Song List: A Child Of The King A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Abide with Me Amazing Grace At Calvary At the Cross Be Still, My Soul Beneath The Cross Of Jesus Beyond The Sunset Blessed Assurance Blest Be The Tie That Binds Break Thou The Bread Of Life Bringing In The Sheaves Christ Arose! Christ, the Lord, Is Risen Today Come, Thou Almighty King Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing Come, We That Love The Lord Come, Ye Thankful People, Come Count Your Blessings Crown Him with Many Crowns Day Is Dying In The West Face to Face with Christ My Savior Fairest Lord Jesus Faith of Our Fathers For The Beauty Of The Earth God Be With You God Of Our Fathers God Will Take Care of You Great Is Thy Faithfulness Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah Have Thine Own Way, Lord! He Leadeth Me He Lives He's Got The Whole World In His Hands Heavenly Sunlight Hiding In Thee His Eye Is On The Sparrow His Name Is Wonderful Holy, Holy, Holy How Firm A Foundation How Great Thou Art I Am His And He Is Mine I Am Thine, O Lord I Have Decided to Follow Jesus I Know Whom I Have Believed I Love To Tell The Story i need Thee Every hour In Christ There Is No East Or West In the Cross of Christ In the Garden It Came Upon the Midnight Clear It Is Well With My Soul Ivory Palaces Jesus Calls Us Jesus Is All The World To Me Jesus Loves Me! Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee Joy To The World Just A Closer Walk With Thee Just As I Am, Without One Plea Lead Me To Calvary Leaning on the Everlasting Arms Let The Lower Lights Be Burning Love Divine, All Loves Excelling More About Jesus Would I Know More Love To Thee My Faith Looks Up To Thee My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less My Jesus, I Love Thee Near The Cross Near to the Heart of God Nearer, My God, to Thee No, Not One! Now Thank We All Our God O Come, All Ye Faithful O For A Heart To Praise My God O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing O God, Our Help In Ages Past O Happy Day Oh, How He Loves You and Me! Oh, How I Love Jesus O Little Town of Bethlehem O Love That Will Not Let Me Go O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee O Worship the King Only Trust Him Onward, Christian Soldiers Open My Eyes, That I May See Pass Me Not Rescue the Perishing Revive Us Again Rock Of Ages Safe In The Arms Of Jesus Saved By Grace Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us Shall We Gather at the River? Showers Of Blessing Silent Night! Holy Night! Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus Standing On The Promises Sweet By And By Sweet Hour of Prayer Take My Life and Let It Be Take The Name Of Jesus With You Take Time To Be Holy Tell Me The Old, Old Story The Bond Of Love The Church In The Wildwood The Church's One Foundation The Light Of The World Is Jesus The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want The Old Rugged Cross This Is My Father's World 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus Trust and Obey Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus Were You There? What a Friends We Have in Jesus When I Survey the Wondrous Cross When Morning Gilds the Skies When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder Wonderful Words Of Life

Song List: God So Loved The World Good King Wenceslas Gentle Mary I Saw Three Ships Masters in this Hall O Come All Ye Faithful The Friendly Beasts What Child Is This

Song List: Angels We Have Heard On High Manger Lullaby Messiah Comes Emmanuel Of The Fathers Love Begotten Of The Fathers Love Begotten Reprise One Holy Night What Child Is This

Song List: Awake There, Arise As a Mother for Her Children Beat the Drums of Welcome Behold, the Holy Lamb of God Be Merciful to Us, O God Bless The Lord, O My Soul Chiuta Is Our Sure Defense Christ Yesu Was Born (Odi, Odi) Come, Let Us Seek Our God's Protection Come, Let Us Walk This Road Together Crowds Following Yesu Everyone's Rejoicing Gift of God to Humankind Glorious Light Has Dawned God Grant That We May Be Transformed God Sends Us the Spirit God's Home Is Here God, We Pray Here in Your Sight Great Chiuta Help Us, God, to Be Peace-makers He Must Die or All Will Perish Humbly in Your Sight If It's Peace You Long For, Friends Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love Just as a Lamb Is Led to the Slaughter Leap, Leap My Soul Let the World Unite and Sing Life of the World Night Has Fallen Our Troubles Do Abound Should We Accept that Evil Means Sing Welcome to Our Savior To Loving Yesu, Our Dearest Friend We're Glad that We Belong to You We May Choose to Walk (Free to Serve) We Remember You, Our Yesu When Our Savior Yesu Went Away Yesu Bids Us Work for Peace and Justice Yesu Born in Bethlehem Yesu Our Child at Home Lies Dying Yesu's Calling You Who Wait to See a King

Sounds like: Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, Liz Story's "The Gift", George Winston's "December", early Windham Hill solo piano artists, and "A Winter's Solstice" compilations.


