Its 1^st November and Christmas season is fast approaching.. we’re only 55 days away from the big day! As is the tradition, many people start listening to Christmas music quite early (count me in).

So here is the list of albums that have released this year and you ought to give them a listen.

1. BarlowGirl – Home For Christmas
It’s the first Christmas album by them and features traditional hymns/ carols. It has one original composition though, the song titled Hallelujah (Light Has Come). If you love listening to Amy Grant’s Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song), you’re bound to love this song too..

Highly recommended to all the BG fan’s plus folks who like the traditional songs with some twists Btw… the album is titled Home For Christmas because the girls have been on road for so many days i.e right after the release of HCWBS.

2. Casting Crowns – Peace On Earth
The album is aptly titled and boasts of traditional hymns. While You Were Sleeping (Christmas Version) is also included in the album.

If all you need is the melody, then this album is for you. BTW they will be on Peace On Earth tour this holiday season.

3. Faith Hill – Joy To The World
Its the traditional carols in Country style. Recommended if you are fond of this genre.

4. Mandisa – It’s Christmas
Last year she had released her Christmas EP and this year a full length Christmas album was released. Features some traditional hymns, carols and also the song Christmas Day, her famous duet with Michael W. Smith which was released last year in his album It’s A Wonderful Christmas.

Other albums worth mentioning are:
Amy Grant - The Christmas Collection
Point Of Grace - Tennessee Christmas
Sara Groves - O Holy Night
Shane & Shane - Glory In The Highest
Sixpence None The Richer - The Dawn Of Grace
Various Artists - X Christmas
Elvis Presley - Christmas Duets

Frenzy has come to be known as one of the largest Christian music events in the UK, and if last year’s concert is anything to go by this year’s broadcast is most definitely one you won’t want to miss! This June concert organizers are hoping to reach the 10 000-attendee mark and we’re bringing you the best seats in the house to experience the latest sounds from the international Christian music scene.

The Frenzy 2008 line-up includes:
Delirious? – chart-topping rock/worship band from the UK with 10 albums to their name
Chris Tomlin - Worship leader, songwriter and the Gospel Music Awards ‘Male Vocalist of the Year’ 2006-2008
David Crowder Band – Dove award-winning electronic rock group
Rebecca St James – Grammy Award winning pop/rock singer and songwriter who was born in Australia
Phil Wickham - vocalist/songwriter and guitarist who has 3 of his own albums and toured with the David Crowder Band on their Remedy Tour in 2007
Leeland - Young, gifted Texas-based group, Leeland have an alternative pop-rock leaning
YFriday - rock and worship to the core, this British band’s latest album ‘The Universal Broadcast’ was released in March this year

Please note that if this is not LIVE in your region you can still watch it LIVE on our free webstream: www.god.tv/stream.

Schedule:
USA (ET): June 7 at 8am
UK (BST): 7 June at 13:00
EU (CET): 7 June at 14:00
SCA (CET): 7 June at 14:00
AF (SAT): 7 June at 14:00
ASIA (IT): 7 June at 19:30
HK (UTC): 7 June at 22:00
AUS (EST): 7 June at 23:30
GOD Eu (BST): 7 June at 13:00

The much awaited DVD from Hillsong United, We’re All In This Together will be releasing in August ‘08. For the contents of the DVD, check the wikipedia page here.

Relevant Magazine has put up a 44 minutes preview of the disk which contains songs, documentary and all. Its a limited time affair and is up at the site from May 16th to 18th. Make sure to check it out.

Hillsong Australia recorded their 17th live Praise & Worship album on the last night of their Women’s Conference Colour Your World, i.e on the 9th of March. It has been titled “This Is Our God”. Thousands of Worshipers gathered in the Acer Arena for the live recording.

On the evening of Sunday, March 9th 2008, thousands of worshippers gathered to fill the Acer Arena in Sydney as Hillsong Church recorded their latest live worship album.

The night was riveting, as the stadium filled with thousands of voices, eyes raised heavenward, and created an expectancy that welcomed the very presence of God.

“We come together and we say, ‘This is who we are, God. We need You, we love You, and we’re going to give everything to You’. It’s actually about the church coming together and singing with One Voice, One Passion, One Heart, giving all our praise to God,” Joel Houston, Hillsong Creative Director, said.

A number of new songwriters, worship leaders and musicians joined Reuben Morgan, Joel Houston, Darlene Zschech and Marty Sampson on the platform, capturing the sound of a new generation, and entering into a new season of worship and song.

“It’s about a generation expressing their worship; expressing their heart for worship in the action of love toward God, toward the world we live in, and the people who inhabit it. It’s not about highlighting the darkness; it’s about becoming the light that diminishes the darkness. It’s the gospel and we’re all in this together,” Joel said.

It was a night of faith, as Michael Gugliemucci, who has battled his own health crisis against cancer for two years, walked confidently on stage, oxygen tank in hand, and boldly sung the words to his song ‘Healer’.

The evening culminated with a loud and victorious version of Joel Houston’s new song ‘With Everything’. As the band turned to walk off stage the crowd seemed to bask in the moment. With little accompaniment from the band, they broke into spontaneous song as they worshipped God for several minutes.

The new album titled This is Our God, the 17th live praise and worship album, will be released on July 7th, coinciding with the annual Hillsong Conference held at the Acer Arena.

For more information on the songs, check out this thread in Chrisitandl.com