When I started piecing together the repertoire for this recording I wanted it to be more than a solo harp recording of Christmas standards. I wanted to select pieces that had meaning for me. I wanted to share my favorite music of the Christmas season with my listeners. The carols range from those that I learned as a girl in southern France to those I encountered as an adult in Ottawa, Canada, to one that I found in the past year. The common thread is that each carol brings an aspect of the Christmas season into focus for me.

In addition to Christmas carols, two major choral and harp pieces have been included that are the seasonal standards for classical harp performers. I perform Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten with choral groups each year. The piece is in the centre of this recording as it is in the centre of the harp repertoire for the Christmas season. The second choral piece is Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day by John Rutter.

The title A Christmas Story is taken from the solo harp piece written by Alphonse Hasselmans. The composition is rarely performed or recorded, but it has such beauty and spirituality. I hope that I have introduced a new Christmas composition to you that will bring meaning to your holiday season.

Track List