Adore: Chris Tomlin's Christmas Songs of Worship
Not since 2006 has internationally known worship artist Chris Tomlin produced a new Christmas album. Well, those who have patiently waited these past nine years are in for a treat with his new release, Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship.
Recently, Tomlin spoke with CBN.com about his new Christmas album and what this special holiday season means to him. Here are excerpts from that conversation:
Hannah Goodwyn: Be honest! Are you a Christmas music fan?
Chris Tomlin: I absolutely love everything about Christmas music. You know something that's hit me this year…it's the only season that has its own genre of music. I mean, that is powerful. There's something about that. What other holiday season has its own genre? That says something about how special what we're talking about is.
Goodwyn: And there's something about Christmas songs for even people outside of the faith that pulls them in. Why do you think that is?
Tomlin: I think that deep inside, all of humanity knows there's truth here, whether they want to admit it or not. There's a joy that comes in Christmas. There's a season of giving, so people feel this generosity. There's something different. There's something where everything slows down. They may not put their finger on it, but the world comes and slows down a little bit. You reflect on life more. We just think about family. We think about what is most important in life. Every year, Christmas causes you to do that. I love that it's the one time of the year that the malls will be filled with the name of Jesus ringing through it.
Goodwyn: What's the story behind the title track, "Adore"?
Tomlin: A friend of mine showed me this song a couple years ago. I did not write this song; and I love finding songs like this that I have nothing to do with. It just absolutely rips my heart apart when I hear them. When I hear a song like that I just want to champion, I want to record it. I want to sing it. This is that song. It's written by two friends, Martin Chalk and Graham Kendrick. It's as pure as a song comes.
There's something about it. It's amazing to hear a song and it's a brand new song, and it feels like you have sung this your whole life. I feel like it's going to be a classic throughout the church because it's got something so classic about it and yet so simple. You can grab your guitar around a Christmas tree at home or a piano, or in a big symphony, and sing this song. It's just that engaging.
Goodwyn: Do you have a personal favorite of the classics, one that just gives you goose bumps every time you sing it?
Tomlin: Oh, no question, "O Holy Night." It just knocks me out. And that was on my first Christmas record I made several years ago (Glory in the Highest, 2006). That is just as perfectly written as you can get to me.
Goodwyn: Why does it speak to you so much?
Tomlin: Well, every once in a while a song comes with a melody and a lyric, and the whole chord progression, everything fits. And so when it says, "Fall on your knees, hear the angels' voices, oh night divine." There's something about the melody and the way it's sung. It just makes me want to get low, and get down, and do exactly what the lyric's saying, "Fall on your knees."
It's so majestic and so beautiful; and it's so worshipful. It's so powerful. It does what only music can do; it moves the soul. I could say that to you all day long, "Fall on your knees, hear the angels' voices, oh night divine, oh night divine." And it might move you, but I doubt it. But if you sing it with those chords, it moves your soul and that's just so powerful.
Goodwyn: Thinking back to your childhood, what was your first role in a Christmas play?
Tomlin: I remember being in church. We would do the live nativity in my little town and I remember pulling the sheep. I was the shepherd, so I was pulling the sheep around town, down Main Street. I thought that was the most awesome, coolest thing ever.
Goodwyn: Do you have a favorite holiday tradition you do now with your family?
Tomlin: Not yet. Right now, it's all about going to the grandparents, you know. We're making our way across the country to get to grandparents and be with family.
