Just a heads up: The Blog post settings are forcing us to moderate ALL the comments at the moment. This means your comment may take just a bit to show up as we are maually "approving" them. Thanks for understanding. Post away! What are you listening to?Music is one of our sacraments at Portland Mennonite Church. During this pandemic, we’re far apart from one another—let’s stay close in spirit through listening and sharing the music that speaks to our souls. Our PMC Playlist is a place to listen to what other PMCers are listening to and to share the music that’s kept you going through 2020. DIRECTIONS
Simple or complex, acapella or orchestral, traditional or contemporary, we can’t wait to see the songs that have moved you toward God. The variety found here will create harmony representative of our church family. ~Hosted by our Congregational Life Core Ministry Team
90 Comments
11/11/2020 10:24:46 pm
Just TEN!!
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Curt
11/12/2020 08:43:58 pm
Randy,
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Britt Carlson
11/16/2020 01:49:25 pm
Ummmmm I would like to point out that Rod has 11 songs too--he just has two songs tied for 7th place--cheater.
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Holly Abrams
11/29/2020 08:59:05 pm
Hi Britt. I loved your playlist! It is so Britt— full of depth, spirit and grace. I don’t know how I missed that lovely Neutral Milk Hotel album that came out 22 years ago. I have never heard rap quite like that Kirk Franklin song— it was a real treat. I love Ms. Lauren Hill especially after she develops a closer relationship to her higher power and it this relationship that gives her vocals such power, resonance and depth. Bravo!
Rod Stafford
11/12/2020 06:08:23 pm
1. 'People get ready,' Curtis Mayfield (sampled by Bruce Springsteen in 'The Land of Hope and Dreams')
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Gerry Leatherman
11/15/2020 10:23:41 pm
Thanks Rod, it's a great set of songs! I wanted to listen to your playlist so I created a spotify list with these, here it is so others that use Spotify can listen.
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Gerry Leatherman
11/16/2020 06:01:08 pm
Rod, I created a spotify playlist with your songs so people with spotify can listen. We're listening to it now, great songs! Land of the free is really good. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1XPDcD2N3OIvZ72bhec6KA?si=XuBDvetkSBSc9BlxM7aWZw
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Rod Stafford
11/18/2020 04:02:55 pm
Thanks Gerry!
Holly Abrams
11/24/2020 05:13:13 pm
Thanks Rod for the lovely playlist. I especially loved the social justice theme throughout. I was a little surprised by the extent of The Killers repertoire (I have heard a few collaborations but haven’t listened to a Killers album in years) and was impressed by Land of the Free. The Beatitudes is lovely and I look forward to playing more music by The Kronos Quartet. I always love Bach (when it’s not crazy harpsichordy) but especially loved Be Thou My Vision 😍 Everything about this cut is special, but I love the way especially how it manages to sound like a sea chantey and a hymn at the same time.
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Lois
11/13/2020 04:24:49 pm
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vDrtAs8iBnkssebyVTyx6?si=AP1OS004TEOvt_n7HIBlvQ
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Gerry Leatherman
11/17/2020 10:11:01 pm
I enjoyed your playlist Lois!
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Janna
12/2/2020 01:58:39 pm
Enjoyed your music Lois - Larry Norman takes me waaay back!
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Holly Abrams
12/5/2020 09:54:32 am
Hi Lois, thanks for the pretty playlist. I was very happy to listen to some real powerhouse female vocalists— namely Brittany Howard, Lauren Daigle, and Andra Day. They are awesome. I enjoyed MILCKs song Quiet and was surprised to read that it was an anthem of sorts for the “Me Too” movement. Powerful. I was also quite smitten by the MILCK song featuring Bipolar Sunshine called “Somebody’s Beloved.” (Also very powerful and worth a listen if you haven’t heard it)
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David Johnson
11/14/2020 09:22:30 am
Ten songs! Plus six bonus songs!
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Randy Lanford
11/17/2020 10:38:44 pm
If we are giving out prizes - David won!!
