SimpleGifts
Biography
Performance Arrangements: 6-piece Christmas ensemble
Ryan Taylor
SimpleGifts present "A Small Town Christmas," a performance featuring voice, strings and harmonies from a simpler time for the holiday season.
"Las Vegas is for New Year's. Give me 'A Small Town Christmas'!" - Billy McLaughlin
Every holiday season bustles with the sounds, and stress, of the season. SimpleGifts, a 6-piece ensemble led by award-winning musician, Billy McLaughlin, presents "A Small Town Christmas", a performance that features arranged, acoustic instrumental and vocal music for the Christmas season. The music harkens back to a quieter, simpler time and is eloquently framed by the accomplished musicians.
The ensemble balances the sacred yuletide offerings of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", "O Holy Night", "Breath of Heaven", and others with warm, sentimental favorites like "Carol of the Bells", "Mary Did You Know?" and "Silent Night". With Celtic whistle, piano, acoustic guitar, violin and beautfiully blended female voices, SimpleGifts' stirring arrangements combine traditional folk music with modern elements to both soothe and inspire listeners.
SimpleGifts originally came together as a quartet for the 2002 Christmas season. McLaughlin founded the group as a way to keep playing despite the affects of focal dystonia, a neuromuscular disorder, that was impeding his solo career as a national touring and recording artist. Now, the group of nationally recognized singers and players has taken on a life of its own every holiday season with the additional of two new members and a third album, "A Small Town Christmas."
The Players
Billy McLaughlin - Acoustic Guitar
Karen Parus - Vocals
Carin Vagle - Vocals
Jeni-Lynn Starr - Piano, Celtic Whistles
Heather Garborg - Vocals, Violin
Billy O. - Percussion
