Inside the
Winter Issue:

Home Page

Growing Up
With Hunger

Fan Fare:
Randy Rossilli

Fan Fare:
SpoonWalk

Tulane, Too Soon

Journal Provides Eye Into
Food Banks’ Efforts in
Katrina’s Wake

Chapin Christmas CD
Is a Hit Throughout
The Seasons

“Doing Something”

Goat Tales

Chapin Family Marks
WHY’s 30th Anniversary
With Benefit Concerts
in New York City

Harry Chapin Celebration
Concert Review

Time to Remember

Letter to the Editor:
Elizabeth Paquette

Letter to the Editor:
Greg McCaig

Circle! Calendar

Chapin Christmas CD
Is a Hit Throughout The Seasons

by Bill Hornung

It might be the one Christmas album that gets played throughout the year.

The Chapin Family Christmas Collection is a new CD featuring the entire performing family and many friends re-creating 12 favorite holiday hymns and songs in arrangements that are far from traditional. In fact, the songs take on a whole new feel that will sound right at home throughout any season.

Conceived, arranged and produced by Steve Chapin, the album has something for everyone. There’s an island-flavored Silent Night, country laced Brightest and Best and an upbeat Hark, the Herald Angels Sing that captures the spirit of a Chapin family concert.

And, of course, you can finally hear Big John Wallace sing the entire O Holy Night that serves as the haunting background chorus to Harry Chapin’s Mr. Tanner.

The entire album represents all of the amazing voices that create the legendary Chapin harmonies Ð thanks in large part to Steve’s distinctive arrangements that make these old standbys completely new again.

The collection is based on the 1940 Hymnal of the Episcopal Church that Steve, Tom and John Wallace performed in as part of the Choir of Boys and Men at Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights in New York. The album is dedicated to Ann Versteeg McKittrick, the famed organist and director of Music at Grace Church that influenced a generation of legendary performers.

Also joining the CD are Jen Chapin and Stephan Crump, family patriarch Jim Chapin, Harry’s drummer Howie Fields, The Chapin Sisters (Jessica, Abigail and Lily), Clark Wallace (Big John’s son) and Jonathan (Steve’s son).

Tracking down the performers was a task in of itself. In many cases, performances were recorded wherever the musicians could be cornered including at their homes and in hotel rooms. The recording team eventually traveled 20,000 miles throughout six states and two countries to make it happen.

The CD is available through Roseville Records.

The Song List

Chapin Family Christmas Collection.
Volume II: Variations on Christmas and Epiphany Carols

1. Silent Night
(John, Steve and Tom)
This one takes you to the Islands with a hint of banjo, yet brings the Christmas spirit home.

2. Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
(Tom, the Chapin Sisters, Steve and John)
Includes an electric lead guitar that muscles up this classic.

3. Angels We Have Heard On High
(The Chapin Sisters)
Sung by angels.

4. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
(The Chapin Sisters, Steve, Tom, John)
You’ll never remember the classic the same way after listening to this off-beat, jazzy rendition.

5. O Holy Night
(John Wallace, the Willow Place Men’s Chorus)
The classic that only John can sing.

6. Deck the Halls
(Jen and Daddy Jim scatting)
Several generations re-mixing this classic in a slow, sultry jazz version.

7. We Three Kings
(Tom with special guests Rabbi Jonathan Kligler and Naji Youssef).
If you didn’t know better, you’d think this song was a Chapin original.

8. Brightest and Best
(Jessica, Steve and John).
This is what traditional hymns would sound like if they had been originally written in Nashville.

9. Saw You Never
(Steven and John)
A beautiful cello and drum with Steve and John’s harmonies “harken” back to Harry Chapin band days.

10. There Is Room
(Lily on lead)
An inspiring message about what the holiday is all about.

11. Adeste Fidelis
(Abigail)
Hold on to your seats. An up tempo, rocking version for all the “Come All Ye Faithful” fans.

12. Ding Dong Merrily On High
(Tom and the gang).
A little banjo. A little heaven. And a little “Gloria” sung in a Chapin trademarked “rounder.”

 

Watch for the Next Issue of Circle! on March 7