On
Making Our CD
We have loved
singing together for a long time, but our individual
interests in ministry through music probably date back
to junior high school. In recent years, friends and
family have repeatedly asked us to record a CD and, in
God’s providence, 2004 turned out to be the year for us
to follow through on those requests.
As we began to
seriously consider the idea, an increasing desire to honor God’s
mercy in placing us in a family of Christian faith began
to take center stage. The final repertoire consists of
songs chosen because they were favorites of our
grandparents: How Great Thou Art, Finally Home and
Testimony; a tribute to our infant niece who died in
2003: Grace Above All; songs based on Scriptures
precious to us: Romans 8 and Psalm 139 (You Are God medley); and lyrics that
reflect or express our personal walks with the Lord: all
the rest.
We originally
considered titling the album “Grace Above All” because
it points to the grace that motivates, encourages, and
sustains our faith. In the end, we settled on “Testimony
of Grace” for much the same reason. Each song points to
the grace of God and the ways in which that grace has
fashioned the fabric of our lives.
After our niece
died, Chad Gundersen came alongside Annelise’s parents
to help them process their grief in healthy ways.
Through them, we were introduced to Chad and he agreed
to produce our CD. Chad was the one who introduced us to
Hyman and Tim at Harbor House Studios and the final
product bears the marks of excellence that each of these
men brings to his craft. We are so grateful for their
influence and encouragement to make the best recording
possible with the time, talent, and resources available
to us.
The CD would not
have happened without those mentioned in the “Our
thanks” section of the website and the CD insert. Our
choir director at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Rob
Rucker, greatly influenced our choice of music. Colin,
the organist at the church and our friend, gave us the
wonderful arrangement for “O God Beyond All Praising.”
When it came to choosing accompanists, Jonathan and Jill
Smith were our top choices. We knew we had found a
unique friendship after the first time we spent an
evening singing away the hours around the grand piano in
their home.
We are delighted to
have the final product in hand now to share with family
and friends both old and new. We pray God will use both
your visit and our music to encourage you as you walk in
the path He has prepared for you and as He writes his
testimony of grace into your life. Thank you for
visiting our site! |