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Storybook Advent Carols
Collection
Volume One
American
Christmas Classics
Storybook Advent Carols Collections are performed as piano solos
by veteran British musician, composer and songwriter
Michael
Brech.
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Available in CD or Digital
Download
Storybook Advent
Carols Collection includes two albums with 20 classic carols
each and a third album, the Ultimate Carols
Collection, which is a compilation of thirty
of the forty songs featured.
The first volume covers North America's favorite carols
played in the classic American tradition. The second
features European favorites played in the European tradition.
Included with the purchase of either album is the complete
downloadable and printable Storybook Advent Carols Collection
Songbook with all the lyrics, (including foreign language lyrics
to selected carols) to the carols on both albums.
Plus, the
history of each carol and a pictorial journey of the Christian
locations and lifestyles in the Holy Land (Volume One) and
Southern England (Volume Two) is included.
About the Carols Collection
from musician, composer and artist Michael Brech
"There is something about Christmas Carols that
evokes a completely different feeling and emotion to other
music. They stir up waves of nostalgia and happiness, and instil
a sense of peace and goodwill that comes with the season. In
studies, it has been found that the Mozart Effect makes children
more intelligent, perhaps we should play Christmas Carols every
day to make the world a better place.
When I came to arranging the carols, I wanted to
play them in such a way that they could be used in a variety of
settings: to be able to sing to them, to be able to sit down and
listen to them or to have them as soft background music. So,
they couldn’t be too busy, couldn’t be too simple and couldn’t
be too intrusive.
There was also the imagery to bring across, as
many carols paint pictures in the mind. My experience in writing
for film and stage paid off in this sense.
I needed to capture the essence of the carols,
the message and meaning in each one, as well as consider
variations on the tunes. Some have many verses, and to play a
verse the same over and over may make for good singing but not
necessarily good listening. This all involves the moving of the
tune though the octaves and crossing of hands and other little
tricks of playing. I was asked if I had double-tracked the
recordings, but no, they were all played straight.
Then there was the challenge of making them sound
contemporary but keep a feel of their origin, and with the ages
of the carols spanning over many centuries, I needed to keep
within the boundary of their style, be it Gregorian,
Elizabethan, Victorian, but combine soft jazz with them, or a
certain style of playing, to bring them ‘up-to-date’.
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FEATURING
Adeste Fideles
(O Come All Ye Faithful)
Angels From
The Realms of Glory
Away In A Manger
Deck the Halls
The First Noel
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Good King Wenceslas
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Greensleeves
(What Child is This?)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
I Saw Three Ships
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Jingle Bells
O Christmas Tree
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Oh Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Silent Night
Twelve Days of Christmas
We Three Kings
Preview Songs Featured in the
Caroling Collection Songbook
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"Simplicity at its
best"
"Just gone through carols and they are great,--simplicity at its
best. All that is needed for a sing along to bring out the
spirit of Christmas cheer. Well done to all involved."
Jeremy Allard,
Lyricist, London, England
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It was an exciting challenge to record forty
carols. Even trying to name forty carols is a feat in itself, so
I had to research to make up the quantity. For Volume 1, my
partner in creating Storybook Advent Laura D. Lewis played a
large part in putting together the list since I wasn’t that
aware of the carols that are popular in America, and it is
surprising how different they are from English traditional
carols.
Michael Brech, the artist on the
Storybook Advent Carols Collections. |
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For Volume 2, I
concentrated on English and European
carols. Discovering carols from France,
such as Patapan and Bring a Torch,
Jeannette, Isabella, was a delight, as
well as finding a very overlooked
English carol, Brightest and Best of the
Sons of the Morning. In my opinion, this
carol is every bit as beautiful as Oh
Holy Night on Volume 1. Again, a carol
that is very popular in America, but
hardly known in England.
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For the one American
carol on Volume 2, Away in a Manger,
there was the thought of swapping with
the version on Volume 1, the Murray
composition being more popular in
America, but it is becoming widespread
in England and I felt that it introduced
something just a little different to the
‘English’ version of the Storybook
Advent Carols. Not only that, but also
the Kirkpatrick version fits so
perfectly on Volume 1 and delivers a
touching, emotional moment. |
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I am certain you will enjoy these carols as much as I
have enjoyed arranging and performing them, and that
they will bring a gentle warmth to your Christmas."
