Adrianne Price: Sacred Christmas -- Catholic CD Review

Just in time for Advent and the holidays, I'm happy to share the good news about the release of Sacred Christmas, the second CD from the wonderfully talented Adrianne Price. I've had the pleasure of meeting Adrianne in person and her first CD Sacred Classics has been a favorite of mine for a few years.

I recently asked Adrianne to share a bit of her background with our readers, in conjunction with my review of this stunning CD. I can't think of a finer way to introduce you to this lovely woman than through her own sharing of her biography:

I was born in Middletown, Ohio to a mother who was born in Italy and raised in Australia.  My mother, a 100% Italian living in South Australia met my father, a Yankee soldier with a handsome face and a bold personality, during WWII. She came here to marry him and life was truly interesting growing up! I grew up listening to Mom singing Puccini arias while cleaning and cooking, and Dad singing Little Jimmy Dickens songs and playing the harmonica after dinner.  No wonder I appreciate diversity! (Faith-wise, unfortunately, we were nominal Catholics who only went to Sunday mass.  We had no discussion about our faith and no family prayer.  Not until Mom and Dad were nearing their deaths...)

I started taking piano and voice lessons at a young age and graduated from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a voice major, focusing on classical and sacred music. At a young age, I developed nodules on my vocal cords from too much singing and vocal abuse. After graduation, I was faced with finding a new career. Full time singing would not be possible because of my “permanently” scarred vocal cords. I was a fallen away Catholic at that time, too, full of anger that God would give me a gift and then take it away from me.  Well, that's how I saw it back then.

My husband Thom and I moved to Los Angeles, where I was an actress, voice over talent, singer (in a choir directed by renowned Gregorian Chant master, Dr. Paul Salamunovich), and I worked behind the camera in production at a small film company as well.  Our son, Spencer, was born there and I started to return to the Church.  Thom converted to Catholicism after Spencer was baptized and our eyes were beginning to see LA in a different light. We hungered for something deeper: a REAL relationship with Jesus and His Church.

We left LA  and took a job in Minneapolis, where Thom and I both experienced a powerful conversion.  Only 1 ½ years after moving to Minneapolis, he took a position with EWTN in Birmingham, AL with the radio network.  In 1998, only months after arriving here, I was miraculously cured of the nodules in the chapel at EWTN and have been singing exclusively sacred music ever since. I sing exclusively sacred music out of gratitude for the healing of my vocal cords and for my conversion.

I released my first recording, Sacred Classics, in 2009.  Sacred Christmas was just released November 7, 2011.

I've had the pleasure of meeting both Adrianne Price and her wonderful husband Thom in person and can attest to the true inner beauty of this lovely artist. As I've enjoyed listening to and praying with Sacred Christmas over the past few weeks, a few favorite songs have emerged. I love Adrianne's clear, crisp performance of my beloved "O Holy Night". The Italian "Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle" was new to me, but as the mom of a mandolinist, it's become one of tracks I play most. The spiritual "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow" lifts my heart every time I hear it. These and the additional twelve tracks on Sacred Christmas are sure to help you prepare spiritually and emotionally for the beautiful season of Christmas.

Visit Adrianne Price's website
Purchase Sacred Christmas CD or individual MP3 tracks