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This is the second of two Christmas songs I’m releasing for 2016. Interestingly, it is also the older of the two. I started work on this piece for LAST Christmas (2015), and was just unable to complete it in time due to it’s ambitious arrangement.
This song was not part of my original planned track list for my Christmas project, it was simply something that captured my imagination. I considered throwing an homage to “Little Drummer Boy” into it as well, given how rhythmic the early part of the song is… but in the end I decided that the song didn’t NEED more complexity. It was better as it was, being true to itself instead of making callouts to another song.
The song was written By Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker in 1962, as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Though we aren’t currently living in the shadow of a potential nuclear exchange, I still thought it was especially poignant now in our turbulent world. The writers have stated that the lyric “Pray for peace people everywhere” was especially emotional for them, and so I made sure to emphasize it heavily with my arrangement.
From a recording standpoint, this song breaks a lot of ground for me.
First of all, it is much larger than anything I’ve ever recorded, in terms of the number of distinct elements contained within it. This song features full strings, woodwinds and brass, layered vocals, multiple guitars and rock instruments and even some tubular bells. It’s a much larger endeaver than I’ve ever attempted, probably brought on (at least in part) by my recent infatuation with the symphonic metal band Nightwish.
I wanted the piece to begin very simply, and then gradually work it’s way into a full, symphonic rock crescendo at the end. In that regard, I think I got exactly what I’d hoped for.
As I alluded to earlier, this song’s sheer scope made it extremely difficult for me to get mixed and mastered properly, but I am extremely happy with, and proud of it. I hope you enjoy it and take it’s message to heart.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”