Here is this year’s Christmas recording! It was all done on December 24th, taking up the bulk of the day. All but two of the kids participated this year. All of the instruments are performed live except for the double bass, which is a sampled instrument. Johann went to town on the binaural mixing (listen with headphones for the full experience), and we also recorded an autoharp and trombone for the first time. Heinz, Johann, and E-Sandy composed their own parts.

words: William Chatteron Dix (1837-1898)
music: English folk melody

Alan Sanderson: guitars, mandolin, autoharp, vocals, producing, arranging, recording, mixing, mastering
Marisa Sanderson: clarinet
Heinz Sander: trombone
Johann: whistling, vocals, binaural mixing
E-Sandy: bell set
Sanderson kids: vocals

“What Child Is This?” was written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix, to the tune of an English folk melody called Greensleeves. There are two other verses, but I only really liked the first one. The cover image features “Adoration of the Shepherds” by Gerard von Honthorst (1622).

Hear our Christmas recordings from previous years:

Sanderson Family – The Dawn of Redeeming Grace

ARTIST: Sanderson Family ALBUM NAME: The Dawn of Redeeming Grace RELEASED: (in progress) GENRE: Christmas Music

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Info and Stats:

• Production Date: 12/24/2022
• Equipment:
  • Interface: Behringer Xenyx 1204USB
  • Instruments: Takamine G-330, Saga Kentucky Mandolin 620, Chromaharp, clarinet, trombone, Ludwig bell set
  • Microphones: DIY condenser by Michael Willis
• Software:
  • Linux Mint 20.2
  • Ardour 7.1.0
  • Dragonfly Hall Reverb
  • x42-plugins: parametric equalizer, dynamic compressor, digital peak limiter
  • Calf Studio Gear: multi-spread
  • sfizz with Virtual Playing Orchestra
  • IEM Plug-in suite: StereoEncoder, BinauralDecoder
• Total tracks: 23
  • Vocal: 14
  • Guitar: 3
  • Mandolin: 1
  • Autoharp: 1
  • Bass: 1
  • Clarinet: 1
  • Trombone: 1
  • Bells: 1