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Our Review

Fall is here, and Orchard Hill sounds like a gorgeous place to soak up the fall colors and celebrate the season. In fact, it is. The Orchard Hill Church, located 20 minutes north of Pittsburgh, has compiled a remarkable collection of pieces recorded live at weekend services. Normally, I am not fond of live recordings; the sound quality is often not that clean, and audience noise can interfere with the listeners' enjoyment. Neither point is an issue here. The OHC has recorded a wonderful set of holiday numbers that combine jazz, pop, and rock, blending the traditional with the contemporary. No prissy pile of forgettable, predictable church hymns, this is top-quality, well-executed Christmas music that will please a broad audience.

Christmas at Orchard Hill explodes off the blocks with an exuberantly soulful, joyfully sax-laden Winter Wonderland. The same unrestrained vigor animates many numbers here; the gospel/funk-charged Children Go Where I Send Thee will have you dancing in the aisles, and the closing Hallelujah Chorus bursts with excitement. My favorite track is probably Baby King with its super-cool harmonies, bluesy gospel sentiment, prominent percussion, and sweet sax interludes.

Rock on, Orchard Hill Church, rock on! Your Christmas at Orchard Hill sets the gold standard for church service productions. Excellent!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Lead Vocalists:
Christina Acosta
Maureen Budway
Joel Cagwin
David DeMarco
Joe Feick
Kim Nazarian
Lori Thee

Christmas is always a special season at Orchard Hill--a time to gather the family and celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. This collection represents some of our favorite songs recorded live during our weekend services.

From the Website:

The Story of Orchard Hill Church

During the decade of the 80's, a handful of people made a commitment to look at church from a new perspective. They saw so many people without a church home - so many who thought that God had no relevance to their world. They wondered how to connect those who had become disillusioned with church to the truth of God's love. These people chose to invest their lives in the development of a contemporary biblical community in the middle of a modern day world - a community that would be both culturally relevant and theologically pure.

With the enthusiasm of early pioneers, these 54 people began to build not just a building, but a new kind of church. On May 6, 1989, over 400 people came to the opening of Orchard Hill Church. The growth of the church was exponential and within 6 months, an additional service was added to accommodate those who sought to hear the message of God's love. This growth was sustained as small groups continued to form and ministries expanded. It was not long before discussions of a new building began and in the fall of 1997, the current Worship Center was opened.

Today, over 2,500 people call Orchard Hill their church home. Hundreds of children hear about God's love through Children's Ministry. Middle School and High School students have the opportunity to learn about God on their own terms. Outreach ministries and support groups provide opportunities to both give and receive care. Women's Ministry offers Bible studies ranging from a beginner's level to those who are ready for a NextStep in their spiritual growth. Over 200 men meet in small groups on a weekly basis to study the Bible and learn about their roles as leaders in the home and in the church. Small groups flourish as over 1,600 people meet regularly to get connected with others and grow in their spiritual journey.

But the story of Orchard Hill will not be told through numbers. Each number represents a life. Each life represents an opportunity for new life - a life that moves from a focus on things that are temporary to a life that is focused on things that last - things that are eternal. That is how the story will be told. The story of Orchard Hill will be told in the changed lives of people.

Orchard Hill Church

Christmas at Orchard Hill

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Track List