Song of the Lamb: Through the Narrow Gate

Label Unknown 1979

Catholic albums of the 1970’s came from a number of different sources: parish groups, seminary groups, the “Nun-Plus” albums, college based groups, and of course the covenant communities.  This one comes from the last, but it’s a departure from just about anything I’ve heard from a covenant community group.

On the album cover Song of the Lamb is described as a “performance ministry” of the Lamb of God Community in Baltimore, MD.  This is different from a group primarily for worship settings, and is a break from music such as this and this. The style is more in the direction of, say, the Kairosingers.  There is some very nice instrumental and vocal work on this album, and even an excellent Second Chapter of Acts cover.

In the late 1970’s there are pushes here and there for a more progressive sound (the best example on this side of the Atlantic is this) and this album has some of evidence of that, especially on the last track.  Unfortunately Christian music–both Catholic and Protestant–was being pulled in other directions, and with that pull the “Jesus Music” era came to an end.

Update (January 2015): For the first year this album was featured here, it was only available in a YouTube video.  That’s still available at the end of the post; however, Francis Koerber, one of the chief composers and performers on the album, has posted the mp3’s on his site (stop by for his other music as well). I have opted to leave the file distribution to him.  The songs and performers are as follows:

The songs:

1. New Jerusalem
2. You Shall Love
3. Dusty Traveler
4. The Pearl
5. The Pilgrim Song
6. I Don’t Wanna Go Home
7. You Must Be Born From Above
8. Jesus Is High, Jesus Is Low
9. Sowin On A Mountain
10. Psalm 37

The performers:

• Francis Koerber: piano, organ, 12-string guitar, bass, string synthesiser, synthesiser
• Bill Christiansen: acoustic rhythm & lead guitar, harmonica, electric guitar, 5-string banjo
• Tim Hasson: acoustic rhythm & lead guitar, electric guitar, bass
• Marie Hall: cabasa
• Melissa Christiansen: tambourine
• Buzzy London: drums
• Background Vocals: Marie, Melissa, Francis, Tim, Bill

HT to John Flaherty for this.

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