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Cynthia's all-new recording has arrived:
e p i s o d e s
Please see the Musings page on this website for more information!
episodes
These songs are near to Cynthia's heart because they have been part of her journey as a singer. She speaks of homesickness, doubt and faith. She is, as always, honest in content and delivery as she allows her faith to shine through the music.
This recording includes the following songs: Yoakum, I Wanna Go Home, Bluebonnets, The River, What About The Children, When Can Brown Begin,
A Doubter's Prayer, Woodstock Girl, This World is Not My Home and Episode.
Angel Be
Together, the voices of Cynthia and Craig Hella Johnson cause the angels to open their wings in delight! This CD is a compilation of recordings selected from the past decade of their collaboration and performance. Much of the music is taken from the annual concert, Christmas at the Carillon, performed under the direction of Craig and featuring Cynthia along with Conspirare, an ensemble of professional singers from around the country. Although not Christmas songs, this exquisite music is deeply spiritual.
These songs were recorded in the Carillon – a former convent in Austin, Texas where the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration lived, worshiped and prayed. The marble sanctuary has become a magnificent concert hall in which Cynthia, Craig and Conspirare sing.
The two-volume set of favorite live recordings and four previously unreleased tracks includes:
Disc 1- Angel Be, How Do You Keep The Music Playing?, By My Side/Come, Ye Disconsolate, Will There Really Be A Morning, Georgia Lee, Stay Awake, Dancing The Mystery/He Leadeth Me, Song of Bernadette, Nearer My God To Thee/When I Fall In Love, To Mother You, All That A Heart, Whispering Hope, Silent Night/Impossible Dream.
Disc 2 – Shall We Gather, On Fine Nights/When My Soul Goes Home, A Dream Is A Wish/I Have Imagined, Beautiful, Don’t Know Much, Cathedrals, I Could Have Danced All Night, I Love You, Angel Be
You're Welcome Here
Fifth offering in the Classic Series ...
Lovers of Bill and Gloria Gaither's Homecoming productions, here is the sound of a faith that sprouted in Texas and blossomed into full flower, nurtured by the sounds of Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, Cindy Walker and the music of the old Broadman hymnal.
With all the country influence, there was the counter balance of the musical mastery of Cynthia's mother who studied music and was a fine church pianist all of her life loving classical music and popular songs from the 30's and 40's. Teachers like Sarah Baker, her voice teacher in college, and excellent singers like Bob Hale and Dean Wilder encouraged her to use her musical gift for the Opera; but she could never limit herself to one style.
While living in Nashville, she met Jim Ed Norman who produced Anne Murray's recordings. He encouraged Cynthia to express that early influence in her musical background on this recording. This CD of gospel songs is deliciously flavored with the seasonings that come directly to her heart from the Scotch-Irish, Welsh ancestors who came to this country singing about their faith as they settled the mountains in the eastern parts of North America.
Nashville song writers, the wonderful Charlie McCoy on harmonica and the brilliant Ricky Skaggs mandolin picking seem to caress the songs Cynthia sings with the softness of the sound of the wind in hickory trees, the joy of rain on a tin roof and the gentle shadow of mountain fog.
The CD includes the following songs: You're Welcome Here, The Pilgrim, A Song For You, I Will Believe, Bring Back The New Again, Angel Band, He Chose To Live In Me, Everything To Me, The Best Is Yet To Come and You Are The World To Me.
The Way I Feel
Fourth offering in the Classic Series ... 
It was an earlier time when the whole world was full of new beginnings
and the
possibilities of making records was a dream coming true for Cynthia
Clawson.
Buryl Red was her brilliant producer who spoke in pauses long enough
to drive a truck through, but during those
pauses he was formulating musical delights for her to express. This
album is still so relevant that it amazes the listener at its freshness.
Cynthia Clawson and her husband wrote the powerful opening song,
The Journey, as a genuine plea for divine assistance as they
started their lives together as fellow artists on the road to who knew
where.
It was a time of travel and advancing a budding career and each song had an impact on where Cynthia was physically and spiritually. She had already established that she was a unique interpreter of hymns of her faith and it was evident in the new setting by Raymond Brown for William Cowper’s words, Sometimes a Light Surprises. Her beloved friend, Raymond, gave her another song that expressed the way she felt with his new setting of Softly and Tenderly. It sealed their relationship as writer and singer. He went on to accompany her for a decade before he died prematurely. On this collection, he collaborated with Ragan Courtney to write one of Cynthia’s most requested songs, I Heard About a Man.
