I can say without a doubt that G.K. Chesterton has influenced my thinking
more than any other author. However, I find it extremely difficult to
pinpoint a specific book responsible for this. Chesterton is a unique author
in that his fiction and non-fiction are both charged with spiritual lessons
and theological insights, but where the non-fiction works communicate these
points through logical argument, his fiction supplies "real world" examples
of the types of people that should be produced by the philosophical and
religious outlook expounded in his non-fiction.

That said, I do think that, of his more intellectual works, Chesterton's
most influential books for me are Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. Both
of these writings have had a huge impact on my thinking, one I would say was
revelatory. Orthodoxy overflows with "gestalt" moments, when, after going
through a lengthy preliminary argument, Chesterton delivers a final blow,
and you simply know what he's saying is irrefutably true. It is a strange
quality to explain, in that it mixes intellectual arguments with extreme
pragmatism to articulate points that, once made, seem insanely obvious.

Chesterton's uncanny "horse-sense" is also well displayed in The Everlasting
Man. I have never read a book that better communicates the Christian view
of history. It showcases the devolution of man from the Fall till the
coming of Christ, the cataclysmic nature of his coming, and the irrefutable
change wrought in the world after his death and resurrection with more force
and brilliance than any other work within my intellectual experience.
Chapters such as "The Man In The Cave", "The Wars of Gods and Demons", "The
God in the Cave", and "The Five Deaths of the Faith" bowl one over with the
immense and weighty truth they communicate.

Both of these books are full of brilliant truths that are often, in the
author's own words, "too big to be seen."

-Alex

O! What a miserable day! I lay despondently on my Belgian lace coverlet longing for Belgian waffles and sunshine. Through the dusty window panes I saw a grey, melancholy sky , despondent and manipulative with her many drizzling, lukewarm tears which soaked the earth in a formidable sulk.

What on earth could I do? Louisa May Alcott lay forgotten on my lap, while a dirty house stood remembered all around me. Guilt rushed through every vein in my body, so diluting the blood that I found myself just too weak to make the effort of getting up.

I closed my eyes and sighed. Only to be in Tomorrow! Or the Eras and Ages gone by! I imagined myself in a lovely silk dress, my transformed to knee-length brown hair in a silky French Chignon with a pure white lily peeping out of the rich twists, and a light straw bonnet shading my pale European face. Jane Austen and I… or even better… Mr. Darcy and I, walked undisturbed in the English countryside, gazing romantically on the red roses lining the grassy lane and equally romantically avoiding each other's eyes.

That's it! I bolted up out of bed, my eyes wide open from the shock of the realization. As if by magic, I suddenly knew what I would do - I would plant a garden! My heart swelled within me at the thought. Oh for a summer's day to stroll out of the house with a Victorian basked from WalMart and fill it to the brim with juicy red strawberries.

I sprang downstairs, carelessly skipping over every pile of junk in my path. "Dearest Aunt Lasca!" I yelled in a slightly English accent. Aunt Lasca grew up on a real farm - the only staples her family bought from the store were coffee beans and sugar. She was the one to ask about gardening, and , true to my expectations, she soon assuaged my every curiosity. My excitement grew by leaps and bounds, and I soon cried, "Oh! Can we go right now? Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with ice…" Aunt Lasca grabbed her car keys and lead the way out of the door - children are quite an inspiration, you know!

As I skipped out, the sun broke through the cloudy veil and crowned me with a benediction. I had never been so happy! Soon I stood in the WalMart Garden Center and gazed, raptured over the rows and rows of future joy spreading out before me impersonated in vivid green seedlings.

Now what to get? I carefully scanned the rows, choosing with resurrected senses tomatoes, berry bushes, squash, spinach, flowers, herbs - when I had more than I needed I turned to the less exciting rows of mulch and Miracle Grow, and soon found myself frustrated, more than aware of my utter ignorance. But, being women, we soon found sufficient and educated help, and my temper accordingly grew bright again.