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Sarah Holcomb
11/22/2020 03:49:16 pm
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS!!
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11/15/2020 12:16:54 pm
Here are my Top 10, a difficult task to peel off over 200 days of music on my hard drive. Four (4) links are provided. Be sure your Bose tweeters and woofer are in good condition.
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11/15/2020 12:39:33 pm
Here is the link to Beautiful Star...
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11/15/2020 03:08:49 pm
Selections #5 and #6 do not have a YouTube reference, but I use these two selections in an Astronomy show. If you have seven (7) free minutes, you can hear Gloria and the Pilgrims' Chorus in this video. Don't spoil it by watching on an iPhone or iPAD. If you type in the code you can watch it on your TV YouTube channel.
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Gerry Leatherman
11/18/2020 11:30:29 am
Lowell thanks for your playlist, I enjoyed it very much! A couple of them I could not find. The Clapton/Pavoratti duet was especially interesting.
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11/30/2020 02:49:00 pm
Gerry, Crystal et al.,
Holly Abrams
11/24/2020 12:13:42 pm
Thanks for sharing your list Lowell. I can’t believe I had never heard KD Lang’s version of Hallelujah. I think it is my favorite version as well. I was glad to hear that you had some opera on her as well. It has been too long since I’ve heard opera and Andre Rieu has a glorious voice (it was also fascinating to see the conductor carrying his violin while conducting). I got goosebumps when Pavarotti entered on Holy Mother and I wanted to crawl inside the Rich, resonant, multi-layered sound of Chanticleer singing Beautiful Star of Bethlehem. If you find a version of this song with better sound quality, please share it. Thanks again!
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Britt Carlson
11/16/2020 01:47:31 pm
James you've got to give me more than this! ;)
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James V Yeary
12/13/2020 01:56:35 pm
Are you saying that because you want more music or because you can't see the list of songs?
Holly Abrams
11/25/2020 11:04:33 pm
Hi James. Thanks for the lovely and diverse playlist. It has been years since I heard Hey ya and it led to an outpouring of spontaneous dancing at our house. Very fun! I was quite moved by the cello in the Kronos Quartet song you chose. It may be because I play the cello myself that canned cello music often does not seem resonant enough, but not in this case. It was simply gorgeous. I also really enjoyed The Creator has a Master Plan. It sorts of feels like falling asleep in my mother’s arms in the middle of a circus. Surreal and exciting but also nurturing.
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Gerry Leatherman
11/15/2020 01:46:32 pm
Hi all, looking forward to listening to some of your playlists!
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11/15/2020 02:34:00 pm
Jerry et al.,
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James Yeary
11/15/2020 02:42:00 pm
I was considering Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no. 2 myself!
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Kris V-R
11/15/2020 03:28:08 pm
I'm with you on the Rachmaninoff concerto, Gerry. That song entered my life in high school. I had a big amp and some speakers that could handle it. Let's just say, I shared Concerto #2 with the neighbors three or four doors down.
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Gerald S Leatherman
11/15/2020 05:49:31 pm
I'm sure they enjoyed that! When I was in college or was Rush I blessed my neighbors with at full volume.
Britt Carlson
11/16/2020 05:25:50 pm
Gerry I just listened to your list. I think the only one I had heard before was the Rachmaninoff! Thanks for sharing. I especially loved the Sally Rogers. Her voice sounds so different in the two songs!
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Gerry Leatherman
11/17/2020 07:25:57 pm
Great! That whole Sally Rogers album is really good, you probably would enjoy the rest of it too. I listened to yours too, I especially liked A God Like You and The Blessing.
Barry
11/24/2020 04:38:59 pm
Great selection
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Holly Abrams
11/29/2020 08:45:41 pm
Thanks for the playlist Gerry. The Sarah McLaughlan album with IceCream on it, Fumbling Toward Ecstasy, is one of my favorite albums of all time and it has been too long since I’ve played any of those songs. In fact, it’s such a solid album that it is like one long song to me so it was a different experience to hear that song out of context. It’s a gem. I really love the lyrics in I Hope as well as the child-centered hopeful theme of the playlist.
