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The Crucifixion - by John Stainer

TortoiseClimbing Audio™ is pleased to provide Free downloads of the digitally restored and mastered version 2 from the unmixed and unmastered historic, amateur, monaural, private LP recording from 1959.

The older mastered version 1 is available from this website. The newer version 2 is available from our online audio Marketplace. Easy link to audio Marketplace is Store Access. (Version 2 includes additional mastering and restoration, separation into 15 performance numbers of score, plus addition of lyrics to the online album store.) (If you want unlimited mp3 streaming of the digital version from Bandcamp, their cost is $1.00.)

(FYI, this vintage album contains the first recordings of David as a high school soloist before voice lessons.)

The original vintage, historic, monaural, private LP record was made in 1959 by editing together the best of from the amateur raw tapes of the two 1959 live spring performances by the 3 Annapolis High School choirs in the then AHS (now Maryland Hall) auditorium. The performances present a unique arrangement created by the choir director. He achieved this by having the 2 womens choirs sing most of the recitatives and arias, achieving a dramatically more choral presence. (Hymns in the score are omitted. About 41 minutes in length.)

Note. The Online Marketplace free download includes a copy of the lyrics, but it does Not include a copy of the score. The score is only available from this website.

For more details about this project, click on The Crucifixion.

Hymns and Songs of My Mother

This album provides an opportunity to re-live your memory of these historic, nostalgic, traditional hymns and songs. Link to the online audio Marketplace for ordering at Store Access.

Vocal version released 6/20/2024 for digital download.

CD released 9/20/2024.

Titles and timings of playlist are available at Simple Playlist. Selected hymns from the vocal performance version are available for streaming from this website (see Annotated Playlist).

Limited streaming of all tracks of the vocal version are available from the audio online marketplace product page (see Hymns and Songs of My Mother). At the online audio Marketplace you can purchase and 1) digitally download the album, or 2) place an order for the CD to be mailed.

Lyrics for all hymns and songs are available both from this website and the online store for all hymns and songs. (See Lyrics.)

This is a very extensive (almost 78 minutes in length), very high-quality collection of 27 classic, traditional, nostalgic, congregational hymns and songs performed by professional vocalists and instrumental accompaniments. Mother's concept was as a tribute to his recently deceased dad. They jointly selected the numbers to include on this recording.

This is a magnificant interpretation of the old hymns by a number of outstanding trained singers and instrumentalists in various vocal and instrumental arrangements. David sings lead on all but one hymn, where he provides accented harmony to an original arrangement of "Were You There" by the Phase I Producer, Ms. Heidi Gerber-Salins.The Congregational hymn origin is deliberatly honored by singing them as printed in the hymnals, but in a variety of vocal combinations and different accompaniment arrangements, including:

• Solo;
• Duet;
• Multi-part harmony (a number including descants), and
• A cappella,


• A variety of accompaniments are used, including:
  • Orchestral ensemble;
  • Piano;
  • Pipe organ;
  • Celtic harp;
  • Shuttle pipe (baby bagpipe);
  • Acoustic guitar;
  • String bass;
  • Handbells;
  • Various percussion:
    • Cymbals
    • Glockenspeil (orchestra bells)
    • Electronic Timpini
    • Tubular bells/chimes
    • etc.

This collection consists of 21 traditional, congregational hymns, and 6 religious songs. All the hymns came from hymnals David's parents had collected over the years. The religious songs are drawn from a variety of sources, including:

• Church, service songs from backs of the hymnals;
• A couple of baroque settings of songs used for weddings;
• An art song of the 23^rd psalm from his voice studies; and
• A folk-Contemporary Christian song originally written by a relative for the funeral of David's mother's sister.

Except for lyrics to "Morning Has Broken," all hymns are now Public Domain, i.e., out-of-copyright. Lyrics to the wedding song "Be Thou with Them," are also still under copyright. We will be copyrighting the original folk-Contemporary Christian song "Welcome Home" on behalf of the author/composer, Kathy Brigman Haupt.

-- Future Versions of Hymns and Songs of My Mother --

The plan is to add 3 additional versions of this album as soon as circumstances allow:

• Instrumenatal version for Easy Listening, with no vocals;
• 2 versions for use as minus 1, custom (karaoke) professional backing tracks to sing along with:
  1. Version minus the vocal lead for soloists, with other vocal harmony parts; and
  2. Version minus all vocal parts for choirs, but with the descants.

Songs

The following previously unreleased songs recorded with friends, from around 1991, before TortoiseClimbing™ was established in 1993, will shortly be released for sale and digital download. They are upgraded so their quality conforms with our upgraded mission, including: post production processed, remixed, and remastered. Initial versions of some are available on this website for streaming from Duets with Terry.) (They may subsequentally become part of an EP with additional songs.)

