“O Come Divine Messiah” Single, Jennie Riddle – Review
The name “Jennie Lee Riddle” might not be a household name. However, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several years, you are familiar with “Revelation Song”, the CCLI top 10 song that she penned.
Given the meteoric rise of “Revelation Song”, the industry has been watching with some interest the development of her next project, PEOPLE & SONGS Opus 1: A Collective by Jennie Lee Riddle. In anticipation of Opus 1, Riddle has released the single, “O Come Divine Messiah (Everything Will Change)”, a song co-written with Robbie Seay. The single is a contemporary adaption of a 16th-century French carol “Venez, Divin Messie” by Abbot Simon-Joseph Pellegrin.
“Revelation Song” suggested Riddle can turn a lyrical phrase; “O Come Divine Messiah” confirms it. The lyrics point toward the season of Advent but also allude to a longing for Christ’s return. Though following a customary verse-chorus-bridge approach, the words reveal a gravity and depth generally associated with hymns.
The music is familiar without being formulaic. Instruments do not dominate but gently support and enhance the vocals. The gravel of Seay’s vocal work is balanced by the Riddle’s own delicate voice. It’s a great pairing that at once elicits yearning and warmth.
Riddle enlisted Michael Farren of Pocket Full of Rocks to produce. Though this project marks his debut in the role, it is evident that he has the chops to pull this off. He imparts some nice Nashville touches with cello and pedal steel.
“O Come Divine Messiah” is a fresh work that reminds you that worship music can be accessible without resorting to cliché lyrics and derivative music. If this is any indication of the forthcoming Opus 1, something remarkable is on the horizon.
You can download the song, exclusively on iTunes, by using the widget below.
-Review by Joe Brookhouse
(review copy provided by artist)
Songwriting Contest with Over $6,000 Worth of Prizes!
We are hosting another songwriting contest because we’ve had such a positive response with the last one! And, we are giving away over $6,000 worth of prizes! Below are the details. CLICK HERE to enter!
Every entry will receive a brief, written critique of each song submitted.
CONTEST PRIZES
1st Place Prizes: over $4,150 value
-One song produced by Conrad Johnson (of Chris & Conrad) at Inertia Sound Studio in Lakeland, FL (travel/lodging/meals not included) ($2,500 value)
-One full day of songwriting and hanging out with Dave Fitzgerald in Lakeland, FL (travel/lodging/meals not included) ($1,000 value)
-$100 cash (USD)
-60 minute 1-on-1 skype (or phone) call with Sarah Reeves ($250 value)
-Complete demo, tracks and Superchart placement at LifeWayWorship.com, including a feature in their webmail and on LifeWayWorship.com/blog
-Song included (as Track #1) on The Songwriter’s Cafe Collective, Volume One – a free compilation album that will be available on our website & Noisetrade.com
-Song featured on the All About Worship Podcast & The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast ($200 value)
-5 Minute interview on The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast. ($100 value)
-One month free membership on All About Worship Plus ($4.99 value)
2nd Place Prizes: over $925 value
-1 full day (8 hours of studio time) of recording at Inertia Sound Studio in Lakeland, FL (travel/lodging/meals not included) ($500 value)
-$75 cash (USD)
-60 minute 1-on-1 skype (or phone) call with Sarah Reeves ($250 value)
-Supercharts created and available at LifeWayWorship.com, plus a feature of your song at LifeWayWorship.com/blog
-Song included (as Track #2) on The Songwriter’s Cafe Collective, Volume One – a free compilation album that will be available on our website & Noisetrade.com
-Song featured on The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast ($100 value)
-One month free membership on All About Worship Plus ($4.99 value)
3rd Place Prizes: over $650 value
-$50 cash (USD)
-60 minute 1-on-1 skype (or phone) call with Sarah Reeves ($250 value)
-30 minute 1-on-1 skype (or phone) call with producer/singer/songwriter, Conrad Johnson ($250 value)
-Supercharts created and available at LifeWayWorship.com, plus a feature on your song at LifeWayWorship.com/blog
-Song included (as Track #3) on The Songwriter’s Cafe Collective, Volume One – a free compilation album that will be available on our website & Noisetrade.com
-Song featured on The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast ($100 value)
-One month free membership on All About Worship Plus ($4.99 value)
4th – 12th Place Prizes
-Song included on The Songwriter’s Cafe Collective, Volume One – a free compilation album that will be available on our website & Noisetrade.com
-One month free membership on All About Worship Plus ($4.99 value)
JUDGES
Michael Farren
Chris McClarney
Sarah Reeves
Matthew Reed
Wisdom Moon
Erin Cameneti
Chris Olson
Mathew Reames
CRITERIA
Each entry will be judged on lyrics, music, creativity, and performance. There is no minimum number of instruments that must be included in the recording.
