More About Acoustic Christmas

The Project Itself

I had a strong desire to be able to tell the story of Jesus in the setting of a Christmas CD, not using the familiar songs but perhaps some little known ones. So I began my search of old Christmas songs and hymns and poems, and soon got pretty discouraged. I wasn’t finding what I was looking for. Many of the most well-known Christmas hymns are so strong lyrically and I couldn’t find much else out there like them. So apart from “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” and the lyrics of “Wither’s Rocking Hymn”, I had nothing. Then my parents, in an act of such love and generosity, just decided to give me a new guitar, a Larrivee, and songs began to leap out of it! Here’s a little more about each song and the musicians who helped me with them.

The Promise

In writing this song I just tried to get into Simeon’s head, a man who had been anxiously awaiting the Messiah. An old man by this time, God had promised him he’d see the Messiah in his lifetime. This is what the day might have looked like when Jesus was presented at the temple shortly after his birth. (Luke 2:25-35).

And what an honor to have had Chris Vadala, then a nationally known musician and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Maryland, agree to come down into my little townhouse basement studio to record with me. Seems like a small miracle to me. Such a humble, kind and insanely talented musician. Chris passed away on 1/17/19.

Alternate tuning: DGDDGD

Words and Music by Don Lacquement; Guitar, Vocals, Djembe & Shakers- Don Lacquement; Bass- Doug Stevens; Bodhran-Kim Mallet; Sax- Chris Vadala

Angels Sing

This was another event that I wanted to try to capture like I had been there. I also wanted to delve a bit into what it meant when the angel told the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour…”. This song just leapt out of that new guitar, but I needed help with the 3 part harmony - thank you Kristen Parker and Gary Fitzgerald!

Alternate tuning: DADF#AD

Words and Music by Don Lacquement; Vocals- Don Lacquement, Laurie Harmer, Allison Nisbet; Guitar - Don Lacquement; Double bass-Doug Stevens; Cello-John Gockel

But a Stable

This song explores one of the most profound concepts of the gospel, that the God of the universe wants to be near us, with us. The chorus is from Isaiah 57:17 and holds such promise and comfort, especially for those trying to figure out how a holy God would want to/be able to be near to someone who is so far from perfect (i.e. all of us!). It’s like Peter, when he first meets Jesus and experiences the miraculous catch of fish. He might not yet have understood who Jesus was, but He knew he was holy and that the power of God was at work through him. So what did Peter do? He fell down at Jesus feet and said, “Go away from me Lord. I am a sinful man.” But Jesus already knew that, and had no intention of leaving Peter.

Thanks to Gary Fitzgerald for his coaching on how to write the harmony vocal and Allison Nisbet for blending it in so beautifully.

Vocals- Don Lacquement, Allison Nisbet; Guitar-Don Lacquement

See in a Cattle Stall

My friend Jeff Livesay wrote this song and it fit right in to my desire to tell the whole story of Jesus in the setting of Christmas. One day in a government building I was walking by a group of people performing and I heard a voice that stopped me in my tracks. So I turned around and walked back to see where that voice was coming from. I found my friend, Laurie Harmer, at the mic! I knew right then I was going to ask her to join me on this project. I so appreciated her willingness to add her voice to these songs, whether in a solo like this piece, or blending harmonies with Allison and me. Thanks for sharing your gift!

Words and Music- Jeff Livesay ; Vocals-Laurie Harmer; Guitar- Don Lacquement and Pete Lukschander; Tabla-Sherief Elias; Double bass- Doug Stevens

It Ain’t Right

Unlike almost any song I’ve ever written, this came all at once as a concept, a sudden idea of how the song should be constructed. The early verses would all keep pointing to the injustices Jesus faced, pulling the listener in to agree and sing along “It Ain’t Right” what they did to Jesus! Then it turns suddenly as the idea that it was not right, it was not just for Jesus to have to take our sins. But then it presses still further into considering His lavish grace and the efficacy of his sacrifice.

An amazing cadre of musicians helped me bring this song alive.

Vocals- Don Lacquement, Juanita Williams, Allison Nisbet; Guitar- Don Lacquement and Pete Lukschander; Bass- Jerry Kelleher; Drums- John Laine

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

For many years it has been my custom to get up early on Christmas, put on a CD with a piano only version of this hymn by Charles Wesley, get the little hymnal my uncle gave me, light a candle to be able to see the words, sit on the floor near the tree, and let this song soak in. After being unable to contact the copyright holder of this piano piece on my favorite Christmas instrumental CD , and expressing my frustration to my friend Gary Fitzgerald, he said, “I can play a variation of this song for you.” And so it came to pass…

Words- Charles Wesley, 1744; Music- Welsh tune known as “Hyfrydol”; Arrangement- Gary Fitzgerald; Piano - Gary Fitzgerald

Lullaby

This was the one song I found in my initial hunt for amazing, unknown Christmas songs, that fell right in to the theme of this project. I decided to take the words and put my own setting around them musically. It is from a song called “Wither’s Rocking Hymn”. It has many verse, but by adapting several of the verses I felt I could capture the whole story. I tried to actually make this a functional lullaby in two ways. First, I tried to write it in a tempo that would be in sync with the natural rhythm of a mother rocking her child to sleep. I also added a section of “la la la la’s” because who knows how long you might have to sing before that baby falls asleep, right?

Words: An adaptation of “Wither’s Rocking Hymn”; Music- Don Lacquement; Vocals - Laurie Harmer; Guitar- Don Lacquement; Accordion- Jeff Livesay

Emmanuel

This song was written by my friend Betsey Mulloy and the first time I heard it the harmonies just were all right there - ready to pop out. But thru a friend I met Gabe Finck, a french horn player then a part of the National Symphony Orchestra. She heard the piece at a listening party I had and said she’d be willing to do a brass and vocal arrangement to it. Not having much exposure to classical music I asked the question, “Does brass accompaniment go with just vocals?”, to which she responded, “I play it every day.” So I took her up on her kind offer and was blown away by the results. So this amazing song, celebrating the fullness of who Jesus is and what he has done, comes to you thanks to Betsey, Gabe, and the wonderful horn players and singers, who added their talents to make it happen.

Words and Music by Betsey Mulloy; Arrangement- Gabe Finck; Vocals- Laurie Harmer, Allison Nisbet, and Don Lacquement; French Horn- Gabe Finck; 1st and 2nd trumpet- John Friedman; Euphonium- John Otten

Joy of Heaven

This song was one of those whose melody lived with me for awhile, and I knew it was going to be about joy. It explores the tension between living on earth with the promise of heaven, between the trouble that we will inevitably face here and His ability to come into our time and space to comfort and encourage in ways that just can’t be explained, revealing His goodness and mercy towards us. As with numerous songs on this CD, I was helped by some great musicians on this song to take it from a nice little melody sung with an acoustic guitar, to something so much more full and joyous. Thank you guys!

Words and Music by Don Lacquement; Vocals-Don Lacquement, Laurie Harmer, Allison Nisbet; Bass-Chris Rothgeb; Drums- John Laine; Keyboard- Steve Hudson; Howls- Harley

Mixed by Kevin Gutierrez, Assembly Line Studios Mastered by Bill Wolf, Wolf Productions, Inc. Cover Artwork and Photography: Suzy Ivy