Photo courtesy Jeff LaydonBy Linda Parker
Special to The PREVIEW
Pagosa Springs has a brand new group of recording artists. The Pagosa Springs Girls Choir was invited and they have participated in a recording session to sing back-up on a western music Christmas CD with performer Judy James.
The CD, titled “Christmas in My Hometown,” will be released in early November. It will be available for purchase at the PSGC Christmas concert, from any PSGC member or by calling 264-1434.
Linda Parker, director of the Girls Choir, exclaimed, “We are so thrilled to offer our girls this opportunity! No one can know all that goes into recording an album without first-hand experience. That is exactly what the girls in PSGC now have.”
Through much of the CD was recorded in Weatherford, Texas, James, along with Jeannie Cahill, who is producing the album, came to Pagosa on a Friday evening to record the girls’ parts. Although the recording session came after a long week of school, as well as extracurricular and family activities, the girls never wavered in their enthusiasm or their desire to perform their best.
“When I decided to record a Christmas album, I knew I wanted the Girls Choir to sing with me. They are an outstanding choral group and they have a serious work ethic. After hearing a final recording of their songs, they sound exactly the way I envisioned,” said James.
At the end of the recording session, the girls took part in a short tutorial on the software program Cahill used to work her magic. The girls learned how notes can be tweaked, tempos can be modified, and they learned how the accompaniment tracks are added. They were astounded at the technology and state-of-the-art equipment used to create the desired sound and effects.
This was not the first time the girls of the PSGC had worked with James, whom Parker met early in her teaching career.
Parker explained, “When Judy found out I was directing the Girls Choir, she wanted to hear them. On a trip to Pagosa, she not only heard them, but she also did a choral workshop with the girls. She also provided a wonderful tour of the Doss History Museum in Weatherford when the girls visited Texas on their summer trip of 2015.
Parker remarked, “I am so proud of the girls and their accomplishments. I am deeply indebted to the Pagosa community for their continued support so that we can offer them opportunities that they might not otherwise have. Please mark Tuesday, Dec. 6, on your calendar to hear the girls in their annual Christmas concert, “Sing with the Angels,” at 7 p.m. at Community United Methodist Church.”