(Songs must have decent sound quality in order to be considered for The Songwriter’s Cafe Collective. Top 12 songs will be included on the Collective as is.)
-You must submit each song as a mp3 file, bit rate of 192 kbps. You must include the lyrics and credits, without the chords. (Submissions that do not meet this requirement will be automatically disqualified.)
-Songs of any style are welcome.
ENTRY FEES
$35 for one song; $60 for two songs; $80 for three songs (3 songs max)
CLICK HERE to enter!
RESPOND Worship Conference, Kansas City
Worship with Michael Farren (Pocket Full of Rocks), Roy Fields (Run with Fire Ministries), Jaye Thomas (International House of Prayer), Dustin Smith and Steve and Kathy Gray of World Revival Church of Kansas City – seen live on Daystar TV!
RESPOND is a worship conference designed to empower worshipers in their response to God. Three days of intense teaching and training will challenge and equip you to ignite a response in your life, your church, your city and the nations.
Do not miss this conference! RESPOND! CLICK HERE for more details and to register.
Episode 68: Live At The Retreat
On this episode we take you live to the All About Worship Retreat for a little glimpse of the experience.
Wisdom and Ben open up a Q&A time with the retreat artists: Michael Farren (of Pocket Full of Rocks), Brenton Brown, Dave Fitzgerald, and Sarah Reeves. We opened up the mic for attendees to ask them whatever questions they’d like. As you can tell from the recording, we had a blast!
QUICK LINKS
- Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs
- Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes
- Subscribe to the podcast via RSS Feed
Connect with Us!
Comment Line: 913.735.4229
Announcing Our Songwriting Contest w/ Michael Farren, Darrell Evans, & Others As Judges
We are excited to host our very first Songwriting Contest AND to give away over $3,500 worth of prizes! Below are the details. If your questions are not answered below, feel free to email office[at]factor7agency[dot]com.
CONTEST PRIZES
1st Place Prizes: $2,650 Value
-One full day of recording session at BMG Studios (Warren, OH). Includes access to studio instruments, musicians (as needed), an engineer/producer, tracking, production, and mastering. (Travel & lodging not included.) ($2,000 value)
-$150 cash (USD)
-A 60 minute one-on-one song review session (of any of your songs) with Dave Fitzgerald via Skype. ($200 value)
-Song featured on the All About Worship Podcast and The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast. ($300 value)
-5 Minute interview on The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast. ($50 value)
2nd Place Prizes: $637 Value
-$80 cash (USD)
-A 60 minute one-on-one song review session (of any of your songs) with Dave Fitzgerald via Skype. ($200 value)
-Song featured on the All About Worship Podcast and The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast. ($300 value)
-God Songs by Paul Baloche (book - $20 value)
-Diamond On The 1 by Jonathan Riggs (handbook – $7 value)
-Free Song Submission to Worthwhile Worship ($30 value)
3rd Place Prizes: $407 Value
-$50 cash (USD)
-Song featured on the All About Worship Podcast and The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast. ($300 value)
-God Songs by Paul Baloche (book – $20 value)
-Diamond On The 1 by Jonathan Riggs (handbook - $7 value)
-Free Song Submission to Worthwhile Worship ($30 value)
THE JUDGES
Michael Farren (of Pocket Full of Rocks)
Darrell Evans
Chris Kuti (of Chris & Conrad)
Dave Fitzgerald
Tom Brock (Worthwhile Worship)
Cindy Wilt Colville
Joe Cameneti (All About Worship)
Dustin Smith
Wisdom Moon (All About Worship)
Joe Brookhouse (All About Worship)
Barry Westman (All About Worship)
We guarantee that the top 5 entries will be personally reviewed and judged by: Michael Farren, Darrell Evans, Chris Kuti, Cindy Wilt Colville, and Dave Fitzgerald.
THE CRITERIA
Each entry will be judged based on the quality of the song and lyrics, not production. You are welcome to enter home quality songs just with vocals and one instrument OR a studio-quality recording with a full band. You must submit your song as a mp3 file (with lyrics). Songs of any style are welcome.