Adding to the theatrical feel of this recording were the songs by the talented writer, George Gagliardi. He wrote the happy song, A Brand New Song, and the provocative piece, His Music, that keeps returning between the selections to tie the collection together.
In thirty years this has been Cynthia’s most requested album. The way Cynthia feels is obviously hopeful and faithful. This recording is a source of encouragement. Today it still stands out as a creative and fresh way to use music to proclaim one’s faith.
The CD includes the following songs: The Journey, How Tedious And Tasteless The Hours, Softly And Tenderly, A Brand
New Song, Sometimes A Light Surprises, The Happy Kingdom, Flee As A Bird, I Thank The Father, I Heard About A Man and
His Music.
Immortal
Third offering in the Classic Series ...
This recording, released by Cynthia in 1986, was a statement about what she wanted to say in terms of her faith and her longing to be involved in things eternal. There was a feeling of theological movement in her denomination and sides were being taken. One morning at a chapel service at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where her husband was on faculty, she stood to sing with all the passion in her soul, My Faith Has Found a Resting Place. It was to be the first song in this recording. Everything else pointed to God in whom she had utmost trust. Then, with a delightful burst of energy, we hear the woodwinds fairly laughing out the joy from the arrangement of the hymn, Immortal, Invisible.
She was asked that year to sing the title song for a movie that was being produced from a Hoorten Foote play entitled, A Trip to Bountiful. It starred the brilliant actress Geraldine Page who won an Academy Award for her performance. Her singing of W. L. Thompson’s beloved hymn, Softly and Tenderly, turned out to be the quintessential performance of the song, and there have been very few concerts since that day she has not sung that haunting music.
Each song in this repertoire is carefully chosen to make the listener more and more comforted by the immortal truths found in Cynthia’s collection recorded on this CD.
The CD includes the following songs: My Faith Has Found A Resting Place, Immortal Invisible, Let Me Get Lost, Heartsong, Hot Fire, I Will Survive, Spirit Shine, Softly And Tenderly, Bring It To Jesus and One More Dayspring.
Finest Hour
Second offering in the Cynthia Clawson Classic series ... 
This recording includes some of Cynthia's most beloved
songs. The title cut, My Finest Hour, was written by George
Gagliardi as was Stand By Me. Both songs, completely different
in style, contain beautiful, passionate lyrics like all the previous
music that Gagliardi has written for her. Akin to other Clawson
albums, there are various styles and musical treatments which will
keep the listener's attention all the way through - one listening
after another. Finest Hour, the last of the Nashville
recordings, will delight those who are fans of Jerry Crutchfield's
production. (Crutchfield also produced Lee Greenwood, Dave Loggins,
Tanya Tucker and many other such artists.)
As always, the lyric content is most important and that by Doug McGuire and Reba Rambo will remind the long-time gospel music family of the rich heritage of the southern church community. This offering is recommended for hours of enjoyment by those who are seeking the inspiration of classic Cynthia Clawson.
The CD includes the following songs: Without You, Take Us Home For Christmas, Someday This Old Road, So Precious To Me, Stop This Haulin' Water, My Finest Hour, You Still Believe In Me, He Came Along With Me, The Perfect Stranger, I'll Be Home and Stand By Me.
Forever
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK.
First offering in the Cynthia Clawson Classic Series ...
Forever is a classic and it is nearly new. When it was released in 1983, it was full of great music that was difficult to categorize. It had a sound that was distinctly influenced by the jazz idiom, songs with sweeping orchestral arrangements, arrangements with pounding rhythms, and gentle, prayerful songs. It showcased the unique stylings of Cynthia Clawson who had not followed the advice of the gospel music pundits. They were insisting she be more one dimensional in order to make it easier to categorize her music and market it to a specific group. She was not encouraged to be multidimensional - but she was.
In the brief time
that Forever was on the
shelves in the stores, Come Celebrate Jesus went to
number one on the Christian charts. The record company was about
to drop a bomb on Cynthia and the other artist they had signed.
They closed their gospel branch in Nashville hurting all of their
artists and taking the recordings off the shelves. Stunned, she
pulled back from the industry and worked at her other job of being
mother and wife. While she was in demand as much as ever, she
found herself traveling to different venues to sing about her faith. The
rush of commercial success became a memory - sometimes pleasant,
sometimes painful, but those hard days honed her craft of being
an excellent communicator of the gospel.