When we arrived home I appealed to Caesar and was given an order of enlistment from at least one sibling for help, and accordingly Benjamin and I trooped outside, shovels in hand, while I engaged in a fierce effort to prove to my half-convinced brother that this would be fun. I plunged my spade in the earth, jumped on it, and broke ground, pleasantly assured that this would be an enjoyable, fun experience.

First we sung, and then we whistled, and then we half-heartedly hummed, and then we made a few breathless complaints on the humidity, and then all was silence, except for the droning of the mosquitoes, the cracking of our backs, the rubbing of our biceps, the mockery of the sun, and our sweat dropping on the ground. perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all.

~Camille Rose

Shortly after the Christmas holidays, my family and my grandparents took a little evening outing and went to see a 5:30 showing of 'The Nativity'. From the very beginning I was pulled into the film, heart and soul completely captured by the simple yet powerful nature of the age-old story. The acting was so exquisite I could hardly convince myself that 'Mary' was really Keisha Castle-Hughes, or 'Joseph' was really a very much alive Oscar Isaac.

The movie revealed to me in a way that I could never have imagined the tyranny of Herod's rule, the poverty of Mary's surroundings, and the pain and embarrassment her pregnancy caused not only her, but her family and Joseph. How heart-breaking it must have been to see her loved ones disappointment in her and to go through the difficulty of making them believe her innocence. Add to these personal struggles, the sense of fear at the penalties for an unwed pregnancy that were common in the Jewish culture. She had every reason to expect that if Joseph did not choose to have mercy on her, she would be stoned to death, and if that did not kill her, she would be pushed from a cliff and be stoned from the summit as she lay crushed on the rocks. What a relief it was for her to be able to take refuge in Elizabeth, at the height of her fright and confusion. Elizabeth was not only older and wiser, but she would understand this miracle in Mary, for God had performed the same in her. Elizabeth was the one person who would trust her, believe her, and give her precious advice.

I also realized the great importance of Joseph's side of the story. So often he is the looked-over character of the Christmas story, and completely taken for granted. Yet with the film his part in the story became shockingly clear to me: his love for Mary, his utter grief and brokenness when he thought she had been unfaithful to him, and his amazing selflessness in obeying God's command to bring Mary home as his wife. For in refusing to divorce her, he accepted the burden of a whole town's scorn, in their alleged belief that Mary's unwed pregnancy was his doing, thus throwing a dark slant on his formerly upright character. And these were not his only merits. He was Mary's only human protection - he cared for her and nurtured her with a humble spirit, and in complete self-sacrifice, even giving up his rights as a husband so that the prophesy would be fulfilled - a Virgin would bear forth Jesus.

Overall, the movie deeply enriched my spirit, and deepened my respect for the sacredness of the Holy-Days, and what it remembers.

--Camille

Camille Wolaver of the Annie Moses Band is the cover feature in In the Times magazine, an e-zine devoted to fashion, entertainment, faith, and fun. Here's an excerpt:

"'When the Christmas Baby Cries' was one of my favorite songs to record on the album. It is such an ethereal, lovely song, and the lyric and instrumentation is so beautiful that you don't really mind hearing clips of it a hundred times over."

Click here to read the full interview about Camille's life, music, and faith.

Click here to view InTheTimes.com.

Twentysomething violinist Annie Wolaver plays music with her brothers and sisters as part of the Annie Moses Band, named after their grandmother.

Annie's recent CD, "Bethlehem: House of Bread," is a potent Christmas CD that combines pop, classical, and jazz, with intense fiddling. "Bethlehem: House of Bread" takes classic tunes like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Go Tell It On The Mountain," and brings a real musicality to them, using smart arrangements that highlight the various stringed instruments the band is known for. Annie is petite, pretty, and blonde, with a sweet soprano voice like Sarah Brightman. If you like the sound of violins and mandolins, Annie Moses Band's "Bethlehem: House of Bread" will surely delight your ears this season.

www.anniemosesband.com
www.christianmusicmonthly.com
www.christianmusicdaily.com

Annie Wolaver, violinist & lead vocalist for AMB, is the featured guest this month on Stacy Harp's Active Christian Media podcast.

