Album Notes

"An Angel's Christmas is one of those discs that doesn't come along often enough...Sara can hit all levels on the vocal scale, and she can appeal to pop music fans as well as operatic lovers. A wonderful CD that will be a treasure for many Christmases to come."
- www.musicdish.com

"There are no other voices on this CD but Sara's...think that is really no big deal? You would swear at times that there is a boy choir in the background...sounds as though it was recorded in a small intimate theater on a beautiful, crisp snow covered December evening. Sets the mood for almost any holiday gathering."
- www.rikksrevues.com

"Ethereal, expansive, full-bodied ether...classical with a new age feel...[and a] vibrant impetuousness that bespeaks a desire to break the bonds of 'pure' classical music."
- www.christmasreviews.com

"Sara Botkin wowed us...a delightful mix of 22 tracks that display Sara's skills as a singer and pianist. Harpist Anne-Marguerite Michaud provides heavenly accompaniment."
- Pittsburgh Magazine

"Enya meets Father Christmas, in a good way...an attractive group of arrangements for voices and harp."
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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The Many Voices of Sara Botkin

From soaring high notes to mellow bass tones, from operatic singing to the serene sound of a boy choir, all of the voices on An Angel's Christmas are Sara Botkin's. Through multi-tracking technology, Ms. Botkin creates expansive choirs and harmonious duets using only her own voice. Her imaginative renditions of beloved Christmas songs tenderly reflect the glory, peace, and joy of the season.

A musician since age three, Ms. Botkin studied piano and voice at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She attended New York University and graduated from the University of Virginia with Highest Distinction earning a Bachelor of Arts degree.

As a choral singer in New York City, Ms. Botkin performed with some of the nation's finest ensembles in the city's most famous venues including Carnegie Hall, St. John the Divine, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the State Theater at Lincoln Center. She was an original member of the 10-voice a cappella group "The Douglas Frank Chorale," which in 2001 won the CARA award for Best Classical Album.

In New York Ms. Botkin worked for AON Corporation in the World Trade Center. A survivor of the September 11 attacks, she relocated to her hometown of Pittsburgh and joined the investment advisory firm of Smith Barney where she is a Certified Financial Planner(tm) practitioner and Vice President of Wealth Management. Ms. Botkin continues her musical pursuits through her position as soprano soloist at Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh and through recordings like this one.

Helping to create the ethereal mood for An Angel's Christmas is Pittsburgh Symphony harpist Anne-Marguerite Michaud. The Juilliard graduate was principal harp of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for six years joining the Pittsburgh Symphony in 1988. She has performed solo in Washington DC, New York City, Pennsylvania and New England, and internationally in Puerto Rico, Canada, Germany and Italy, including a 1982 performance in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. In addition to performing, Ms. Michaud is a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, Grove City College and the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC. Summit Records has released two recordings by Ms. Michaud: A Touch of Elegance and The Children's Hour: Harpworks for the Imagination. A recording of works by C. Alexander Peloquin is set for release in 2004 on the G.I.A. label.