It’s Christmas time again and there is nothing better than the gift of music. My suggestion for a gift? I think The Gift of God compilation CD, available from any Christian bookstore, is the best choice. It features Catholic artists and is a great introduction to the music and musicians that I am constantly referring to in this column. We’ve gotten amazing feedback about this compilation CD and it has opened the eyes and hearts of many youth and young-at-heart to what is available in Catholic music.
TORONTO - From the stage of west-end Toronto folk club Hugh’s Room, Sue Werner jokes that her latest CD is the first Gospel album for agnostics. She gets a laugh from the full house.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2007 United Catholic Music and Video Association Unity Awards in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was great networking with all these great Catholic artists. The big winner was Sean Clives, whose song “Amazed” has been talked about in this column and appears on the Gift of God compilation CD.
Written by Jennifer A. Harris, Catholic Register Special,
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In the process of developing a university course on Christianity and popular culture, I discovered that I like a great deal of music created and performed by Christians. Top on my list are people and bands such as U2, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz, Dolly Parton, Thrice and Lauryn Hill, to name a few.
Chris Padgett is one of the pioneers of youth-relevant Catholic music. As a founding member of the group Scarecrow and Tinmen and now as a solo artist, Padgett is a highly respected artist. Scarecrow and Tinmen were the first authentic Catholic modern rockers, with the main members converting to Catholicism gradually over the course of time. After leaving Scarecrow, Padgett has continued to impress with more of a pop-rock sound. I had a chance to catch up with Padgett recently.
The title track of Chris Bray’s first album Just Hang On sums up the life of this 22-year-old who’s seen his fair share of ups and downs.
“Just Hang On is kind of like that glimpse of hope, that thread you just need to keep holding on to when everything else is falling down. It’s kind of like an inspiration,” said Bray, who lives with his new wife Katie in Aylmer, 20 minutes south of London.
Arts & Entertainment 
It’s Christmas time again and there is nothing better than the gift of music. My suggestion for a gift? I think The Gift of God compilation CD, available from any Christian bookstore, is the best choice. It features Catholic artists and is a great introduction to the music and musicians that I am constantly referring to in this column. We’ve gotten amazing feedback about this compilation CD and it has opened the eyes and hearts of many youth and young-at-heart to what is available in Catholic music.
In the process of developing a university course on Christianity and popular culture, I discovered that I like a great deal of music created and performed by Christians. Top on my list are people and bands such as 
Chris Padgett is one of the pioneers of youth-relevant Catholic music. As a founding member of the group Scarecrow and Tinmen and now as a solo artist, Padgett is a highly respected artist. Scarecrow and Tinmen were the first authentic Catholic modern rockers, with the main members converting to Catholicism gradually over the course of time. After leaving Scarecrow, Padgett has continued to impress with more of a pop-rock sound. I had a chance to catch up with Padgett recently.
The title track of Chris Bray’s first album Just Hang On sums up the life of this 22-year-old who’s seen his fair share of ups and downs. 
