Christmas CD Background

The music of David James will sooth and relaxyou as you reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas.

 

David James - also known as David James Fritch - is a classical pop singer with a rich voice.  David has long had a love of music and has been performing with groups since elementary school.  He performed the title roles of ‘Joseph’ in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and ‘Adam’ in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”.  David has been a featured soloist for over ten thousand attendees at the Manti Pageant and shared his musical talents with international audiences.

 

David provides a powerful, yet peaceful rendition of traditional and contemporary Christ focused selections, and was involved with the orchestral and choral arrangements on this album.

 

Michael Dowdle (http://www.michaeldowdle.com ) produced the album and provided two of the arrangements.  Michael has recorded thousands of sessions for artists and companies, averaging 250 sessions a year in all styles of music. 

Dean Kaelin (http://www.deankaelin.com), one of the few Seth Riggs associates of Speech Level Singing in the world and David’s vocal coach, composed and provided the piano accompaniment for “God’s Gift of Love”.

 

David teamed up with David Huntsinger (http://www.huntsingermusic.com), who arranged and co-produced the recent Grammy Award winning hymns release by well-known television star, Andy Griffith, to provide three contemporary arrangements for this album - "How Far is it to Bethlehem?", "Gabriel's Message with Gloria and Magnificat", and " It Was a Starry Night"

 

Maryanne Munk provided editorial music review and a new arrangement of “In the Bleak Midwinter” for this album. She studied piano and composition since the age of seven and majored in music at Brigham Young University.

 

Also featured on the album is Sarah Kaelin Wirthlin who performs a duet with David on “It Was a Starry Night”. Sarah has been singing since the age of two.  She has starred in many theatrical productions, recently playing Belle in "Beauty and the Beast". Sarah attended the American Music and Dramatic Academy for Musical Theater, and afterward toured with the National Touring Company of “OKLAHOMA!”

 

Daniel G Fritch oversaw production and the remaining arrangements.  Daniel produced his first arrangement in high school and obtained a minor in music as a part of his Bachelor of Science degree.  More recently, Daniel has been studying music composition and orchestration with fellow members of the Seattle Composers Alliance.  This album is the first time his music has been released.

 

The overall album concept was a joint effort between David and his family.  Early in the project, they decided to focus the songs on Christ and His birth. Please take a moment and listen to samples from this album. 

Reviews

If you are tired of jazzy fluff when December rolls around--or you just yearn for a simpler time when holiday music was presented in traditional contexts and championed the "reason for the season," then A Christmas Tale is a solid music option for you. As an added bonus, David James is also very easy on the eyes; you may want to buy the CD just to gaze upon his handsome visage. Even so, don't neglect to play the music!

--Carol Swanson

http://www.christmasreviews.com/wdjames.shtml

 

 

David's Christmas music is beautiful, spectacular, wonderful!!!  This is so soothing, uplifting, magnificent! 

--M Anderson

 

Dave James has a rich, full "want to listen to him forever" voice and a personal singing style that is terriibly exciting to watch! His talent is quite extraordinary.

--K Huntsman

 

I was full of goose bumps and gladness beyond words. I can't stop my heart or tears after hearing the Christmas album.

--J Ellison

 

If you like the voice of Josh Groban … you will LOVE the voice of David James. Trust me.

 

I have loved his voice for years and always try to hear him whenever he sings. I just got his newly released CD and I can’t stop playing it.

--B Morris

Track Notes and Samples

Please enjoy these sound clips.....

  • Mary, Did You Know?

    “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” -Luke 2:14

     

    Gabriel’s Message with Gloria and Magnificat

    “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God … to a virgin [named] Mary … and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
    –Luke 1:26-28


    O Holy Night

    And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them … [and said]… Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  … And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” -Luke 2:8-11, 13-14


    It Was a Starry Night

    “… Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, … When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” -Matthew 2:1,10-11


    O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

    “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name [Emmanuel]. …And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; …  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. ”
    -Isaiah 7:14; 11:2, 5


    How Far Is It to Bethlehem?

    ”And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.” -Matthew 2:6


    In the Bleak Midwinter

     “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart…” -Psalms 51: 17


    Were You There on That Christmas Night?

     “... blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
    -John 20:29-31


    Silent Night

     “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” -Luke 2:7


    God’s Gift of Love

     “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
    -John 3:16,17


    A Christmas Tale

    “… I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die”-John 11:25, 26