O Beautiful Star

songs – musicians – the songbook – $15 –

This album is a compilation of instrumental Christmas carols dating from medieval times to the early 20th century. Most of these carols are very familiar and popular while there are some very obscure, or regional tunes, chosen for their beauty and melodic content. The tunes come from England, Germany, France, Ukraine and the U.S.A. This project was years in the making and was the hardest album to do as the tunes are only performed six weeks a year and then put away. I hope that you enjoy this collection for many Christmas seasons to come. I have several very talented musician friends playing with me on violin, keyboards, autoharp, guitar and bass both backing up the dulcimer and taking some leads. The feel of the album swings from high renaissance church hymns to popular folk carols, with the appropriate instruments on each cut.

Produced by Joe Jewell for Featherstone Music Mixed, mastered, and duplicated at Raney Recording Studio Jon Raney, Engineer Recorded at: Curry’s Cozy Cottage, Marathon, FL Dan O’Brien’s, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Lick Fork Studio, Mtn. View, AR Raney Recording Studio, Drasco, AR Walt and Mimi Fuller – Cover Photo – ramblincameras.com O Beautiful Star

The Songs:

1. Joy To The World 01 Joy To The World
2. Silent Night 02 silent ni
3. The First Noel 03 the first
4. We Three Kings of Orient Are 04 we thre
5. O Christmas Tree/The Holly And The Ivy 05 o christ
6. Sweetly The Little Bells Ring 06 sweetly
7. Angels From The Realms Of Glory 07 angels f
8. Good King Wenceslas 08 good ki
9. What Child Is This 09 what chi
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 10 god res
11. Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desire 11 jesu jo
12. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 12 it came
13. The Coventry Carol 13 coventr
14. Angels We Have Heard On High 14 angels
15. Saint Basil’s Hymn 15 saint ba
16. Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella 16 bring a
17. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day/In The Bleak Midwinter/While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks At Night 17 I heard
18. O Come All Ye Faithful 18 O Come All Ye Faithful
19. Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming 19 Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming
20. O Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem 20 O Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
21. O Come, O Come, Emanuel 21 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
22. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee 22 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
23. Carol Of The Bells 23 Carol Of The Bells
24. Hark The Herald Angels Sing 24 Hark The Hearld Angels Sing
25. O Holy Night 25 O Holy Night
26. O Little Town Of Bethlehem/Away In The Manger 26 O Little Town Of Bethlehem _ Away
27. Ding Dong, Merrily On High 27 Ding Dong, Merrily On High
28. The Friendly Beasts/I Saw Three Ships/We Wish You A Merry Christmas 28 The Friendly Beasts _ I Saw Three

The Musicians:

• Joe Jewell -Hammered Dulcimer, Guitar, Midi
• DeeAnn Gillispie – Violin, viola
• Craig Broers – Bass
• Ky Hote – Guitar
• Lisa Nelson – Keyboards
• Albee Tellone – Bass
• Laura Nelson – Auto Harp

The O Beautiful Star accompanying song book contains sheet music of all the songs on the recording.

Want to learn to play the songs contained on the CD? I have published a companion song book that contains sheet music of all the songs on the CD, written in easy to read music notation. It is suitable for hammered dulcimer, guitar as well as other instruments. If you want to order it,