Album Notes

Treasures of the Heart is a Christmas musical, which premiered on Christmas Eve, 1993. It was performed by the youth group of a church in Libertyville, IL. The story begins with Jesus at age 12, when His parents found him in Jerusalem after three days of searching. Jesus asks His mother Mary, "Why am I so different?" and her answer is a flashback to events surrounding His birth, as found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Those events, the Scriptures say, Mary "treasured in her heart."

The original cast recording was recorded live in 1993, so it's just what you'd expect from a group of telented teens - some amazing moments, a few shaky notes, the occasional cough or sneeze, but all in all a faithful recording of the musical. It was digitally remastered in 2007, and a bonus track was added - the Remember Rome version of the song "Miracle of Light." (Composer Jim Papandrea is the songwriter and lead singer of the band Remember Rome.)

The names of the soloists and musicians are included in the liner notes, along with contact information for any church or other group that might want to present this musical. The whole production fits into about an hour, so it's ideal for a Christmas service.