Cynthia has never slowed down or stopped singing. Her reputation
has grown and she has built a deeply loyal following. She sings
wherever she is invited, always singing the truth she finds in
the gospel she embraces. Unapologetically, she sings to
broken, marginalized people, the well-heeled and the ordinary
folks, following the example of the One she so passionately follows.
This album is classic Cynthia. Listen to it and
pass it on.
The CD includes the following songs: Forever, When Jesus Has A Hold On You, His Voice, Here Comes His Love, There's Power In The Blood, Hands, Come Celebrate Jesus, Get Happy, Ruby, Heaven, I'll Keep MyEyes On You and Turn You Eyes Upon Jesus.
See Me, God
When
people speak of Cynthia's work, the word intimacy is often used,
and this is arguably her most intimate recording to date. For those who have seen a concert with Cynthia and her superb accompanist Bruce Greer
and wanted to take home that experience, this is the recording
for you. Cynthia is at her most inspiring as she continues to offer
comfort. The album is
mature and hopeful as it dares to ask questions and seek answers
for those on a journey of spiritual growth.
The artistry and melding of talents is
stunning. Preview listeners
declared that it was like being in Cynthia’s living room as she sang,
others said it was more like being in her mind as she was so honest
and open in her lyrics, and in her performances. Cynthia has dared to make music,
ask questions, and declare faith in a troubled world. This album is a beautiful and
brave undertaking for this seasoned artist who, like a rare violin, gets
richer with age.
This new release has found the gospel "in disguise" by many writers from Tom Waits to Steven Sondheim. She has included her trademark hymns interspersed throughout the CD to offer direction to the questions that we face. In Tom Wait’s moving song, Georgia Lee, he ponders where God was when a little girl was murdered. It is followed on the CD by a haunting instrumental of Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child with Cynthia then singing Prayer for Peace – words by St. Francis, music by Buryl Red.
broken: healing the heart
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK.
Accompanied by Bruce Greer, Cynthia sings for those
who hunger for comfort. She says of this album, "There
are many ties that bind us together. The greatest of these is God's love,
and the second is the commonality of the human experience that includes
all frailties ... our brokenness. The miracle of Love can turn those broken
places into a heart of compassion for others and forgiveness for
ourselves.The wailing of broken hearts is the doorway to
God."
This work includes My Mother's Faith, Teardrops, written by Craig Hella-Johnson, Broken, Fragile, Seasons of the Soul, God Help the Outcasts, Beautiful are the Scars, The Thorn, written by Bruce Greer, Broken Heart, written by Cynthia Clawson and Raymond Brown, Jesus Wept and Brokenness.
Prayer & Plainsong
Prayer and Plainsong has the feeling of
private meditation. It draws the listener into a quiet space where
the mystery unfolds. This unique recording was conceived during a visit to
the historic Mission San Jose. Cynthia Clawson was so moved by the quiet
sanctity of the old church that she began to softly sing as a personal act
of worship. The hallowed walls reverberated with centuries of prayer and
worship and the sound was the sound of an ancient praise embellished by a
sweet holiness.
Noting the beautiful acoustical quality of the 300-year-old sanctuary, she brought her friend, accompanist and arranger, Bruce Greer, to hear the quality of the sound of the room. They determined to capture as nearly as possible the experience Cynthia had when she sang a prayer in the mission.
Every song was to be thought of as prayer; and the songs were songs that Cynthia was familiar with after a lifetime of singing the hymns with which she was raised. Songs like: Pass Me Not, O Worship the King, Take My Life, Holy, Holy, Holy and Have Thine Own Way. She then chose more recent writings to fill out this recording of prayers with other songs like: Eternal Life/Prayer of St. Francis, O Bountiful Provider, I Love You, Lord and Hear Our Prayer, O Lord.
With a musical gesture to the historical meaning of this old mission where Spanish missionaries attempted to tell indigenous people about God's love expressed in Christ, Bruce Greer wove the language and the musical style of these Catholic missionaries into these decidedly Protestant hymns. The results are stunning. Not only are the artists impeccable in their delivery, but they have provided for the listener an opportunity to hear the gentle assurance of God's abiding grace.
Hymnsinger
For some time now, Cynthia has called this her favorite
album. In collaboration with her friend, pianist and arranger, David
Maddux, some of her best song styling can be heard here. The hymn
texts take on new meanings and greater dimensions as this duo soars
over new harmonies and daring contrasts. Also included are three original
pieces by Clawson, Maddux and Paul McKusker.
