I am so excited to share this project with you! I've titled this album A Christmas Experiment for a few reasons...
As such, if these songs bring you Christmas cheer, and you have the means, I hope you'll consider sending me a "tip" through Venmo or PayPal to @MusicMrRoss though these links:
- EXPERIMENT #1: This is the first time I have ever self-produced music to this scale... all tracks on this project were arranged, performed, and produced by me!
- EXPERIMENT #2: Throughout the process, I challenged myself to do something unique with these beloved holiday classics, in an effort to offer you a wide variety of textures and styles across these six classic holiday songs.
- EXPERIMENT #3: I am (possibly foolishly?) implementing a non-business business model of GIVING THIS ALBUM AWAY FOR FREE (for now), and hoping to recoup my expenses and time through the thoughtful generosity of folks who enjoy the music and have the wherewithal to support my work.
As such, if these songs bring you Christmas cheer, and you have the means, I hope you'll consider sending me a "tip" through Venmo or PayPal to @MusicMrRoss though these links:
Maybe a couple bucks, or enough for a fancy coffee, or an oversized burrito, or more... your generosity means the world to me (and my family!), especially during the holiday season!
Click the button below to download the entire album in one expanding .ZIP file, which includes all songs in high quality MP3 format and the album artwork:
1. Wassail! Wassail!
2. Up On the Housetop
3. O Come, All Ye Faithful
4. Good King Wenceslas
5. Away in a Manger
6. I Hear the Bells
(Also includes all album artwork)
Click the button below to download the entire album in one expanding .ZIP file, which includes all songs in high quality MP3 format and the album artwork:
1. Wassail! Wassail!
2. Up On the Housetop
3. O Come, All Ye Faithful
4. Good King Wenceslas
5. Away in a Manger
6. I Hear the Bells
(Also includes all album artwork)
Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!!
CLick the button to access your FREE download
of the entire album
(works best on desktop/laptop. . . for mobile, try clicking the link below the button)
[Click here to view and download each file/track separately]
NOW STREAMING!
But please consider...
While I am THRILLED that my album is available to the masses through these services, keep in mind that each song stream earns an artist $0.007. So... stream away! But if you really enjoy the music, please also consider the green support links above. Thank you!
Order a Signed CD version
Lyrics Videos from
"A Christmas Experiment"
I HEAR THE BELLS
Back in 2010, I was trying to arrange a creative reinterpretation of "Carol of the Bells" for Face Vocal Band, singing the "ding dong ding dongs" while playing guitar and noodling with different chords and ideas. Through that process, I accidentally wrote an original song based around an image in my mind of a man walking alone down a snowy city street, following the sound of distant bells back to his estranged lover. Since then, the song has been a great piece for Face, and I'm very proud that it's been a staple in our holiday show this past decade. For this project, I rearranged, performed, and produced out the "instrumental" version that's always been in my mind... think less Face-y and more Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, or other rock/grunge bands that I enjoy. To me, the Face 20th anniversary recording will always be the ultimate version, but I had a blast putting this together.
O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL
I've always loved the beautiful melody of this song. In putting together such a well known Christmas classic, I challenged myself to arrange a "choral" version with features and harmonies I had never heard before, with the vague notion that it'd be in the style of something the The King's Singers might perform. I'm thrilled at how it turned out, and excited to share the song, performance, and sheet music with everyone.
Wassail! Wassail!
“Wassail! Wassail!” was a late addition to my holiday album, but I’m so thrilled at how it turned out. The melody of the chorus was hiding somewhere deep in my brain, and the only versions I knew or could recall were very classical or choral. Since one definition of “Wassailing” is “merrily drinking alcohol with others in a noisy, lively way", I decided to arrange it in the style of a drinking song, plucking my favorite verses from the 12 or so that I found. Imagine you're in a pub… a lone fellow in the corner with a guitar starts to sing this song, and slowly the entire bar joins in, singing, dancing, and banging on tables as the tune builds. I hope you enjoy this rollicking little ditty!
GOOD KING WENCESLAS
If I'm being completely honest, I initially chose to record the song "Good King Wenceslas" because it's the only song I know of that has my name in it (spelled correctly too!). The song tells a story with three characters, the king, his trusty page, and a peasant. The overall message is akin to "the love you take is equal to the love you make". The king's kind act of delivering some of St. Stephen's feast to a poor peasant on a cold night, enacted the miracle of having him save his page who was freezing during the perilous journey, by warming the very path upon which he trod. I had fun utilizing classical artwork to bring this story to life visually... it's never made more sense to me than it does now!! I decided to perform it in the style of a modern minstrel song... maybe something you might hear in "Lord of the Rings" or "The Witcher" or maybe even "Spamalot"... there's also a TOP SECRET EASTER EGG near the end. :)