Music
The songs on Hearing Winter stem from many places of emotion and longing. Knowing the stories behind the songs enhance the listening experience.
“Eternity Calling,” for example, was written for the wedding of two of Angie’s close friends. “True love shown in marriage is one of the eternal concepts that comes from the creator God,” Angie says.
Wedding songs are a theme in Hearing Winter. “Forever Green,” “Entwined” and “Hero” are wedding songs played at various Pryor family weddings. Angie’s brothers-in-law each had a part in composing songs for their wives. Angie felt it would be fitting to include these pieces in the compilation of songs to honor their family. “Hero” was written for Angie’s own wedding. The title fits the description of what Andrew is to her. “Every woman wants a man who will protect her, take care of her, and truly be her hero,” Angie says. “Growing up, it was my dad that fit that for me. My Andrew is now that to me. Even though he is not perfect, he has been my hero in so many situations. A lot of my music I write is based on our love for each other.”
The title track to Hearing Winter was born out of a cold night in a lonely practice room at college. “I was always so bored doing scales and rehearsing every other composer’s music. I was freezing and tired and just started playing this little melody. Before you know it, this song came out of my fingers. It truly poured out in one sitting.”
When she was trying to come up with a theme for this CD, Angie realized that many of the songs had a “wintery” feel.
“Christmas is my favorite time of year,” Angie says. “I like to re-arrange Christmas songs so they have a twist and so that the listener hears echoes of old favorite carols.” “Silent Night Lullaby” and “Comfort and Joy” deliver on that premise, hinting at the carols we sing every year, yet having an interesting new melody woven throughout.
“Vive Le Vent d’Hiver” is a song the French stole from “Jingle Bells” and turned into a new carol. The French title means “long live winter” — which would not be ideal Angie!
“I love cold and winter until about the first of January and then I’m done,” Angie says. “But January is that time of transition and the song “Putting Away” was born out of a cold January day. As we pass from one year to the next, we tend to put away a lot of things and always hope to start anew. As a mom, I know that moms are forever putting things away! Not only do we constantly put away our kid’s things, but we are putting away the memories they create for us, tucked into the folds of our hearts.”
The addition of cello and violin bring an additional texture to Hearing Winter. “I love movie music,” Angie says. “The strings are such an integral part of making a cinematic experience work for people. The Black Stallion is one of my favorite movies. [Carmine] Coppola uses beautiful music to create almost the first half of the movie. Words do not need to be spoken because the music itself is one of the characters. Sometimes I see my life as a movie. What comes out of that is a soundtrack of sorts that I live in. So, when I write, I picture scenes from my life working to create a moment in time that has it’s own backdrop of music. Call me crazy, but I believe that’s why people like to listen to music as they drive. The music creates a little world where their imagination can weave stories.”
Hearing Winter has not only a cinematic quality, but also spiritual depth. It can serve as the perfect backdrop for an evening dinner party or a quiet personal time. Hearing Winter could even be used in worship settings for church or Bible study groups.
Please note: Part of the mission of the Hearing Winter project is to help encourage women during difficult times. Angie is setting aside 10% of the proceeds from the sale of each CD for assisting pregnancy help centers in the Greater Louisville area.
Hearing Winter makes a great Christmas gift. Discounts are available when buying multiple copies. Here’s how you can order.