This very original work proves that nothing can speak to the heart better than an old hymn from a seasoned performer who lives for the reason behind the message. Critically acclaimed, this is a must for any Cynthia Clawson listener, for any musician, for any soul.
Selections included: Hymns, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee; Suite: For The Beauty Of The Earth, This Is My Father's World, Then I Saw You; When I Survey The Wondrous Cross, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go; Suite: There Is A Balm In Gilead, Day By Day, I Need Thee Every Hour, Be Still My Soul, There Is A Balm In Gilead (Reprise) and When My Soul Goes Home with When We All Get To Heaven
Blessed Assurance
This album
is brimming with the assurance that Cynthia has received for years
from the gospel hymns of her faith. Songs that she and her family
sang together will become a part of your journey home. Modest arrangements,
with piano, guitar, violin and harp, will take you back to a time
when life seemed simple – when families and friends would gather around
the piano and sing their songs of sacred trust and hearty spirit.
Songs included: Sweet Hour Of Prayer Medley, It Is Well With My Soul, In The Garden, Nothing But The Blood, The Ninety and Nine, Blessed Assurance, Cross Medley, Light Medley, Abide With Me, It Singeth Low In Every Heart.
Carols & Chant
Cynthia
Clawson has recorded a Christmas project that has, at its core,
the joy associated with Christmas and
a strong emphasis on the mystery of the birth of Jesus. Her friend,
accompanist, and musical arranger, Bruce Greer, presented this music to her
last year as a Christmas gift, all neatly bound and ready to
record.
The project was recorded in
Cynthia and Bruce produce the only sounds heard on the recording. What seems like a choir of solemn, pious monks devoted to worshiping through chant, or later the sound of a choir of sweet nuns singing from pure adoration, is none other than the voices of Cynthia Clawson and Bruce Greer, contemporary Christians creating out of sheer delight.
They weave the holiness of
Gregorian chant with the tender familiarity of Christmas carols into a
warm blanket for the Child about whom they sing. This offering of music
and adoration lifts the listener’s spirit and reminds them of winding
streets in an ancient town in Palestine, hillsides where flocks of sheep
huddled against the cold night wind, and skies shimmering with dazzling
colors, angels' songs, joy, and the sweet mystery of the advent of the
Messiah!
The album includes: O Come, O
Come Emmanuel; Verbum Caro Factum Est;
Carolsinger
"Fifteen years ago I recorded this Christmas album with David
Maddox. We loved the experience and what resulted was, for me, possibly
my favorite recording. It was released in late November of l988 and
nearly missed the season. The next year it was taken off the market
and the season of waiting began for me. Finally, it is available again
with The Calla Lily Company and I am so grateful and excited.
Carolsinger is about expectant hope and the realization that there is light after darkness, life after death and amazement and wonder in the Kingdom of God. A baby has been born and he is called Emmanuel - God with us!" Cynthia
The CD includes: Advent Suite with Stand Still and Wait, written by Cynthia, How Far Is It to Bethlehem, I Wonder As I Wander, For Unto Us A Child Is Born,
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, Lully, Lulla and Nativity Suite.
So, I Go At Last To Wrestle God
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK.
At last, from the creator of Celebrate Life, Bright New Wings and Earl of Ruston, the poet speaks with passion and intensity of his deep reverance, wonder and fear of the Lord, the Creator of the Universe. Ragan Courtney, who has written songs, poems and sermons for over thirty years, releases this compact disc of thirteen stories and poems unlike any recordig to date. Each rendering is accompanied by original music and sound that will draw the listener in to visualize and hear exactly what Courtney is striving to communicate.
Especially captivating is the story, Wine. The episode of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman is surrounded by Southern sounds of a saloon, which will cause the listener to smile. If the writer's effort is to convey reality and awe, the job is well done.
Will Courtney, Steven Collins and Cynthia Clawson provide a most unusual sound track for this truly unique recording.
This work includes: You Who Pulls The Evening Tide, A Prayer for Reality, The Vastness, Hopeful Poem, There Is The Chance, Burning Mystery, Holy Gost, There Is first A Thought, I Saw God Today, Hello, Are You There?, Blessed Are The Pure In Heart, So, I Go At Last To Wrestle God, God, I Have Tried, Wine and Prayer #999.
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