Tag Archives: The Choir

Cephas Hour
Episode 141
Release Date: July 5, 2025

The one that talks about hard truths.

 

Stop The World Extreme
Believe Me The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band
Love Broke Through Phil Keaggy
The Chicken The Choir
In Paradise (In Paradisum) Rachel Wilhelm
In The Light Of Heaven Sweet Comfort Band
Jesus, Friend Of Sinners Casting Crowns
Cry Out To Jesus Third Day
With The Tired Eyes Of Faith Swirling Eddies
Call Unto Me Bridget Willard
Unraveling Shelly Moore
Wedding In The Country Manor Phil Keaggy

Cephas Hour
Episode 140
Release Date: June 7, 2025

The one that talks about digging.

 

Make A Difference Tonight 77s
Superman (For Alon, the Hostages, and their families) Five For Fighting
I Contain Multitudes Bob Dylan
Grace By Which I Stand Keith Green
Baby You’re To Die For Sean Doty and The 77s
If You’re Listening The Choir
Dig Adam Again
Summer Storm Rosalie Hovencamp
Enfleshed (The Word Is Alive) Mortal
Waterdogs The Prayer Chain
Dig Here, Said The Angel Daniel Amos
The Woods The Call
When Everyone Wore Hats Daniel Amos

Cephas Hour
Episode 139
Release Date: May 15, 2025

The one that talks about going forward despite it all.

 

Spirit of ‘76 The Alarm
Devotion Undercover
Maker of the Universe Rachel Wilhelm & Phil Keaggy
I Still Believe (Great Design) The Call
Puppet Strings Randy Stonehill
Sweet Jesus Morning Mustard Seed Faith
Sail On Sailor Mustard Seed Faith
Imagine That The Lost Dogs
Say the Word Whiteheart
Thunder Beach Crumbächer
Presence of Love The Alarm
Mercy Will Prevail The Choir
In Paradise (In Paradisum) Rachel Wilhelm

Cephas Hour
Episode 138
Release Date: February 20, 2025

The one that talks about wheat.

 

Restore My Soul The Choir
As The World Turns Daniel Amos
Visions (Doxology) /
Not Of This World
Petra
Aliens & Strangers DeGarmo & Key
Overflow Richie Furay
No Standing Kerry Livgren AD
The Garden Song Bob Bennett
Woody 77s
Relapse Adam Again
Eleanor, It’s Raining Now Oden Fong
Life Begins At The Cross Altar Boys

Cephas Hour
Episode 136
Release Date: December 24, 2024

The one that gets real.

 

I Still Believe (Great Design) The Call
I Wonder As I Wander Rachel Wilhelm
Once And For All Whiteheart
Easter Song 2nd Chapter of Acts
Song For A Small Circle Of Friends Larry Norman
Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own U2
Candle Flame Kemper Crabb
Selfish Man Oden Fong
Overflow Richie Furay
Holy Hold 77s
Forever Now A Crown Shelly Moore
Beautiful Scandalous Night The Choir
Life Begins At The Cross Altar Boys

Cephas Hour
Episode 134
Release Date: November 7, 2024

The one with a lot of The Choir and Scripture.

 

Thrill Ride The Choir
A Million Years The Choir
Render Love The Choir
Sad Face The Choir
Someone To Hold On To The Choir
A Sentimental Song The Choir
Grace The Choir
Mercy Lives Here The Choir
Beautiful Scandalous Night The Choir
She’s Alright The Choir
That Melancholy Ghost The Choir
We All Know The Choir
The Time Has Come The Choir
Deep Cuts The Choir

Cephas Hour
Episode 133
Release Date: September 25, 2024

The one that talks about being an unworthy servant.

 

There You Are Van Zant
Mountain Cathedrals Bob Bennett
God Of Wonders Mac Powell with Cliff and Danielle Young
Overflow Richie Furay
Jesus, Friend Of Sinners Casting Crowns
Bema Seat Petra
We’re Restless Rachel Wilhelm
On The Fritz Steve Taylor
What You Think I Am The Choir
Judas Within Vector
Maker Of The Universe Rachel Wilhelm and Phil Keaggy
Jesus Puts The Song In Our Hearts Love Song
Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus Larry Norman

Cephas Hour
Episode 129
Release Date: August 15, 2024

The one talking about the broken healing the broken.

