"December Recollections"...

The songs in this Advent and Christmas collection were played on a Steinway baby grand piano that came into my family’s life in about 1920. My maternal grandfather promised he would buy his rather shy bride a piano if she would enter a local vocal contest. She entered the contest and won first prize, and I grew up banging on this piano at my grandparent’s house. I then loved playing and composing on this piano at my mom's home for years, and then shortly before she died she had it rebuilt and sent to me as a gift. Unfortunately it was damaged in the rebuilding process, and I was told it would never be “healthy” enough to use for recording. But I had some work done on it bit by bit and in October, 2015 realized it might just be worthy of some recording. I put some good mics on it and sure enough…it sounded great.

I got inspired to mess around with some of the hymns of the Advent and Christmas season, and “December Recollections” spilled out in about a week. I’m delighted to share this piano and these simple arrangements with you. Hopefully these gentle renditions of some of the Advent and Christmas classics will be some nice background music as you go about your holiday traditions, or perhaps provide a musical framework for some quiet medition and reflection.

I only wish my mother could hear this project... She didn't play herself, but always loved hearing this beautiful instrument being played.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and may the Light and Love of the Divine be powerfully present to, within, and through us all…

Bryan Sirchio