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CD Review: The Ault Sisters – Christmas Feelings
By Francesco Emmanuel - 12/13/2006 - 01:40 PM EST
Artist: The Ault Sisters
Album: Christmas Feelings
CD Review:
The Ault Sisters hail from Mississauga, Ontario and range in ages 11 to 15 years old. This is their first album, and it’s a Christmas one, filled with timeless seasonal favorites.
The album features such classics as ‘Silent Night’, ‘O Holy Night’, ‘Sleigh Ride’ and ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’. The girls also made full use of vocal coach A. Dale Wood, who not only played piano throughout most of the record, but also wrote, composed and arranged a number of songs here including ‘Christmas Feelings’, ‘What could I give this stranger?’ and ‘Mary’s Lullaby’.
All three sisters – Amanda, Alicia and Alanna are classically trained and from the sound of things, are accomplished young singers in their own right. In fact, their voices blended so well together, I never at any point in time felt I was listening to ‘inexperienced children’ singing. These are three young music professionals.
They have won many individual and group awards such as the Peel Music Festival, The Rotary Music Festival – Burlington and the Milton Music Festival.
The sisters have performed at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre’s Hammerson Hall and RBC Theatres, the CNE Bandshell and Theatre Aquarius. In 2004 they opened for the Toronto Metropolitan Police Association Male Chorus at Grace United Church’s ‘A Celebration in Song’ concert. They also appeared at the 2006 Symphonyx Steel Orchestra fundraiser.
Now some background information on the Ault sisters:
Amanda is fifteen years and has been singing for seven years now. In 2003, she and sister Alicia won the Variety Category at the CNE Junior Rising Star Youth Talent contest. In 2005 she was chosen to participate and train with the Young Artists Performance Academy of the Glenn Gould School in Toronto, ON. Amanda is currently enrolled in the Cawthra Park Secondary School Regional Arts Programme.
Alicia sang in her first vocal competition at the age of five. In 2004 she was recipient of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Silver Medal for Grade 3 Singing and in 2005, received the Peel Music Festival’s Barbara Underhill Scholarship for Most Promising Female Vocalist. She is now a first year student in Mississauga’s Regional Arts Programme at Cawthra Park Secondary School.
Alanna has won many awards for singing at local music festivals such as the Rotary Music Festival – Burlington and Peel Music Festival. In 2003, she was chosen as a finalist in the competition for the ‘Most Promising Young Performer’ at the Rotary Music Festival – Burlington’s Grand Festival Concert.
The girls currently study voice with singing teacher Linda Fletcher of Oakville, Ontario and vocal coaches A. Dale Wood of Georgetown, Ontario; Tom Oliver of Hamilton, Ontario and Jennifer Tung of Mississauga, Ontario.
Overall, it is a lovely, warm-hearted Christmas album that would be a great addition to anyone’s Holiday CD collection. It is well produced and arranged and if this is a first for the Ault sisters, well then I’m sure their singing careers will shine as bright as the stars in heaven for many years to come.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Press and radio: lasttango@rogers.com www.aultsisters.com
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