Transcribed by: David Shenton ( https://www.shentonmusic.com/ ) verbatim to the sound recording

Contents:
1. Bring A Torch (Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella)
2. Children Go Where I Send Thee / The Holly & The Ivy
3. Star Of Wonder (We Three Kings of Orient Are)
4. Silent (Silent Night, Holy Night)
5. Midnight (It Came Upon the Midnight Clear)
6. What Child Is This?
7. Greensleeves (homage to Liz Story)
8. Three Ships (I Saw Three Ships, Come Sailing In)
9. The Coventry Carol (Lully, Lulla, Lullay)
10. Sing We Now Of Christmas (No�l Nouvelet)
11. Carol Of The Bells

Album & Songbook review by: Kathy Parsons (MainlyPiano.com):

I have discovered a real wealth of great solo piano Christmas CDs this year! Isadar?s In Search For the Meaning of Christmas definitely falls into this category! Thoughtful, introspective, and a bit moody, Isadar?s arrangements are true to the carols (with some small melody changes in ?Bring a Torch? and ?Carol of the Bells? that bother me just a little) and still seem very personal. ?Bring a Torch?, ?The Holly and the Ivy?, and ?I Saw Three Ships? are given a lighthearted, joyful treatment. ?Star of Wonder (We Three Kings)?, ?What Child Is This??, ?The Coventry Carol?, and ?Sing We Now of Christmas? are all minor, somber, reverent pieces, and all four are given loving arrangements that keep the dark, mysterious nature of the songs and reflect Isadar?s own sensibilities. ?Carol of the Bells? and Isadar's take on Liz Story?s arrangement of ?Greensleeves? are energetic without losing all abandon. ?Silent Night? and ?It Came Upon a Midnight Clear? present us with a very cold, deep solitude - both feel like late night with moonlight reflecting off the snow. Both are moody, but very beautifully so. George Winston?s ?December? is one of my all-time favorite holiday albums, and I feel In Search For the Meaning of Christmas holds up exceptionally well next to it. This is an excellent collection of Christmas music, and I highly recommend it!

In Search For the Meaning of Christmas is the companion songbook to Isadar?s 1999 solo piano release by the same name. Meticulously transcribed note-for-note by David Shenton of New York Music Publishing, the music is faithful to the recording in every way (except for the pianist - YOU!). The scores are clear, concise, and easy to read, and also include chord indications for improvisation or the use of instruments other than or in addition to the piano. Isadar?s arrangements cover a whole range of emotions, from very dark and somber to joyful and buoyant. All of the pieces from the CD are here, including Isadar?s homage to Liz Story and her beautiful version of ?Greensleeves.? My personal favorites of the eleven songs in this book are the bright and cheerful ?Bring A Torch,? ?What Child Is This??, ?Greensleeves,? the darkly gorgeous ?The Coventry Carol,? and ?Sing We Now of Christmas.? Other titles that I really like are ?Children Go Where I Send Thee/The Holly and the Ivy,? ?Star of Wonder (We Three Kings)," ?Carol of the Bells,? and the effervescent ?Three Ships.? ?Silent? (Silent Night) and ?Midnight? (It Came Upon a Midnight Clear) are a bit too dark for my own holiday tastes, but are interesting and very personal arrangements. This book will make a great addition to your holiday sheet music collection and is available from isadar.com and amazon.com.

Isadar is an artist on both Enlightened Piano Radio & Whisperings Solo Piano Radio, the latter featuring some of today's biggest names in solo piano music, including Ludovico Einaudi, David Nevue, Brian Crain, Kevin Kern, Robin Spielberg, Michele McLaughlin, Philip Wesley and over 300 more...

Also available as sheet music in physical songbooks, digital downloads, as well as software for Yamaha Disklavier player-pianos.

For more information, visit his website at: http://www.isadar.com

Song List: Angels' Song I Was Touched and I Believe Light Of The World O Come All Ye Faithful Rejoice Rejoice All People Run Shepherds Run The Truth and the Light Touched By A Child Touched by a King

Song List: Child Of Light Comfort Comfort Ye My People Hark the Glad Sound Light Of The World O Come O Come Emmanuel Still Still Still What Star Is This While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

Words by Fred Pratt Green; Music by Larry Shackley.

Original music This Christmas title is well-known for its use in J.S. Bach's "Christmas Oratorio." Hymn writer Fred Pratt Green has added two contemporary stanzas which brings the meaning into our lives today with words such as, "Come, dearest child, into our hearts, and leave your crib behind you! Let this be where the new life starts for all who seek and find you." The new, original music soars in melodic grandeur. Useful for Christmas and the season of Epiphany - calling to "break forth, O heavenly light!".