Singer/songwriter Sara Groves was just awarded Christianity Today’s Album of the Year for 2009. Fireflies and Songs was, according to the magazine, the “runaway No. 1 choice” for Album of the Year, according to a panel of ten music critics. (You can listen to excerpts from this album or order it here. A great Christmas present! You can download it from iTunes here.)
Sara also has a delightful Christmas album, O Holy Night. She sings beloved Christmas classics (“Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Silent Night”) as well as several of her own Christmas compositions. In the middle of this moving, spiritually-enriching album is one of the funniest Christmas songs I have heard in a long, long time. “Toy Packaging” is an utter joy. When I first heard it, I literally laughed out loud. And if you know me, you know that doesn’t happen very often.
If you’re unfamiliar with Sara Groves, let me encourage you to check out her music. She is a real gem.
Also, congratulations to Ashley Cleveland for being recognized in the Christianity Today top ten for her newest album, God Don’t Never Change. This album, by a great friend of Laity Lodge, has been nominated for a Grammy. It features Ashley’s gripping renditions of gospel songs and newly-discovered spirituals. Way to go, Ashley!