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11/15/2020 03:17:41 pm
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qIHOl5I9L6BafhpgRBJmm
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Randy Lanford
11/17/2020 10:05:40 pm
I wasn’t brave enough to submit Led Zep. Thanks!!
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Sarah Holcomb
11/18/2020 07:48:04 pm
Kristialyn's playlist is EXCELLENT!! Headphones on, volume up, dance around the house!
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Curt
11/19/2020 10:41:29 pm
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
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Holly Abrams
12/4/2020 05:21:37 pm
Thanks for the playlist Kristialyn. I especially like the Vampire Weekend song.
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11/15/2020 03:22:46 pm
I hope this is not a repeat as my first effort did not "catch." I did not include links to #5 and #6, but I did use these selections in an Astronomy. If you have seven minutes, check out this link.
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Kris Voss-Rothmeier
11/15/2020 03:23:43 pm
Top 8 songs-to-get-through-a-pandemic by: (in no particular order, except the first one)
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Holly Abrams
11/25/2020 03:59:28 pm
Thanks for this compilation, Kris. I hadn’t even realized that I liked “On Broadway” because I had only heard The Drifters version. Fun percussion. The Servant Song is so beautiful. I was surprised how difficult it was to find alternate versions of this song. The melody written by Sibelius is so beautiful, it’s no wonder people love to set it to religious text so often. Very inspiring. I’m a little weirded out that there aren’t a million powerful variations of “Let Justice Flow”—it’s such a great song. I wonder if any gospel singers have it in their collections. I’m not well-verses with that genre.
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Holly Abrams
1/10/2021 04:38:57 pm
Hi Kris,
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Barry Frisby
11/16/2020 03:41:49 pm
Where would I be Glen Kaiser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Lw77dnrbg
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Gerry
11/20/2020 09:26:24 am
Great playlist Barry! I discovered some new artists I'll have to spend some time getting to know.
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Barry
11/24/2020 12:28:24 pm
I also rediscovered Res Band Run Where Rose Grow
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Sarah Holcomb
11/16/2020 09:35:01 pm
Here's my list of songs that remind me to hope and to act. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3iZs8y4NLfXua7VuQkHJK8?si=51aXcpcyQ_y-Z7K1CqgAKw
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Holly Abrams
11/25/2020 11:09:00 pm
Thanks for the thoughtful playlist, Sarah. I liked the Batya Levine song so much that I downloaded the whole album!
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Christina Moss
11/17/2020 10:24:13 pm
So, real talk, my actual playlist of 2020 is really just Taylor Swift's folklore and Not Ready to Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks, but since none of those songs quite fit the prompt here are some songs that have spoken to me or brought me joy or hope at various points over the past several months:
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Christina Moss
11/23/2020 04:08:40 pm
I got Spotify and made an actual playlist of it:
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11/18/2020 11:10:51 am
After listening to many of the songs recommended by several contributors, I have a general question.
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Holly Abrams
11/29/2020 09:05:28 pm
Hi Barry, I saw this question a few days ago and took some time to think about it. I would say for me that the harmony, percussion and vocal quality of the musician is what draws me to certain music but the the lyrics determine whether I am likely to play it repeatedly. Good lyrics make or break a song.
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Holly Abrams
11/30/2020 12:16:58 pm
I meant Lowell, not Barry. Don’t blog at bedtime folks.
Velma’s Playlist
11/18/2020 12:04:39 pm
1) Father can you hear me-Nyasia
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Rod Stafford
11/24/2020 06:34:00 pm
Thanks Velma. I'm enjoying your playlist. 'Be nice' should probably be the national anthem in the US for a while. Glad you can join us on Sundays. Rod
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Ethan Leatherman
11/19/2020 03:04:57 pm
1. Light My Fire - The Doors
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curt
11/19/2020 11:40:24 pm
you are an old soul! Love it!
