Music of Christmas Past

A joyous collection of Christmas songs by various blind and partially sighted singers! Featuring piano, guitar, flute, and violin playing with the added blend of beautiful voices harmonizing.  All this was released just seven years ago after an idea was put forth to create a CD of Holiday songs as a fundraiser for the Youth Leadership program.

The process was put into motion by a committee of youth mentors. I sat down with two youth leadership alumni, Angell and Patricia, to ask them about this project that I admire and play on repeat each Holiday season. Angell not only plays the piano, but she is also currently a member of the choir at her Church. Patricia also plays piano, but flute is also included in her expertise. Patricia is apart of a community band and occasionally sings as well.

When asked about their involvement within this project, both Angell and Patricia had much to say. Both were heavily involved in the organizational aspect of the process such as recruiting performers, coordinating recording times, and being featured on tracks throughout the album. When asked about their experience partaking in the project, they agree that there were a wide range of emotions as this was an ongoing project which took about a year to complete in its entirety. For Angell it was interesting as she had the opportunity to arrange her own piece that she would be performing on the CD, allowing her to bring out her creative side. For Patricia, writing and arranging also allowed her to bring out the musician in her (although she did not appreciate the perfectionist in her getting in the way). In fact, when asked about her favorite part in the entire project Patricia said she highly enjoyed arranging as well as having the opportunity to collaborate with other musicians.

Once the CD was completed and ready for selling, Blind Beginnings began to sell this compilation at their Annual Christmas parties as well as at certain craft fairs along with our Holiday cards. In terms of the finished project, Angell felt accomplished and a feeling of success as this was a CD which was a long time in the making. She expressed that it felt rewarding after a job well-done.I most certainly agree. I for one have put the CD on an endless loop and sang a little too loud, much to my household’s annoyance at times. If you want to buy a copy of these Holiday tunes, contact our office at 604-434-7243.

by Harjinder Saran (Jinnie)