Music by Liberty Chick

A Home Grown Christmas

As those of you who know me personally know, I’m not just a researcher and writer.  I’m actually a classically trained flutist and have spent many, many of my years as a performer, and some years teaching music and producing community outreach programs.  While my corporate career and writing have since kept me busy, my music always remains close to my heart.  The story behind this CD is a special one.  If you’re interested, read the history after the jump.

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Music Downloads

All files in .mp3 format and will open in your default player, or you can download Quicktime or Windows Media Player for free.

That’s me on flute, piccolo, alto flute and bass flute wherever you hear them.
Read full credits below this.

1. Good King Wenceslas – What Child Is This
2. The First Noel
3. Coventry Carol
4. O Come All Ye Faithful
5. Hark the Herald Angels Sing (wind ensemble)
   
6. Angels We Have Heard On High
7. Winter Wonderland
8. Pat-a-Pan
9. O Holy Night
10. Frosty the Snowman
11. Low How a Rose E’er Blooming (wind ensemble)
    
12. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
13. White Christmas
14. Joy to the World (wind ensemble)
    
15. Sleigh Ride (wind ensemble)

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History

Making CD recordings with friends and family had always been a favorite activity of mine as the winter months approached every year.   Initially begun as an impromptu “jam session” after hosting a post-Thanksgiving dinner for college friends in 1993, this event became an annual tradition that dually served not only as a recording session but as a reunion of sorts, providing the perfect outlet to have fun with friends and to make music together in a casual setting.  The end result was a new Christmas CD every year that spread like wildfire in our local communities.

Somewhere along the way, we began making a more coordinated project out of the annual event, and recording became a career and way of life for some time.  For years, a few of us actually aspired to move to Vermont or New Hampshire and become something of a new generation of remote mountain-dwelling Windham Hill recording artists (yes, odd, I know…especially for a non-liberal who also loves edgy rock, rap  & punk music, too).  But we always kept the “home grown holiday” feel to our little grass-roots project. And through it, we created permanent memories from our music, which could be shared with each other and with others – many of the performers on the CD sent it out each year in place of the standard holiday card.  Something about it for me had always brought me closer to home, as my grandparents, their seven children and dozens of us grandchildren enjoyed listening to each CD together all throughout the holidays every year.

While I still aspire to move to the New England mountains and retire to my writing and my music someday (I love the snow), things are different nowadays – some friends are busy raising their children, others have moved away; sadly some friends and family have since passed away, and others have simply moved on.  But the music always remains with us still, and this one represents a compilation of some of my favorites of our old recordings.   They’re the selections that my grandmother used to play while she was making holiday cookies, and that her sister  – my great aunt – would listen to while putting out luminaries along her driveway and down the block.  The music just reminds me of sipping hot chocolate with family by a burning fireplace on a snowy day.  It’s always sort of nice to feel a little of that “home grown” spirit again.

Enjoy the selections!

Mandy
(Liberty Chick)

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Credits:

All arrangements are by Richard Phillips except where otherwise noted. (Yes, he was my ex-hubby…).

Several selections performed by The Eastern Wind Symphony , a wind ensemble with which most of the musicians on the CD (including me) previously performed, under the direction of Dr. William H. Silvester.  EWS scores transcribed & conducted by Dr. William H. Silvester.  For a catalog of all institutional CDs recorded by EWS, go to Encore Music.

Performers:

If you want to get in touch with any of the performers or find out more, feel free to contact me via email and I’ll be happy to assist.

1. Good King Wenceslas – What Child Is This: Mandy Nagy—flute / Amy Parker—oboe / Rich Phillips—mandolin, guitars, bass
2. The First Noel: Mandy Nagy—flute / Brian Bridge—congas / Rich Phillips—guitar choir, bass, banjo head, tambourine
3. Coventry Carol: Mandy Nagy—flute, alto flute, bass flute
4. O Come All Ye Faithful: Mandy Nagy—flute / Billy Domenick—fiddle / Rich Phillips—bass, banjo, mandolin, guitar
5. Hark the Herald Angels Sing: The Eastern Wind Symphony
6. Angels We Have Heard On High: Mandy Nagy—flute / Rich Phillips—bass
7. Winter Wonderland: Mandy Nagy—flute / Rich Phillips—guitars, bass
8. Pat-a-Pan: Mandy Nagy—flute, piccolo / Rich Phillips—mandolins, e-bow guitars
9. O Holy Night: Mandy Nagy—flute / Amy Parker—oboe / John Oleniacz—accordion / Rich Phillips—guitars, bass
10. Frosty the Snowman: Mandy Nagy—flute / Karen Conover—trombone
11. Low How a Rose E’er Blooming: The Eastern Wind Symphony
12. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear: Mandy Nagy—flute / Rich Phillips—piano sequencing, guitar, bass
13. White Christmas: John Oleniacz—accordion
14. Joy to the World: The Eastern Wind Symphony
15. Sleigh Ride: The Eastern Wind Symphony