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Barry
11/24/2020 04:39:56 pm
Great playlist....
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Joleen Classen
11/28/2020 04:58:57 pm
The first concert I saw in person was the Doors. Light my Fire was pretty amazing!
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Joleen Classen
11/28/2020 05:01:04 pm
Brandenburg Concertos Johann Sebastian Bach
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Ken Hooge
11/20/2020 10:11:06 am
1) Pilgrims' Chorus: Mormon Tabernacle Choir
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Holly Abrams
11/25/2020 10:02:08 am
Thanks Ken for a lovely list heavy in rich vocal arrangements. The 23rd psalm is glorious (Bobby McFerrin is so talented!) and healing. I had also somehow never listened to The Blind Boys of Alabama. It was a treat and I look forward to hearing some more. I shared And So it Goes with my a couple friends and they were also floored. Beautiful harmonies and cohesion— as one would expect from a group that has been together since ‘68 (The King’s Singers). I have heard a few different versions of The Pilgrim’s Chorus and I think this Mormon Tabernacle Choir version is my favorite. I’m not typically a huge organ fan but the work on this song is fabulous. I never considered the organ could used as almost percussively like that. My husband Sam and I both really enjoyed the 300 churches video— very special and heartening. I’ve included a link to that video.
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Janna Moats
11/21/2020 10:26:15 am
Here is my PMC Playlist - It is more than 10. More than 11. But I think you can stop at whatever number suits you. I found it very hard to stop and once I'd broken the "rule" and went past 10 why not keep going? I'm looking forward to listening to everyones and adding to my playlists.
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Gerry Leatherman
11/22/2020 01:15:23 pm
Really like your playlist Janna, thanks!
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Holly Abrams
12/1/2020 11:55:31 pm
Hello Janna. Thank you so much for this incredible playlist. It has literally given me chills it is so good. I can’t even intellectualize how nourishing, stimulating and uplifting this whole thing is. Brrr. Seriously off to the hot tub!
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Holly Abrams
12/1/2020 11:57:36 pm
I almost forgot. I made Janna’s sweet playlist for Apple Music listeners. Here is the link:
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Phil Leidy
11/22/2020 12:43:38 pm
1) Handel's Messiah, various selections
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Kim Brandt
11/22/2020 01:39:02 pm
Not my playlist but this video always makes me smile inside. Say what you will about baby boomers, there are some gems among us.
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Kim Brandt
11/22/2020 01:46:43 pm
Here are mine for now. Please don’t ask me to explain!. I’ll try to find some old faves in Christian music soon. (Listened to a little Andrae Crouch last night, the CCM that just preceded the Jesus Movement—worth a listen and available everywhere.)
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Holly Abrams
11/24/2020 07:16:04 pm
Hi Kim. I thoroughly enjoyed you diverse mix of music. You have a good mix of mellow (but never boring) to upbeat selections. I was particularly impressed with the goddesses rendition of After the Gold Rush. I had only heard Mick McAuley and Winifred Horace’s version of the song. Such an intense song! (Yet somehow Dolly Parton still manages to comfort and ease while singing about the dusk of civilization) I was also very happy to hear the Alicia Keys/Brandi Carlile song (it was new to me). At first I was struck by their gorgeous vocals but was then inspired by the message of solidarity. I don’t know if you have SEEN their music video but it is truly lovely. Here is a link to that. Thanks for your thoughtful selection!
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Holly Abrams
12/1/2020 10:53:54 am
Hi Lin. Thanks for the very pretty play list. I have a very dear friend who loves The Wailin’ Jennys and obviously you do too. After playing their songs from this playlist several times (and hearing alternate versions of those beautiful songs), I’ve realized that these songs lend themselves to the beautiful harmonies that this group is so good at. (I’m also guessing that all three of them have “perfect pitch”) These are brilliant selections for that group. I do think you would enjoy Ane Brune’s version of All My Tears as well.