Michael Brech |
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“MY
GRAND DAUGHTER LOVED THE STORIES
AND
I CAN’T STOP LISTENING
TO THE CAROLS”
“I just love the concept and the execution. My
grand daughter loved the stories and I can’t
stop listening to the carols. You deserve every
success.”
Cliff Lague, Spain
About
Volume One
View Playlist
Remember that fabulous feeling of gathering with
friends and family around a piano at Christmas
and singing carols? Or maybe you were the one
practicing hours a week just right for your
parent's annual Christmas party? Those
were good times, warm times and loving times and
you can bring them back this Christmas.
Brech's arrangement and performance captures the essence
of each carol - whether it be joy or sadness, contemplation or
open hallelujah. The arrangements are inventive and witty, from
the trotting horse in Jingle Bells, the fife and drum of
Patapan, the tears of the Coventry Carol to the mayhem of gifts
in the Twelve Days of Christmas. His warm,
inimitable style is a blend of classical,
baroque and soft jazz, not easy to imagine but,
once heard, never forgotten.
Volume One includes classic Carols played in the
American Tradition. Volume Two includes carols
played in the British or European tradition.
Most people are surprised to discover that many
of their favorite carols are played differently
just over the pond. This is one of the unique
features of Storybook Advent Carols Collection.
Through both CDs, you'll be able to dramatically
increase your Christmas music collection and
discover new versions of some of your favorite
songs.
"I
saved the music, lyrics and CD covers to my desktop. I
think you did a really great job with this. They are
awesome! I also read the Memo: from God. Wow – nicely
done and very uplifting."
--John Day,
Los Angeles, California USA
Both collections
are available as physical CDs or MP3 downloads
you can play on an iPod, iPhone, Smartphone, Mp3
player and most CD players. A classic
black and white printable
PDF version of the
Caroling book is free with your purchase of
either album. However you can purchase it as
well as a full color or black and white
paperback, or in color versions for iPad, Nook,
Kindle, Sony Reader and most other popular
e-readers as well.
As a thank you gift for purchasing your albums
directly through us, we're adding in the
exclusive Memo From God. This amazing
essay will will provide you and your family the
comfort, strength and hope that only scripture
when applied to real life can deliver. The
Memo from God is our free gift to you
whether you purchase just a single of one of the
songs or the entire Storybook Advent Package.
We're so sure you'll be
delighted with your Storybook Advent Calendar and
the Carols
Collection, both come with a 60-day money back
guarantee!
To review each of the
packages available,
Click here |
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Each album purchase includes a
FREE Songbook and our
exclusive Memo from God!
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British Christmas Classics
Preview
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Storybook Advent Carols
Collection Volume Two gives you 20 more
Classic Christmas Carols played in the
European Tradition.
More Info
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Free
Songbook
with purchase of either Storybook Advent Carols
Collection
Preview
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Each Storybook Advent
Carols Collection purchase includes the
exclusive Storybook Advent Carols
Collection Songbook as a black & white
Digital Download that can be printed on
your home printer or....More
Info
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Preview
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You can purchase the
Caroling Songbook as a paperback in
Classic Black & White or Full color.
More Info
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FREE GIFT
with Purchase
Preview
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This amazing
fourteen page inspirational memo is your
free gift with any Storybook Advent
purchase. |
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NON-PROFITS & CORPORATE CLIENTS: For companies and
non-profits looking for fundraising or Christmas gifts
for clients, we also create custom CDs and Caroling
Books from the songs for your organization. Simply
contact us and we'll give you the details. Typical
turn-around is 2-4weeks.
Click links below to listen to each sample.
You'll need QuickTime, MS Media Player or an iPod
and speakers to hear.
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Singles are available through
Amazon,
iTunes,
Myxer and other retailers.
Christmas Carol Ringtones for each of these carols are also
available through Myxer, (non-Apple
players).
Text
StoryBookAdvent
to
69937
(MYXER)
to access the singles and ringtones via your mobile phone.
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The Storybook Advent Carol's
Collection:
American Christmas Classics
Performed by Michael
Brech
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