Hear Annie & Stacy talk about Bethlehem, House of Bread, chamber pop, music education, family heritage & legacy, and the joy of playing music as a calling.

Check it out at Active Christian Media!

By Camille Wolaver

It lies upon a poor small cot,
The cloth that graces many dames;
But sequined shimmer has it naught,
Nor lace, nor tuck, nor style, nor name.

Of simple cotton is it made,
A dove-grey tint, a peasant cuff,
Some buttons that with time will fade,
An apron white and starched and tough.

Two pockets used to holding hands -
Large, calloused hands, so scarred and rough;
They know no fear of earth or sand,
Nor from a child..s hacking cough.

Those hands have patted babies' backs,
They've fed her children hard-earned bread;
They've sewn together gunnysacks,
For tiny infants.. clothes and beds.

They daily build a roaring fire,
And mix and mold and bake the crusts,
And cut and wash, yet never tire,
Though thick and dark is dirt and rust.

There is no match for such a dress -
A dress that works and lives and breathes
For others in pure selflessness,
And births a blessed family.


© 2006 AMB Publishing

We're thrilled to have our new Christmas album, Bethlehem, House of Bread, reviewed at Phantom Tollbooth, a highly-recommended music & pop culture E-zine!

More info on Bethlehem, House of Bread coming very soon; in the meantime, check out the review:


Album: Bethlehem, House of Bread
Artist: The Annie Moses Band
Label: manAlive records
Time: 10 tracks / 41:40 min.
As a rule, Christmas albums are destined for one of three categories:

1 - Re-treads of variety-show song arrangements that have lurked in your subconscious mind since childhood (think: the clip-clop, clip-clop, & whinny at the end of Sleigh Ride)

2 - Collections of Christmas songs performed, usually to excess, in a particular musical genre (A Heavy Metal Christmas, A Motown Christmas, a Jazz Christmas, A Grind-Core Christmas, An Hassidic Christmas.)

3 - Interesting interpretations of classic Christmas themes, performed tastefully and with skill, combined with inspired new compositions. ...a rare category, indeed!

Well, well, well! Do such CDs really exist, you ask? Just such a CD has slipped into my CD player on this hot August day, bringing thoughts of Christmas into our living room to help us forget about humidity and think about humanity - especially the introduction of God in a tent of human flesh, born in Bethlehem. The CD is called Bethlehem, House of Bread, by The Annie Moses Band, and it definitely belongs in category number 3 from the above list.

There have been many family groups through the years, but probably few with the range of talents, and certainly few with the virtuosity, of the Wolaver family. Yes, I said, the Wolaver family. There is no Annie Moses in The Annie Moses Band - the band is named in tribute to the great-grandmother of the principal members of this group:

Annie Wolaver, violin, lead vocals
Alex Wolaver, viola, background vocals
Benjamin Wolaver, cello
Camille Wolaver, harp, organ, background vocals
Gretchen Wolaver, mandolin, background vocals
Jeremiah Wolaver, banjo
Bill Wolaver, piano, keyboards (Father of the six Wolaver children)
Robin Wolaver, background vocals (Mother of the six Wolaver children)

It should be pointed out that, aside from taking God's command to go out and replenish the earth very seriously, Bill and Robin are also responsible for most of the original lyrics (Robin) and arrangements and composition (Bill) on this CD. At this point, most Christians who have ever had a singing family at their church are afraid - very afraid. No need here--these people can play. I mean, they can really, really play, as in Julliard meets David Grisman and Darol Anger. No over-statement here: this is a group of top-drawer musicians that can hold their own in a classical or jazz environment.

