Each album is between 10 and 20 tracks long. If you are familiar with Bethel Music, you’ll recognize a lot of the songs (especially the names of the songs), but there are also some “Interludes,” which are new, original pieces.

The Still Collection – Rivers & Robots, Bright City, & The Creek Music (instrumental)

This collection also consists of three albums (Still Vol. 1, 2, and 3), all created by three different artists (see the title – the image is of Vol. 2). This was a project of Integrity Music to put together instrumental versions of some of the most popular worship songs of the past couple of decades. You’ll recognize some of the tunes – others are slightly more difficult to pair with a song. A few of the songs featured include ‘No Longer Slaves,’ ‘What a Beautiful Name,’ ‘I Could Sing of Your Love Forever,’ and ‘Great Are You, Lord.’

Caravan: A Journey to Another Place – Georgian Banov (instrumental)

This 14-track album is unique among the others I’ve noted on this list. Georgian is from Bulgaria, and the influence on the Eastern European musical styles on the songs is really cool. He is also a talented fiddler, so that is featured heavily on these tracks, along with strings, guitars, and soft percussion. It’s pleasurable just to listen to it, as well as to fall asleep to. My personal favorites are“Isaac” (track 14), and “Caravan.” (track 2).

Story of All Stories – Laura Woodley Osman (with words)

This one is also geared toward children, but it’s also great for adults. Its 11 tracks are filled with prophetic words and peace-infused music. I’ve gone through periods where it was always up on my MP3 player, and it was what I went to sleep to for weeks at a time. This album also has a track record for helping children who are experiencing night terrors. My favorite is probably “Father In Heaven.” (track 4)

Forever Amen – Steffany Gretzinger (with words)

This is a very mellow 10-track project, mainly featuring piano, strings, and Steffany’s vocals. The album also features Matt Maher, Amanda Lindsay Cook, Chandler Moore, and Steffany’s daughter, Wonder Grace. For several weeks after its release, I would listen to it directly prior to going to bed at night, and I found it to have a very calming influence over my mind and body. My favorite song is “Great Assembly.” (track 10).

The Fullness – Steve Swanson (with words)

Featuring gentle piano and strings, this 10-track record came out of Steve Swanson’s prayer room. Most of the songs are spontaneous to some degree, and are anointed with the power to heal and set free. Steve’s music can be incredibly upbeat and fun, but this album is peaceful and calming and is also very anointed. I actually find it to be hard to go to sleep to because I get caught up in the glory just listening to it! My favorite is track 10, “The Fullness.”

Peace – Bethel Music (with words)

This is the newest album on the list. With 12 tracks, the express purpose of the album is the bring peace to whatever situation it is played in, and I can testify that it does a good job. I highly recommend playing this when you’re stressed out or worried when you’re going to bed, or if your child is experiencing night terrors. Actually, it’s great during the day, too. It’s a conglomeration of new and old songs, as well as various artists, including Bethel Collective artists, Kari Jobe, and We The Kingdom. Truth be told, I don’t have a favorite song on this record. They’re all good!

Have I missed any good ones? What songs/albums do you listen to before going to sleep? Let us know in the comments!

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Wheels of Glory! Blog

Christian Children’s Albums We’d Actually Recommend

Posted in Lists, Product Reviews | April 15th, 2016 | by Wheels of Glory

Why is it that most children’s albums on the market today are lacking in quality, originality, and decent lyrics? I mean, really, what parent with any musical taste wants to listen to kids who can’t hit the notes, lyrics that make you scratch your head, and run-of-the-mill plots and arrangements that remind us of the originality of Nancy Drew or the Hardee Boys?

Thankfully, there are some quality, original children’s music out there – you just have to look for it. Here are some we’ve discovered over the years. It’s by no means an exclusive list, just things we’ve found and enjoyed. (more…)

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