 

Stand Up Petra
Grace The Choir
Sin For A Season Steve Taylor
God Good Devil Bad DeGarmo & Key
Bye Bye Babylon Whiteheart
Never Enough The Prayer Chain
Tears On The Red Veil of Ashes
Memory Lane Daniel Amos
When Love Comes To Town U2 with B.B. King
I Still Believe (Great Design) The Call
Maker Of The Universe Rachel Wilhelm with Phil Keaggy
Nobody’s Fault But Mine 77s
Come For The Children Oden Fong

Cephas Hour
Episode 128
Release Date: August 5, 2024

The one where I play a bunch of good music of different styles.

 

Strange Animals Daniel Amos
The Chicken The Choir
Bed of Roses Veil of Ashes
Tangerine Leaves The Throes
The Doing of The Thing Bob Bennett
Lord Of The Past Bob Bennett
Come and See Bob Bennett
Rise Crystoria
In the Silence Crystoria
Safe Place Crystoria
Pledge My Head to Heaven Keith Green
You Are the One Keith Green
Grace By Which I Stand Keith Green
Hallelujah Richie Furay
Wake Up My Soul Richie Furay
Overflow Richie Furay

And Now, After 126 Episodes, I Finally Introduce Myself!

Back in the day—1987, to be precise—I became the first and only music journalist covering Christian rock for a “secular” publication. The magazine in question was called PULSE! and its publisher was the Tower Records chain.

I wasn’t there because there were fans of the genre on staff. I was there because they hoped I’d bring advertising dollars from the Christian music industry. Which, though no fault of my own, seldom, if ever, happened. The Christian music industry had no qualms about pitching stories and artists to me in hopes I would cover suggested artists and albums. However, when it came time to put their money where their mouth was, they’d throw it away on glorified vanity house organs like Harvest Rock Syndicate, which reached only the existing fan base. I was out there trying to preach about the band named The Choir while they were content preaching to the choir about the band named The Choir. They hung me out to dry and then complained I wasn’t correctly watering their secret garden.

On the rare occasions when anyone at PULSE! spoke to me, the staff there made it quite plain that I was the rat bastard on board. They had nothing nice to say about my writing and barely, if ever, acknowledged the music itself. Somewhat offputting, but I persevered. I loved the music and artists, so whatever it took to get the word out is what I did.

Despite the open animosity, one day, out of the blue, one of the higher-ups at PULSE! asked me to write a feature story about Steve Taylor. I did so. for the November 1988 issue. Suddenly, the Christian music industry took full notice of me. I had offers to do stories for assorted magazines, write artist bios for new releases, etc. I wrote quite a bit for CCM Magazine and other publications, talking to many of the high-flying artists of the time: Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patti, Steven Curtis Chapman, and others. The only one I never spoke to was Amy Grant, and I had an interview scheduled until her management canceled it because they subsequently booked her for Good Morning America the day I was going to talk to her and said they’d reschedule my interview. I’m still waiting.

Even with the above, I never really fit in. I was too rock-oriented for the labels and too artist-oriented for the publications. In 1994, it all fell apart; the industry and I walked away from one another. Still, I had a good run.

Fast-forward a decade plus. After attending a 2005 concert in Southern California featuring bands such as Undercover, The Choir, Altar Boys, and Crunbächer, the writing bug hit me again. Now free to cover who I wanted how I wanted, I wrote a book featuring interviews with the artists I wanted to do stories on back in the day but seldom had the opportunity to do so. The book took a while, but it finally came together in 2009. I released an updated version in 2019. I also started doing Cephas Hour, a show that plays music by artists who have meant so much to me. It was initially on an Internet radio station; it’s now a stand-alone podcast.

Long story short, I was there. I’m not bragging when I say I was not an insignificant part of the scene. I’ve had artists long after the fact tell me a review I did in PULSE! of one of their records made a massive positive difference in sales, far more than anything in any Christian publications. So, yeah.

On Cephas Hour, I enjoy playing and promoting current independent artists who carry the artistic and spiritual integrity torch in addition to classic songs and artists. With that, back to the music.