专辑简介

After 3 years of trying to bring this project to fruition (the birth of Bree's 2nd child Abigail in 2008 changed the timeline), Bree released a full length Christmas album in November 2011. The album marks the culmination of several collaborative relationships Bree explored from 2006-2011. The diverse yet cohesive Holiday music collection features several co-writes including "It's Christmastime" (written with Allan Licht and 3rd place winner in the Next Holiday Classic Contest), "Heaven Came To Earth" (with Marissa DiBlasio) and "Wide Awake on Christmas Eve" (Bree penned the nostalgic lyrics that transport you to your favorite childhood Christmas memories set to music by Joel Irwin, Sharphol, & Karl Mogard). One other special original song (Marissa DiBlasio/Kathy Miller) is the title track, "Gift Beneath The Star". Bree chose this song for its poignant message that Christ is the greatest gift we will ever receive on Christmas which ties together the album's secular and sacred selections. Familiar carols like "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", "Away In A Manger", and "Silent Night" are sung delicately and treated to descants and harmonic accents. Mainstays like "O Holy Night" are given the royal treatment. Bree also included two of her favorite lesser known carols with beautifully haunting melodies: "The Coventry Carol" and "Gabriel's Message". An arrangement of one of Bree's signature performances each Christmas, "Mary Did You Know", is backed by powerful yet understated music, suitable for message of its brilliant lyrics. The crown jewel (in Bree's opinion) is a stunning celtic-style arrangement of "I Wonder As I Wander" which captures the awe of the Christmas story and the mystery of faith. The entire album was produced and mixed by Bree in the fall of 2011, bringing together the musical and thematic influences from her childhood, 25 years of choral singing, and her 2000s singer/songwriter and recording artist talent.