"With just a hint of new age drama and a gentle heart, <i>Nöel</i> is touching in its understated brilliance....[T]he most striking fact about <i>Nöel</i> is its integral construction and execution. The tracks flow seamlessly, one into the next, and remind one of butter being stirred into hot fudge, swirling and glistening, warm and sweet." -- Richard Banks, <A href="http://http://www.christmasreviews.com">ChristmasReviews.com</a> Amy Yassinger sung the parts that were sung. Matthew Prins and A.J. Nelson did most of the rest. What remains was done by Mr. Nelson’s friends Daniel Stein, Beth Donovan, and Jessica Meyers, as well as by Hélène Françoise Lipogramme. We owe them all a severe debt of gratitude. Recorded at LnL Recording in Elgin, Ill. in July and August 2009. Recorded and programmed at Chicago Foundry Records in Buffalo Grove, Ill. and Nelson/Nelson Studios in Chicago, Ill. throughout the first half of 2009. LnL Recording sessions engineered by Larry Kriz. Mixed and mastered by Matthew Prins at Chicago Foundry Records. Produced by Matthew Prins. Art design by Dopey McWilliams. Copy editing by Pam R. Whittens. The photo on the front cover is "2007-12-02 (Cutting Down the Christmas Tree) 032," Steve Winton. Photo from Flickr and used under the Creative Commons Attribution License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). Throat singing sample in “Benedictus Agnus Dei (hundredfold)” by D.J. Griffin (icompositions.com/artists/djgriffin) and used under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License. Special thanks to Kim and Benji Prins; Josh, Beth, and Ava Prins; Marv and Sue Prins; Rich and Mary Ann Wentzlaff; Janet Nelson; Dutch and May Smith; Park Ridge Presbyterian Church; First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn; everyone at the Arts & Faith Forum. God. All songs traditional and arranged by Matthew Prins except “Sleep, holy babe,” with traditional lyrics and new music by Matthew Prins, and “Benedictus Agnus Dei (hundredfold)” with lyrics and music by Matthew Prins. All arrangements and songs © 2009 Matthew Prins and licensed with Thelma Dawn Espirt Publishing (ASCAP). For Kim and Benji. Emmanuel Shall Come to Thee is a Chicagoland collective of musicians led by composer Matthew Prins. The group incorporates classical, folk, new-age, orchestral, jazz, and minimalist influences into their progressive interpretations of familiar works. Featuring 19 new holiday arrangements and compositions by composer Matthew Prins, Noël fuses a myriad of influences into a Christmas album quite unlike any heard before. Performed primarily by Prins and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Nelson, Noël features a harmonious blend of handbells, handchimes, carillon, strings, woodwinds, and brass, as well as the talents of vocalist Amy Yassinger. Matthew Prins is an active composer and arranger of religious and secular sheet music, with over 10,000 copies sold and over 30 works published or accepted for publication. Prins has placed works with some of the country's largest music publishers, including Alfred Publishing, Concordia Publishing House, GIA Publications and Hope Publishing Company.