Merry Christmas, Shepherds!

FeaturesMusic Appreciation
Written By Edward Wolfe

Shepherd

https://www.wolfemusiced.com/blog/merry-christmas-2022?rq=specially

I ran an article two years ago about Ralph Carmichael’s (1927-2021) Specially for Shepherds, a short pop opera telling the Christmas story with heart and insight.

It is in four parts: The Prophets, Mary, Joseph, and 'Specially for Shepherds.  I've had the privilege of singing in and on another occasion directing this musical.  My wife performed live the part of Mary.  We love hearing this piece every Christmas.  It’s about 45 minutes long and beautifully orchestrated and sung. The characters in the musical are real-sounding and authentic. Joseph, for example, when he hears of Mary’s supposed infidelity, is angry and hurt. I heard a pastor say that he felt this portrayed the Christmas characters in the most down-to-earth way he’d ever heard. Carmichael portrayed the shepherds in the story as people very much like us.

Enjoy Carmichael’s music and insights. Leave a comment below if you like.

Edward Wolfe

Edward Wolfe has been a fan of Christian apologetics since his teenage years, when he began seriously to question the truth of the Bible and the reality of Jesus. About twenty years ago, he started noticing that Christian evidences roughly fell into five categories, the five featured on this website.
Although much of his professional life has been in Christian circles (12 years on the faculties of Pacific Christian College, now a part of Hope International University, and Manhattan Christian College and also 12 years at First Christian Church of Tempe), much of his professional life has been in public institutions (4 years at the University of Colorado and 19 years at Tempe Preparatory Academy).
His formal academic preparation has been in the field of music. His bachelor degree was in Church Music with a minor in Bible where he studied with Roger Koerner, Sue Magnusson, Russel Squire, and John Rowe; his master’s was in Choral Conducting where he studied with Howard Swan, Gordon Paine, and Roger Ardrey; and his doctorate was in Piano Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature, where he also studied group dynamics, humanistic psychology, and Gestalt theory with Guy Duckworth.
He and his wife Louise have four grown children and six grandchildren.

https://WolfeMusicEd.com
Previous

Merry Christmas 2024!
Next

Christmas Humor