This past Sunday night, I had the privilege of being at the CD release party for Chuck Elmore’s Christmas EP “Earth and Heaven”. Hosted at New Life City (where Chuck serves as Associate Pastor) the room was packed with fans, family and supporters who got a chance to hear his music and enter into a sweet time of worship.
In addition to playing the songs from the new album, Chuck and his band also played some Christmas classics as well as several songs from past albums that were clearly crowd favorites. Young and old got up to jump, sing, sway and praise.
There was a point in the evening, where I just had to sit, and let the tears stream down my face. The music touched me, but more than that, I witnessed a precious moment where there were no divisions within the body of Christ. It was a time where a diverse mix of people gathered together, raising voices in unison, praising the King. A small group of children played ring-around-the-rosie and were caught up in the delight of moment. The joy in the room was palpable.
I am fortunate to count Chuck and his wife Becky as dear friends. This may indeed make my review of his music quite biased. However, having been raised with many musical influences, and having spent a great many years in piano, orchestra and band, I feel that I can speak to the quality of the music being produced.
Chuck collaborated with his good friend Andy Othling on this album. Andy is a superb guitarist and producer and many may recognize his recording alias, Lowercase Noises. Together, these two have honed their skills in storytelling, lyric scripting, music and vocals to bring about a 6 track EP that will cause you to want to worship the “reason for the season”. Dee Brown contributes his smooth voice to “Magnificat”, a song he helped co-write, and the harmony that ensues only serves to enrich the listening experience.
Chuck’s love for the Lord is evident in his writing and in his desire to give his very best, both in his performances and in his recordings. It has taken nearly 3 years to get this Christmas album to disc, but you will hear the exceptional quality in the production of Earth and Heaven.
I would encourage those who are looking for a way to enter into praise this holiday season, to pick up a copy of “Earth and Heaven”. Earlier albums are equally as powerful, but understandably, many are looking for that Christmas feel to pull them out of the commercialized whirlwind that tends to suck us in this time of year.
As of now, the quickest way to access Chuck’s albums are through the website https://chuckelmore.bandcamp.com/. There you will be able to preview his music and purchase digital downloads to use on MP3 players. You can pick up the physical CDs during service times at New Life City, or at the Calvary of Albuquerque bookstore, Parchments.
