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December 20, 2012Free Music Friday: Joy to the World
Download holiday music from worship leader and recording artist Lincoln Brewster.
‘Twas the Friday before Christmas, and all through the house, Christmas carols were playing—"Joy to the World" and more. On Friday, Dec. 21, TCW offers readers a free download of the title track from worship leader Lincoln Brewster’s debut holiday album, Joy to the World.
“With Joy To The World, we set out to do arrangements that hadn’t been done before, a record with a modern edge, capturing a new take,” Brewster said. “Being a worship pastor, it’s challenging to keep things fresh, but I think we got there.”
Raised in a small town in Alaska, Brewster started playing music at a young age, with the encouragement of his mother. Brewster’s upbringing was darkened by his stepfather’s violent behavior and alcohol addiction, but he and his mother were able to find solace in music together.
“My mom loved music and played with local bands,” Brewster says. “She was the one who inspired my love for singing and playing instruments.”
After surrendering his life to Christ at 19, Brewster turned down a mainstream record deal, married his high school sweetheart, and pursued a career dedicated to music and ministry. Now the senior worship leader at Bayside Church in California, Joy to the World is Brewster’s first holiday album, a contemporary recording that captures the spirit of the season with upbeat tracks including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and an original song, “Shout for Joy.”
“I wanted to try—as often as possible—to make the music sound like what the lyrics were saying,” Brewster said.
The album expresses the joy of the holiday season with lots of energy from electric guitars and drums, and shines toward the middle with an instrumental song called “Miraculum,” featuring melodies from “Carol of the Bells,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “We Three Kings,” “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” and “O Holy Night.”
“I’ve only recorded a few instrumental pieces in my career, but it’s one of the things I really love being able to do,” Brewster said. “I hope that ‘Miraculum’ will provide a musical setting that churches can grab onto and use in their own services during the holidays.”
Purchase the entire album at this link, and preview “Joy to the World” in the music video below:
*This week's Free Music Friday download has ended. Check back next year for more TCW free music downloads!