By Ashlee Larrison
GCU News Bureau
What’s better than a Christmas album to get in the spirit of the holidays?
A Christmas CD of songs performed by Mark Fearey, the College of Fine Arts and Production’s Associate Director of Choirs and Faculty Music Director.
For years, Fearey had toyed with the idea of putting together an album that would showcase his piano playing, and at long last Fearey delivered with a compilation of well-known Christmas tracks.
“For a long time, people have been on me -- ‘Do you have an album? Do you have something we could get?’ And it was always in my head to do it,” Fearey said. “For years, I was like, ‘What kind of project should I do?’ and then it came to me: A Christmas project is kind of across the board and appeals to a lot of people.”
Titled “Almost Home,” the album contains Fearey’s classical renditions of Christmas classics ranging from “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” The title derives from Fearey’s memories of going home for Christmas.
The album art, which displays a photograph of a home in the distance framed by the snow and trees of the surrounding forest, was taken by Fearey’s sister-in-law and worked as a beautiful accompaniment of his festive works. The album is available for purchase as a whole or by individual tracks on his website.
“There’s a couple tracks on there that I’ve been playing since I was a kid, and I pull them out every year or so and play them for events or gigs,” he said. “There’s even a few that people may not be totally familiar with, some older carols.
“I’m pretty happy with it.”
Fearey recorded the songs in the Grand Canyon University Recording Studio before releasing them for purchase last month.
The album was meant to offer listeners a lovely compilation of songs to listen to as a family in order to get in the Christmas spirit.
“It’s good to put on and listen anytime,” he said. “Dr. (Juan) Hernandez, his kids requested dinner music all the time, and I gave him an advanced copy just to try out, and they put it on when they’re having dinner and when they were doing their tree.”
Fearey said he has received multiple positive comments in regard to the album.
“There’s a couple students in the Theatre program that I know, they actually bought the download and then they bought a hard copy as well so that they could have me sign it,” he said.
The goal of the album is to add a little extra cheer to the holiday season.
“I think it helps the spirit,” he said. “I think this is a great way to hear some piano, hear some of your favorite Christmas songs and enjoy a nice hour of beautiful Christmas piano music.
“If you’re not in the mood, it will put you in the mood for Christmas and will most certainly continue the Christmas spirit.”
Contact Ashlee Larrison at (602) 639-8488
or [email protected].
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