THE DEADLINE
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at Midnight
THE ENTRY FEE
$30 for one song; $60 for two songs; $80 for 3 songs (3 songs max)
For all the details or to enter, go to our official Songwriting Contest page.
Episode 64: Exclusive Interview w/ Michael & Alisa Farren
On this episode, we record with a live audience via livestream.com and give a chance for listeners to watch us as we record the episode.
Also, Wisdom goes one-on-one with Michael & Alisa Farren of Pocket Full of Rocks. They talk about country music, songwriting, what it means to be a worship leader, and the upcoming All About Worship Retreat. Michael and Alisa also share a significant update about the band publicly for the first time!
Don’t forget to register for the All About Worship Retreat and hang out for a few days with Michael and Alisa.
Also, on this show we:
-share some of the comments on our recent post on What Worship Looks Like in 10 Years
-talk about our sponsor, WorshipPlanning.com, and their top-notch customer service. Use promo code “podcast” when you sign up and receive a 45 day free-trial.
-discuss our upcoming worship retreat taking place May 19-21. Plus Members of our site receive $50 off registration. We’ve also added a time during the retreat for a Song Feedback Panel.
-talk about our ever-growing All About Worship Leadership Team…we have 12 individuals helping make AAW happen every day!
QUICK LINKS
- Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs
Connect with Us!
Comment Line: 913.735.4229
[wpaudio url="http://allaboutworship.podbean.com/mf/web/b9vza2/064AAWPocketFullofRocks.mp3"]
Video version of the interview:
The Addiction of Worship Leading
Imagine yourself on a big stage with hundreds of people looking at you. You’ve got a band of musicians and singers behind you ready to take cues from you. You’re holding a guitar in your hands and singing amazing worship songs into a microphone. The spotlight is on YOU…
I’ve been leading worship for over 12 years now. Before I was an “official” worship leader, I started out as the transparency guy (back in the day) when I was in 7th grade. Then, I learned drums from my youth pastor and learned guitar from the choir director. Then, I was involved on my youth group’s worship team as a bass player. And, eventually became the lead guy as a freshman in college. In my 12 years of leading worship, I’ve experienced first-hand what it’s like to be a volunteer worship leader as well as a full-time worship pastor.
When I first started leading worship as a young college student, I had the oddest experience. After leading worship at the Sunday morning service I would go home and feel VERY down and depressed. I couldn’t figure out why. I would come home from an amazing worship service where I really felt the presence of God while leading, but spend the afternoon feeling so discouraged and depressed.
As I continued to grow and mature as a worship leader, I began to realize what was happening. I realized that I was putting my identity in being the “worship leader”. My identity was so wrapped up in my role of leading worship and leading the youth worship team that it sort of became an addiction.
Leading worship became the highlight of my week. Yes, I loved the Lord! I was passionately in love with Jesus! However, I let the experience and “high” of leading worship become an idol in my life. I was essentially addicted to worship leading.
When I was in the congregation while someone else was leading worship, I found myself judging their worship leading and comparing myself to them. I was either jealous because they were better than me or full of pride because I was better than them.
During my recent conversation with my friend, Michael Farren, I was reminded of how I wrestled with finding my identity in the title and role of worship leader. The fact that I was a child of God (who was crazy in love with me) was not enough. I had to get my fix of leading worship.
In my current season of ministry I am ministering and training up worship leaders more than actually leading worship myself. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I led worship in the past 2 years. It feels a little weird sometimes, but I’ve grown to be content in being led in worship by others.
I no longer rely on the title of “worship leader” to define me. I don’t find my identity in it. I no longer treat it as a spiritual high or addiction. I no longer somehow feel more spiritual because I’m leading worship…
Yes, from time to time those thoughts try to occupy my mind, but I’ve learned not to allow any title or role that God may bring for a season define who I am. I am content just being me…even with no title people may envy…and no important role in the spotlight.
Worship leaders, beware of the addiction of worship leading. Don’t let worship leading define who you are. Worship leading is something you do; it’s not what defines you.
article written by Wisdom Moon
Episode 42: Interview with Bob Kauflin – Show Notes
Ben and Wisdom start off the show with a discussion on worship leader hair. We announce an improvement on our podcast episode titles to help you, our friends, find the episodes you want more quickly.
Listener Feedback
-A voice message from Eddy Mann talking about Tommy Walker’s influence on his ministry.
-A voice message from Joe Brookhouse about how Paul Baloche has helped him obtain the training that he needed as a worship leader.
