Behind the Song: John Riesen & Jonathan Estabrooks ‘Christmas Medley’

Christmas is the time for hot chocolate, peppermint sticks, cozy fires… and musical collaborations. John Riesen (tenor) and Jonathan Estabrooks (baritone) are coming together for the release of ‘Christmas Medley.’

CCM: Why did you choose this piece – what does it mean to you?

John Riesen: Jonathan (my colleague at Emitha) and I wanted to do something special with all the Christmas promo we’ve been running for fellow singers – and we thought it would be fun to continue our string of duets and do something a bit different. We took some famous old Christmas hymns and made something pretty special. These are songs we’ve known our whole lives, and now we are making them our own.

CCM: What are some of the elements from the original that were important for you to keep and what were some of the new ideas you are most excited about?

John Riesen: The great thing about using public domain Christmas hymns is that the tunes are simple, and timeless. We basically just took them and made them fit our voices and our sounds.

CCM: Were there any challenging moments in this medley?

John Riesen: The hardest part of choosing which songs to do. There are SO many incredible Christmas songs. Thankfully Jonathan and I both have released several Christmas tunes in the past which helped to narrow it down.

www.johnriesen.com

Natasha Barbieri, Editor

Editor

Creator of Classical Crossover Magazine. For Natasha music has always been closely tied to her faith. At age 18, Natasha made her opera debut playing the part of the mother in Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ with the Eastern Festival Opera. At 20, she was a winner of the 2011 Young Artist Competition at Andrews University. Natasha graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Music. Natasha has released a series of Holiday singles “A Place Called Home” (2020), “One Little Boy,” and “The Perfect Year” (2021). In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Future Classic Women Awards’ show on Men’s & Women’s Radio Station. Natasha is the creator and editor of ‘Classical Crossover Magazine’ a venture that has allowed her to interview many of the top stars in the genre including Sarah Brightman, Celtic Woman, Mirusia, Paul Potts, and more. During the covid-19 pandemic, she created an online concert series for the magazine that has seen her perform in the same line-up as Alex Sharpe, Lucy Kay, Barbara Padilla, Classical Reflection, and more on the virtual stage. In 2022, Natasha was included on the charity album “Stars of Classical Crossover: Christmas” in benefit of the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Charity.

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