A word of warning is in order at this point. If you're at all like me (and you are, after all, reading this at The Phantom Tollbooth), you dont like your music to be too pretty. Certainly, Jazz is not an environment where 'pretty' has much value, and if theres one aspect of this project that I have problem with - as strange as this might sound - is that it does tend to get 'pretty' from time to time. Very much like The Second Chapter of Acts, another brother & sister band, the power of the music is occasionally diluted by a vocal style that is just a bit too trained, too sweet, too ethereal to really reach me.

The jazz swings to an almost shocking degree. I had my reservations about this CD, but when the first track, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," started, all doubt about the musical integrity of this project was blown away. Bill Wolaver's masterful arrangement starts with a melancholy, haunting cello taking the melody, followed by the addition of a sweet solo vocal. Harmony vocals soon follow, introducing some interesting chords, and then things really start to swing. Drums kick the song into a jazz tempo as soaring violin phrases begin to spice up the mix, followed by a very articulate jazz piano section, then back to jazzy violin soloing reminiscent of the French/gypsy jazz of Stephane Grappelli and the contemporary folk/jazz style of recent David Grisman and Darol Anger projects.

The second track is the title song, "Bethlehem, House of Bread," which shows another side of this band's repertoire: this powerful, semi-classical, hymn-like song was written by Robin Wolaver and arranged by husband, Bill. The song is a worshipful addition to the Christmas tradition. With Annie doing the solo lead vocal (yes, its pretty!) over the sweeping strings, there's an awe-like quality thats appropriate to the lyric - quite powerfully arranged and performed.

The CD continues with an impressive, almost a cappella performance (guest vocal sextet, One Voice) of the traditional, "Mary Had a Baby," skillfully arranged by Annie, with a percussion accompaniment by J. Javier Santiago.

Track 4 treats us to more pleasant surprises with "Hark!," an excellent composition by the talented Mr. Wolaver, with a strong melody and occasional jazzy violin reference to other familiar musical Christmas themes. The lyrics are both familiar and new, and are compiled, according to the song credits.

"Little Baby," the fifth track, is the closest thing on the CD to what we'd call a main-line CCM music radio-ready song that's pleasant, competent, but lacking anything to really distinguish it from among other ready-made holiday songs that crop up from year-to-year. This is the first song of a weak three-track section on the project, where it sounds as if the band has suddenly shifted gears to a 'let's give the people what they want' mode, as if this were the audience-friendly section of their live show. Track six, for example, is a rather safe medley: "Jingle Bells / Go Tell It On the Mountain" is an instrumental featuring that great virtuosity, but wastes that musical skill on an arrangement that is more corny than cool. This is followed by "Christmas on Cripple Creek," which is sort-of a novelty song, a holiday hoe-down with vocals that sound too sanitized for the arrangement.

The band gets serious again with the last three songs, all of which are excellent compositions, falling somewhere between pop-classical, jazz, and the hymnbook. Occasionally a song or two in this collection might sound too much like a spot from a Broadway show, or from a holiday cantata, but theres often the spark of brilliance in the writing and arranging of Bill Wolaver. The closing song, for instance, "Holy Christmas Day (A Christmas Communion Hymn)," is a wonderful, introspective piece, certainly too sophisticated for the average church-goer to actually try to sing from a hymn-book, but totally appropriate for a stage presentation and yet, theres a jazz quality about the structure of the melody that puts it into yet another, hard-to-define category.

I would certainly look forward to more music from The Annie Moses Band, especially if the focus of the band becomes more involved in Bill Wolaver's fine jazz arrangements. I think that this unique family jazz/pop/classical group could easily become a national phenomenon by staying true to what they, as musicians, really want to do most: to these ears, theres an unmistakable joy and fire in the jazz and jazzy classical side to the band's repertoire. Who needs pretty when you can have stunning instead?

4.5 tocks out of 5.

Add half a tock if pretty voices don't bother you. Add half a tock when we hit December.

...either way, you might want to buy this CD: Bill Wolaver's six kids need Christmas presents.

Bert Saraco