— Press Release —

TortoiseClimbing Audio™ announces David Goettee's extended, audiophile album of old, nostalgic hymns and songs.
(A collaboration with professional vocalists and musicians.)

This interpretive production contains:

• 26 nostalgic, old traditional hymns and songs
  (no longer sung in many church services), and
• 1 original country/folk Contemporary Christian song.

Out Now

Listen to:

• The rousing lead song, "Angels from the Realms of Glory". (Begins solo, each verse adds more harmony voices, ending with a women’s chorus “Angels rejoicing”)
• A Scottish flavored version of "Morning Has Broken" with Celtic harp and Shuttle pipe, in honor of its Scottish tune.

David Goettee, baritone/producer/entrepreneur/business manager, announces Hymns and Songs of My Mother. This 27 track long, audiophile interpretative album artfully and dramatically brings together: 26 old, cherished, traditional hymns and songs from our parents and grandparents (dominantly Protestant); plus 1 original country/folk influenced Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) song. It begins with the rousing “Angels from the Realms of Glory,” announcing Christ’s birth. This sets the tone of positive support that carries us through life to the later hymns and songs contemplating going to our next life.

David is featured on all but one hymn, where he sings harmony. Numerous hymns are collaborations with other professional vocalists and musicians. It uses many varied accompaniments, both vocal and instrumental. Accompaniments include a smorgasbord of: acoustic guitar, real pipe organ, chamber orchestra, grand piano, harpsichord, hand bells, Celtic Harp and shuttle pipe.

This extended album is a trip into rememberences. It also is sort of a requiem, both for the memories of his mother, who requested this album (and together with David selected the hymns to include) and for David and Heidi Gerber-Salins’ (initial producer and vocal talent) childhood rememberences. (These old hymns and songs were sung in the churches they grew up in.)

The performances of each hymn and song are artistic interpretations, and each is faithfully recorded in audiophile clarity. Enjoy David's warm, rich, soaring baritone voice, as well as several soaring Descant parts. (See Annotated Playlist and Why You Should Buy this album.).

The original country/folk Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) song, “Welcome Home,” was written by Ms. Kathy Brigman Haupt for the funeral of her beloved grandmother, the sister to David’s mother. David produced an new arrangement with women’s chorus refrains (the Angels welcoming you to heaven). It is truly uplifting, and all who worked on it enjoyed making the recording. Listen to the new acoustic arrangement created for the album Hymns and Songs of My Mother ("Welcome Home".)

(Note. Because CCM is a very different style from old nostalgic hymns, two very different arrangements of "Welcome Home" are released separately as the mini-EP Welcome Home. It includes both the simpler acoustic version recorded by the composer as lead, with David on backup harmony, and the new arrangement with women's chorus. See Why I Should Buy Welcome Home.)

David Goettee Bio

David’s musical life is a sweep of many experiences. He began singing in Elementary School choirs, to High School chorus where he was selected to sing the part of Jesus (see The Crucifixion), to College Choir (where he also minored in voice) performing at Casals Festival and Carnegie Hall; to solo patriotic exercises for Univ. of MD basketball games; to solo patriotic exercises for Takoma Park, MD July 4 fireworks; to Washington, DC Redskins football Men’s Chorus; to a show tunes chorus in Alexandria, VA; to recording nostalgic music, secular and religious for TortoiseClimbing Audio™.

That sweep of experiences shaped David’s vocal style and skills, enabling him to be at home with a variety of musical styles, including nostalgic, sentimental favorites (secular and religious). His sound might be compared to previous matinee idols like: Nelson Eddy, Vic Damone, Eddie Fisher, and maybe even a touch of current day Gosh Groban.

David is committed to producing great recordings of nostalgic oldies (both solo and in collaboration with others). He is involved with both the artistic and administrative sides of making the recording label TortoiseClimbing Audio™ successful in producing audiophile nostalgic music.

Covers for Released Album and Mini-EP