Back to ordinary, huh?
Is it just me or did that Christmas season kind of go by in a blur?
I've heard a couple people say it anyway - that this one seemed to go faster than others.
(Don't tell anyone but our tree is still up. It's still fairly alive and we just couldn't bring ourselves to take it down this weekend. I don't know…maybe we can make it a thing for St. Anthony the Abbot or St. Valusian day. It ain't going to make it til Candlemas on February 2, that's for sure. But it's so pretty still…I'd hate to see it on the curb already. Some of the other decorations got packed away but I'm still loving my mantle and the candles and wreaths in the windows will stay until Candlemas. In case you were wondering.)
So, yes, ordinary time.
Need a fun transition?
How about a giveaway from acclaimed Catholic Christian singer songwriter Colleen Nixon???
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| credit geraldlawmusic.com |
You may have already heard of the music of Marian Grace. In fact I wrote about them last year and how their Christmas album released last year quickly became one of my faves. Their takes on ancient hymns as well as their original songs move my soul and sometimes bring me to tears. If you ever have an opportunity to see them live, take it. They are extremely talented and one of the few artists nowadays who sound just as good, if not better, live as on the album.
What you may not know is that their lead singer Colleen Nixon also has two solo albums where, as she puts it, "the sacred meets the secular." The albums are not praise and worship but are her original pieces where you receive a snapshot of her life. They provide a glimpse into the Theology of the Body, love, marriage, grief and loss, and romance all without being saccharine or, you know, just obnoxiously too much. Her sound is most definitely a jazzy blues sound and she's often compared to Norah Jones but her range of style and tone, I think, goes far beyond that. For a little taste you, see the videos at the bottom of the post.
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| www.colleennixon.com |
When I met Colleen back in December, she was super excited to do a giveaway on my blog which made me all sorts of excited, too! I can vouch for the fact that Colleen is just as amazing and pure and beautiful in person as she sounds on the albums.
The winner of this randomly chosen giveaway will receive both of Colleen's albums, Love is in the Air and Lake Ella's Sky. (P.S. Either of these would be a sweet gift for someone else or yourself for St. Valentine's Day!)
I know people are scared of Rafflecopter so I'll make this one easy on you.
To enter, leave a comment below telling me one of your favorite secular artists. If you'd like an additional entry, you can share a link to the giveaway (this post) on Facebook, Twitter, or your own blog but then you've got to come back and leave a comment letting me know you did or I won't know.
The giveaway will close next Sunday evening the 18th at 11:59 p.m.
Sound good?
Good.
Don't forget to enter in the comments below.
Happy ordinary time and good luck!
One of the fan favorites: "Perfect"
"To Live is to Love is to Die"…how she was in my head when finding out I was pregnant this time around a full two years plus before it happened is kinda weird.
"You Wouldn't Mind"
I really like Lorde. I'd love to win these. I've been hearing about Colleen and Marian Grace a lot recently!
ReplyDeleteHm. I really love Vampire Weekend!
ReplyDeleteshared: https://www.facebook.com/hinesjenna/posts/10106129722309174
ReplyDeleteAvett brothers!
ReplyDeletehttps://mobile.twitter.com/imprfctbutloved/status/554654213775843329
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of Avett Brothers over here :) So excited! All of this music sounds so beautiful! Will be listening when I can today! Thanks, Mary!
ReplyDeleteShared on FB :)
DeleteWhat a great giveaway! Alice Russell is my favorite secular artist to listen to these days.
ReplyDeleteI shared it on my blog's FB page! https://www.facebook.com/boysbooksandballs
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win. I don't listen to a lot of secular music and I can't think of anybody to say! Oh I do have Pentatonix's Christmas album, so I'll say them. Thanks for offering this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! I also like Pentatonix, especially their version of "Mary Did You Know?"
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite artists is David Myles, he's a local guy and his song "I Will Love You" is what my husband proposed with and our first dance song. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks to my kids, I've become a fan of the Lumineers. (If it weren't for my kids, I'd be listening to Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and Jackson Browne.)
ReplyDeleteI really like Meiko (she sings Stuck On You)
ReplyDeleteI love Audrey Assad, who's not secular - but I also love old stuff like James Taylor and Simon and Garfunkel...also think Adele has an amazing voice and back in the day listened to a lot of Norah Jones
ReplyDeleteMy older girls and I have been enjoying Brooke Fraser's work although her latest album supposedly takes a turn for the electronic pop so I'm not sure we'll like it as much. Albertine and Something in the Water are our favorites.
ReplyDelete(I think it ate my comment. If it didn't feel free to delete any duplicates.)
I tweeted a link to this post, because I wanted to see if my Twitter account still worked but I have no way to prove to you that I did because I'm not that savvy. Please just take my word for it! :)
ReplyDeleteNo problem :) I actually wasn't expecting people to post links…just to let me know in a comment so I can count an extra entry!
DeleteI don't get to listen to much secular music these days, but if I had my choice, I'd listen to Kelly Clarkson.
ReplyDeleteps thanks for introducing me to Colleen Nixon's music! She's great!
I also tweeted about it! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm into Imagine Dragons right now :)
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any secular favorites :) We listen to a lot of classical, ragtime and some Christian artists...I'd love to add some new ones! Thanks
ReplyDeleteOh I have been hearing so much about her and Marian Grace lately! As far as secular music..... I have been seriously jamming out to the Backyardigans CD lately (thank you preschoolers lol)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to cheat a little and give our current favorite secular kids artist since we're not too much into contemporary secular stuff. Elizabeth Mitchell is always playing on our YouTube. Other than that, we enjoy sacred music, traditional irish folk, classical, contemporary Christian worship and some indie artists. Oh, and someone discovered that the Gummy Bear Song makes the toddler stop crying (although it tends to produce the opposite affect in me!)
ReplyDeleteShared! https://twitter.com/Blossomingjoy/status/556894802785337344?lang=en
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to enter me into the drawing, because I already have (AND LOVE!) both of Colleen's CDs! I just wanted to chime in with how much we love her music and the music from all the other artists associated with Love Good Music! It's like Christmas every month when our new CD comes!
ReplyDeleteI agree! I've found some great new favorites that way, too (loved the Greg and Lizzy CD!)
DeleteYes!! Their CD and Adam and I's are favorites around here!!! We actually got to host Adam and I for a house concert in October! It was a blast!!
ReplyDelete