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Allan Classen
11/23/2020 08:33:51 am
"As Long as the Grass Shall Grow," written by Peter LaFarge (sung by Johnny Cash).
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Holly Abrams
11/29/2020 10:45:27 pm
Thank you for this short and sweet set, Allan. Johnny Cash was a legend for so many reasons. The greatest, in my mind, was his unwavering dedication to truth-telling. I’m sad that the treaties continue to be broken to this day. Thanks for keeping this issue on our radar.
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11/23/2020 12:16:15 pm
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3354Rz3aPvgdhSqpQOLSYL?si=pieYfH8WTtaGl-iMLCKKHw
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11/23/2020 04:18:09 pm
I have not had the pleasure of meeting most of you, but I am Holly, Sam’s wife. I have been a regular member of the virtual congregation since March. I have been loving connecting collectively though the weekly sermons. I was surprised at how much comfort this assignment and my playlist have brought to me. Music is magic in that sense. I hope you enjoy my playlist as much as I do. I look forward to hearing your selections as well.
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Rod Stafford
11/24/2020 06:36:29 pm
Holly, great to hear from you. I'm looking forward to listening to your playlist. Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving, Rod
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Joe Blowers
11/24/2020 05:22:44 pm
1)A Beautiful Noise by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile
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Holly Abrams
12/1/2020 11:04:10 pm
Wow, Joe. This playlist is phenomenal. Not all of the music was totally agreeable upon first listen, but this is lyrically (and musically) a very profound set. You must be an avid music lover because every song on here gets more fabulous with each listen (and some of them I have listened to repeatedly). These are jewels, and very timely (and timeless). I am better off for having listened to the songs on this thoughtful list. Thanks again!
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Joseph Blowers
12/6/2020 08:18:45 am
Thanks Holly. I love songs with powerful and poetic lyrics. I would agree with you that it's the lyrics that keep me coming back to a song. 11/24/2020 08:21:33 pm
This has been a fun endeavor. Since we moved 275 miles away from Portland, I’ve been filling up my commutes with podcasts. It’s been so rewarding thinking about music. I made several playlists, that didn’t quite make the cut. So I just took the time today to think about all of the people in my life and put a list together that reminds me of them. I’m not a huge Sinatra fan, but when that song was performed at my Grandfather’s funeral there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd. We just recently lost my uncle Steve and he also embodied the spirit of“My Way.
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Bob Hoffman
11/25/2020 11:24:31 am
Turn, Turn, Turn-The Byrds
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Chris McMurry
11/26/2020 11:15:11 am
I enjoyed making this playlist. Thanks!
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Holly Abrams
11/29/2020 11:18:06 pm
Chris, I love that you shared your playlist with this congregation and that you are a friend who I can connect through music with. This is yet another stellar playlist. This upbeat selection is both uplifting and energizing. I enjoy every track on the album but a couple really stand out to me. Promised Land is percussive and musically joyful, yet does not leave the reality of violence behind. And I had the name Josh Groban in ages. I love the cello with the Celtic undertones. You Raise Me Up” is a masterpiece.
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Chris McMurry
11/30/2020 08:10:06 pm
Thanks Holly, I’m glad you like it! I’m glad that we can share music with each other.
Philip Hostetler
11/30/2020 04:36:08 pm
Here is a start - videos found by Googling them
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12/1/2020 05:37:17 am
Phil,
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Holly Abrams
12/8/2020 02:09:13 pm
Hello fellow aspiring anti-racists. I have been inspired by some of the music in your playlists to make a Black Lives Matter playlist. I realize that most of you use Spotify, so I attempted to make it on Spotify but couldn’t order it the way I wanted. There are 3 songs with explicit lyrics which I have labeled with an E. I am including a user-friendly Apple Music playlist and a (sad) Spotify playlist (if that helps) as well as the list. I hope this music inspires you to remember our history and to work for justice.
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