"And So It Goes" - by Billy Joel

This song was recorded, likely in 1991-1992, prior to beginning work on the Solo Collection, which preceded recording the Hymns and Songs of My Mother album. "And So It Goes" includes portions with a multi-part trio harmony of this wonderful, introspective exploration of a lost love. It was recorded with friends Terry (see Duets with Terry) and the Phase I Producer of Hymns and Songs of My Mother, Ms. Heidi Gerber-Salins (see Heidi Gerber-Salins - Producer, Phase I). This song will be offered, both:

• Initially as an individual download; and
• Possiblry later as part of an EP or album.

This lovely, poignant, romantic song of love lost was initially published by Billy Joel in ©1989 (about 3:40 in length). This trio version illustrates yet another dimension of TortoiseClimbing™'s repertoire.

This is available for streaming from Duets with Terry.

"I Am the Starlight" - by Andrew Lloyd Weber

Like the poignant, romantic love lost song "And So It Goes" above, this song was the first recorded with Terry at Bias in 1990-1991, before beginning Solo Collection. Similar to "And So It Goes", this song will be offered, both:

• Initially as an individual download; and
• Later as part of an EP or album.

This is a dramatic baritone and tenor duet, with synthesized orchestra, bass guitar and piano accompaniment. It is a strong motivational number from the 2^nd act of the musical, Starlight Express. It is between the protagonist, Rusty, and the mythical Starlight Express, where the Starlight Express gives Rusty the advice that the Starlight Express is within us. Just believe in yourself and you can do anything!

This is available for streaming from Duets with Terry.

"The Rose" - by Amanda McBroom

This romantic song was also likely recorded in 1991-1992. It begins with thoughts that some may say about the difficulties of love, but ends with a pronouncement that love is what brings meaning into life, and that the seed for love can always spring forth anew. This song was a major hit from end credits of the 1979 movie The Rose staring Bette Midler. Although the choral arrangement used for making this recording included multiple parts throughout, the final mix we created is modeled more after the the Bette Midler version, which begins and ends as a solo.

This is available for streaming from Duets with Terry, and subsequently will be available for purchase and download from our online marketplace.

"Welcome Home" - by Kathy Brigman Haupt

This is the only Contemporary Christian song on the album Hymns and Songs of My Mother. It is also provided separately because of its appeal as a CCM song. My mother loved this song written for her sister's funeral by her sister's grandchild.

This is available for streaming from Annotated Playlist, and from our online marketplace via Hymns and Songs of My Mother, (scroll down to hymn 25).

Other Insights

This website. Provides a page of information about every artist involved in creation of both the Hymns and Songs of My Mother recording and the History Through 27 Hymns and Songs eBook. See Artists' Cross-reference.

(Note. There remain 3 vocalists who participated in recording Hymns and Songs of My Mother who have not provided bio materials. Additionally, the draft bio for the trumpeter is drawn from materials found on the internet, but are not yet commented on by the artist.)

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Near-term Forthcoming Additional Products

Related Audio Products

• Coming - Additional versions of the album (1-Instrumental version of Hymns and Songs of My Mother without vocals; 2-minus just lead vocal; and 3-minus all vocals.)


• CDs for all versions of album. For those who prefer a CD rather than downloadable audio files, CD versions are planned.


• Songs - A number of songs, plus the album Solo Collection.


• Advance Podcasts. Beginning shortly after the companion eBook history described below becomes available, advance podcasts of chapters from the eBook will begin being provided, both as a subscription series, and as individual podcasts of chapters. (Those who subscribe gl gthe podcasts will get free download of audiobook when completed.) Target of initial podcasts is promptly after ebook is completed, presumably during 2025.


• Audiobook. At completion of advanced podcast subscription series, audiobook version from the eBook will be assembled and provided as a free download to subscribers of podcast series. Target for completed Audiobook availablilty by end of 2025. It will also be offered as part of a discounted bundle.

Books

• Companion History eBook (Working title - History Through 27 Hymns and Songs) Working Draft is with editor. (Progress repeatedly delayed by health events in her life, but hopefully in 2025.)
  
  This companion to the recording, Hymns and Songs of My Mother, is a lengthy history eBook telling histories from the time each hymn and song was written. The histories enable readers to understand how historic events occurring when each of the hymns and songs were written influenced each of the hymns and songs.
  
  To minimize price, distribution is planned as an eBook. To ensure footnotes appear on same pages as citations, the eBook will be a fixed pdf format. This will be available both as part of a bundle with the the digital audio download, and as a standalone pdf file from a different online store, accessed from the Publications section of the Online Store page.


• Individual Printed Histories - After completing advance podcasts and then audiobook, we will explore the possibility of making individual histories available for each of the hymns from the History Through 27 Hymns and Songs. Those could be as both eBooks and print books.


• Note. It appears we will have to set up a separate Online Publications marketplace for eBook sales sold separately from album, i.e., not as part of being bundled with an album. Details will be provided when it is set up.

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