tracks

On Christmas Night (Sussex Carol)
Bell Carol
The Little Drummer Boy
Huron Carol
Gesu Bambino
Wexford Carol
Noel Nouvelet - Pat-a-Pan
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
Il Est Ne’, Le Divin Enfant
I Saw Three Ships
The Holly and the Ivy
Do You Hear What I Hear
Bring A torch Jeannette Isabella
Bring A torch Jeannette Isabella
Cavalier Sleigh Ride

notes

"On Christmas Night" is a collection of my favorite Christmas carols from all around the world. I feel it is important not to keep reinventing the wheel when writing out my arrangements. With my love for the beautiful melodies that these carols possess, and my knowledge of chords and music theory, I try as an arranger, to express something new and different in these tunes, hopefully keeping the integrity of the carols in tact, without changing things too much. I want the listener to feel acquainted with the songs, but to hear that something new is happening. Whether it be a total change of chords during a predictable melody section as in, "The Holly and the Ivy", or chord changes that accommodate a descending bass throughout as in the, "Wexford Carol", or maybe just a secondary dominant chord in place of the "usual" predicted chord, I like to do something different and unexpected, especially when you consider that most of these Christmas carols are still being played after a few hundred years.

I also chose to record Christmas carols that are not the very most popular in America. Most classical musicians will know these carols, but many who are not musicians will hopefully enjoy them, but may not have ever heard them before.

My hope is that the simple beauty of such early acoustic instruments as the cello, fiddle, hammered dulcimer and whistle, in our ever changing, modern and fast paced electronic world, will be a refreshing contrast, that draws the listener in by such naturalness and rawness of sound.

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