Finally music as beautiful as your baby! Jenni Samuelson sings from her heart to yours, inspiring sweet dreams. Twelve luscious lullabies--new bedtime classics--shepherd your little ones from "Night-Night" peacefully, beautifully through to "Good Morning.

14 MP3 Songs in this album (46:55) !
Related styles: Kids/Family: Lullabies, Classical: Art songs, Type: Vocal

People who are interested in Judy Collins Renee Fleming Susan Boyle should consider this download.


Details:
DESCRIPTION

Beautiful. Thatâs the right word for this collection of original lullabies. They soothe. They comfort. They lull everyone--mommy and infant, daddy and baby, grandparent and beloved little one--into the absolute calm that every child deserves and every parent hopes for.

You can listen to them one at a time. Or you can listen in sequence, following the story of bedtime from Night-Night to Good Morning.

Jenni Samuelson, an award-winning soprano--and a mom!--sings these new family classics, luscious lullabies that inspire sweet dreams. Warm. Real. Intimate. Emotional. Youâll feel the love in every track.

Juilliard composer, Jeff Langley, shaped the music with a modern parent in mind, someone longing for the loveliness of a Schumann melody or the heart of a James Taylor ballad.

Our companion book fills 80 full-color pages with the songsâ poetic lyrics nestled among bright, wildly imaginative drawings by Daisy Samuelson, Jenniâs four-year-old daughter.

Sing along.
Read along.
Float along.
Sweet dreams.

----------------------------
ABOUT THE SONGS

We wrote these songs, composer Jeff Langley and I, specifically for the wonderful soprano who sings them here, Jenni Samuelson. The sheer beauty and warmth of her voice are a writerâs dream. Furthermore, sheâs both a consummate artist and a mom.

Once Upon a Lullaby grew out of our shared conviction that the world has tipped over into a place where none of us--from those just born to those at the other end of life--none of us can find the quiet and peace that lead to sleep. And thence to dreams, sweet dreams. To restoration. To the sense of comfort and safety that we all need.

There are plenty of cutesy bedtime songs out there. Lots of tongue-in-cheek, rock-and-roll knock-offs. But where are the beautiful songs? The new classics? Not sentimental stuff, emotional stuff. Not platitudes but poetry. Melody. Harmony. Flat-out, to-die-for singing. Thatâs what we set out to create.

We had a blast putting these songs together. As an album, they tell the story of bedtime, from first falling asleep to at last waking up. We included simple lullabies meant to rock a single infant to sleep. We also included anthems, songs that speak to and for all of our children worldwide.

People talk about a labor of love. Well, we put in plenty of labor recording these songs, but it was utterly eclipsed by the love we all felt working on them. I hope youâll feel it too. You and whomever youâre easing to sleep. And letâs not limit that to the little ones. There are plenty of us older folks who could use a good lullaby from time to time. In that spirit, we wish you Night-Night.

Happy listening. Happy reading and stay in touch,

Amanda McTigue, Lyricist


------------------------------
ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JENNI SAMUELSON, soprano
How lucky were we, teaming up with a singer like Jenni to create this collection of songs! You can explore her website for a fuller picture of her artistry, but the bottom line is that sheâs a living-breathing example of the artist-mom, of the working family woman, of excellence everywhere she turns, from shaping beautiful vocal lines to setting the family dinner table.

She would be the first to say sheâs not doing it on her own. She has a great family, super friends. Nevertheless, for those who might feel overwhelmed--indeed, for anyone who might be having trouble falling asleep, either because of an inconsolable baby or because of the cares of an overburdened life--Jenniâs here offering these beautifully-felt, beautifully sung musical oases.

STEPHEN THOMAS, piano
Itâs a pas de deux, this business of the art song: a singer and a pianist dancing with each other from the first note through the last. We were so fortunate to have Stephen as our co-artist in these recordings. He has his own solo career, performing in classical concerts and on CDs. With all his serious, classical training, Stephen also âhearsâ and âfeelsâ music that reflects more populist American songwriting. In addition, heâs every singerâs dream, breathing when the singer breathes, charging ahead when the singer starts to gallop. These are the âchops,â as musicians say, that make for a wonderful collaboration.

AND INTRODUCING JESSICA SPENCER, debut vocalist
Make no mistake, dear listeners: these songs may be beautiful, but theyâre not at all easy to sing. Especially if youâre singing the harmony line.
Jenni and I knew that we wanted to hear the sound of a childâs voice on a very special song that comes toward the end of the collection. Itâs called âOnce Upon an Evening.â The lyrics plead for global peace, praying that someday every child on the planet might be able drift off to sleep, safe and secure.

Jenni thought one of her students, Jessica Spencer, might be just right. And, oh my goodness, werenât we stunned and amazed when she walked into the studio, cool as a cucumber, to nail take after take. She told us she learned the music at her kitchen table with her grandfather, memorizing every word, every complicated harmonic interval. Under the high pressure of studio time, she sang without making a single error, working with only a piano track coming through a pair of headphones. Thatâs the kind of performance that can rock a seasoned professional, but not this wonderful girl.

Look out, world, here comes Jessica. She brought uncanny magic to this heartfelt group of songs.