-An email from Keith Yoder in the Middle East about Wisdom’s pronunciation of the word “podcast” vs. Ben’s pronunciation of the word “worship”.
Quick Links
WorshipPlanning.com – the sponsor of this episode.
All About Worship Retreat – coming up May 20-22.
Bob Kauflin – our guest on the show.
Follow Bob – follow Bob on Twitter.
Worship Matters – Bob Kauflin’s book.
Mandy Thompson – our correspondent.
Follow Mandy – follow Mandy on Twitter.
Tommy Walker – Eddy’s most influential worship leader.
Paul Baloche – Joe’s most influential worship leader.
Once An Arafat Man – A biographical book by Ben’s father.
Follow AAW – follow our tweets for regular updates and news.
Like AAW – join our growing number of friends on Facebook.
913.735.4229 – leave us your own voice message.
Night of Worship
Join us on Friday, May 21st @ 7:30pm CST in person or online for a special Acoustic Night of Worship with Jared Anderson, Michael Farren of Pocket Full of Rocks, Tommy Walker, and Darrell Evans. Click here for more details.
We want to say a BIG thanks to WorshipPlanning.com for sponsoring this episode. Start your 30 day free trial today. Check out their feature, 360wp, that allows you to get feedback from your congregation about your worship services. It’s pretty awesome!
Special thanks to Bob Kauflin for taking the time to share his wisdom and insight on our podcast.
Thank you for listening from all over the world. We couldn’t do this without YOU, our friends!
Coming Up this Summer…interviews with Tommy Walker, Rick Muchow, Hillsong United, Miriam Webster, and more!
Shownotes for 3/10/10: Interview with Jared Anderson
This week we catch up with Jared Anderson who will be joining us for the upcoming All About Worship Retreat in May.
Wisdom and our great friend Mandy Thompson talk to Jared about what’s happening in his ministry along with some great insights into worship leading and we play a track from his latest release. Check out this great song “Inside”. We also announce the winner of our National Worship Leader Conference giveaway and give some worship retreat updates. Wisdom gets a new computer…and Ben confesses his accent frustrations. We also hear from you in our listener feedback.
All About Worship Retreat
Another big guest announcement! While Wisdom said previously we were all booked up with special guests….we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to add Michael Farren to the retreat! That’s right, Pocket Full of Rocks lead singer and songwriter will be joining us in May. It’s not too late to register! Visit www.WorshipRetreat.org and be a part of the “UNconference”. You can also follow retreat updates on Twitter here. We also announce the winner of the National Worship Leader conference registration during this segment. Listen to see if YOU won!
All About Worship Premium
Hey! It’s coming! We’ve got an AMAZING opportunity for every listener to take advantage of. Wisdom has been working hard at working out some amazing discounts and giveaways with some of our friends like WorshipPlanning.com and Integrity Music. Check out the update on this episode.
Let’s Hear From You
We’re tired of just talking about us and want to learn more about you. So we want you to call us and leave a message at 913-735-4229 with your answer to this question…”Who has been the most influential worship leader in your life and why?” That’s it. Just call us and leave a message and we’d love to play back some of your answers on an upcoming episode.
Show Links
- Watch D.O.G.S. Ben talked about what he did recently at his daughters school. Go check out this great program.
- MandyThompson.com. Visit Mandy’s site and learn more about our latest AAW team member!
- JaredAnderson.com Visit Jared’s site for the latest news and updates.
- Live From My Church. Check out the latest CD from Jared.
- Song Panelists. We’re looking for people like you.
- WorshipRetreat.org. It’s coming…go register!!!
- AAW on iTunes. Hey! Leave us some feedback. It makes us feel good…real good.
- Facebook Fan Page. Once again…if you’re on Facebook and you haven’t joined the AAW page…why not?
- Contact us. Visit Wisdom’s site here. Visit Ben’s site here. Email us at podcast@allaboutworship.com or call us and leave a voicemail at 913-735-4229. You can also follow @AllAboutWorship on Twitter. Follow Ben on Twitter. Follow Wisdom on Twitter.
HUGE thanks to Jared for stopping by the show. Once again…we are extremely grateful for the love and support of YOU the listener. We’re thrilled and honored that you’re a part of the show. Thanks for listening and encouraging us to keep going! To our sponsors and friends….THANK YOU!!!
Listen to this episode below. Subscribe on iTunes.
Story Behind "Alive" – Pocket Full of Rocks
Here’s Michael Farren and Stu G talking about the new song “Alive”.
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