Album Notes

Comfort & Joy, the 2007 9th annual Native American Award Winner (Nammy) for "Best Gospel or Inspirational Recording"!

Press Release:
Cherokee National Youth Choir Bring “Comfort and Joy” to the Holidays

Award-Winning Youth Choir Release CD of Christmas Favorites

(Nashville, TN) – The Cherokee Nation announces the December 12 national release of Comfort and Joy, the latest CD of music by the Cherokee National Youth Choir. It is the fifth recording project by the award-winning group, and their second Christmas-themed release.

In Comfort and Joy, the choir welcomes the yuletide season with a collection of favorites which have been translated and recorded in the Cherokee language. In addition to much loved songs such as “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Deck the Halls,” the choir has expanded its repertoire with the addition of new arrangements of “Jingle Bells,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” On select songs the youth choir is joined by the Cherokee National Adult Choir and by young children from the Cherokee Nation’s language immersion program.

“Our greatest mission is to share the Cherokee spirit with everybody,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We are extremely proud of the Cherokee National Youth Choir and the work they are doing to help preserve the Cherokee culture.”

Choir Director, and CD vocal arranger and producer, Mary Kay Henderson is pleased with Comfort and Joy, stating, “We are hoping to use the new songs to interest more people in the Cherokee language. I have given several CDs to individuals with limited Cherokee language knowledge and they have called and said they ‘find themselves singing along with the carols and especially with the newer songs.’ Any time we can generate more interest in learning the language and make it fun and easy to do, we have done our job.”

The Cherokee National Youth Choir consists of students from throughout the Cherokee Nation’s 14-county tribal jurisdiction in northeastern Oklahoma. Choir members must be citizens of the Cherokee Nation and range in age from 12 to 17.

The choir has received multiple Native American Music Awards and is considered to be among the top native language choirs in America. They have performed at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and at Ground Zero in New York City. Additionally, they have sung for President George W. Bush at the White House. The choir has appeared in concert and recorded with legendary entertainers such as Rita Coolidge and Dolly Parton.

Production Notes;
Comfort and Joy was recorded at the award winning Cimarron Sound Lab Studio in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and on location at the Crescent Valley Baptist Church, in Woodall, Oklahoma. The CD was Executive Produced by Chadwick “Corntassel” Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, and Dr. Neil Morton, Executive Director of Education of the Cherokee Nation, with musical/technical production provided by Producer/Engineer Jeffrey Parker. Production assistance by Brad Henderson and Matthew Bundy. Recorded on location and in the studio with Digidesign Protools. Musicians featured include Jason French (keys) & Jeffrey Parker (gtr's & bass).


Comfort and Joy is available now at www.cherokeegiftshop.org , CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, Apple iTunes and other retail outlets.

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-Clif Doyal, CDA Promotions-Nashville

For more information about the project, please contact:
Cherokee Nation
P.O. Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
Tel: 918-453-5000 or 800-256-0671
www.cherokee.org

Choir contacts:
Mary Kay Henderson, Choir Director
Tel: 800-256-0671 Ext. 2618
E-mail: youthchoir@cherokee.org
Kathy Sierra, Administrative Asst.
Tel: 800-256-0671 Ext. 2618
E-mail: youthchoir@cherokee.org

Product/Distribution contact:
Brenda Koch, Special Assistant - Education Dept.
Cherokee Nation
Tel: 918-453-5254
E-mail: Bkoch@cherokee.org

Press contact:
Sammye Renee Rusco
Communications Director
Cherokee Nation, Communications Department
Tel: 918-453-5378
E-mail: Sammye-Rusco@cherokee.org

Promotional services provided by:

Cimarron MultiMedia Group L.L.C.
P.O. Box 816
Park Hill, OK 74451
Tel: 918-456-2525
Fax: 801-469-0840
E-mail: info@cimsound.com

CDA Promotions-Nashville
2338 Ridgeland Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
Tel: 615.885.5998
Fax: 615.885.8297
E-mail: CDAnashville@aol.com