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‘Holiday Wishes 2′: Dennis Staples’ family donates ‘Grinch’ reading

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Toledo Free Press
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The late Dennis Staples' reading of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss is featured on the Holiday Wishes 2 CD. Photo courtesy the Staples family.

Five years after his death from kidney disease at age 60, memories of longtime Toledo morning radio personality Dennis Staples still make his wife and daughter laugh.

“He would always narrate what he was doing,” his wife, Johanna Staples, recalled. “He would go into the bathroom and say into the mirror, ‘He combs his hair on the right and now he combs it on the left.’”

“‘Dennis Staples executes a nearly flawless hand-over-hand left hand turn,’” his daughter, Lexi Staples, added, laughing. “He just did it to amuse himself.”

“It was like color commentary for his life, like you’d hear at a ball game,” Johanna said. “We knew not to laugh at him because if you laughed at him he would do it more.”

Staples and his on-air partner Bob Kelly hosted “The Kelly and Staples Show” in Toledo for 19 years. They also appeared in many local TV commercials.

The Christmas season is difficult for the Staples family. Dennis died Dec. 17, 2007. His funeral was days before Christmas and his birthday was also in December.

Dennis Staples

“He was very quick-witted and ridiculously smart,” Lexi said of her father, who retired from radio in 2006 due to his deteriorating health. “He was my personal Google before Google was a thing. I would call my dad about any question that came up. He just knew everything about everything. He’s the smartest person I’ve ever known.”

The family contributed a track of Dennis reading Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” to the “Holiday Wishes 2” CD for Make-A-Wish.

Johanna, a special education teacher, discovered the recording by accident several years ago after using an old cassette tape of promotional holiday songs and readings for background music in one of her classes. Toward the end of the recording, she was shocked to hear her late husband’s voice.

The track was donated to the 2011 CD, but rights issues were complicated.

“We had to procure permission from Warner Bros., Random House and the Dr. Seuss estate,” said Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller, who produced the CD. “All three companies eventually agreed, so  it is exciting to finally get this track to the public. But it started with the generosity of the Staples family.”

Several of Johanna’s former students have had wishes granted by Make-A-Wish, so she has a soft spot in her heart for the organization.

“At the beginning of my career, I worked with students who were terminally ill. To be able to survive the sadness of it, it’s really hard,” Johanna said. “As a home instructor, I would go to homes or hospitals to work with them and try to help, at least a little bit, keep their lives as normal as possible. And because they knew it didn’t scare me to be with an ill child, I was given quite a few over the years.”

Johanna said Dennis’s health issues were devastating, but also a blessing for the way they helped deepen their relationship.

“His illness was a gift that made us closer and more connected than most married couples get,” Johanna said. “You always wait till tomorrow to say that important thing you need to say to the other person. In my case, we said it every day because we didn’t know if tomorrow was going to be there. He would think every day about how important the people in his life were and he knew it was important to say it, so those words you forget to say or don’t take the time to say, those words got said. I’m not saying my marriage was perfect, but it was genuine. It was real. We were married almost 32 years. A lot of couples don’t have that gift. I miss my best friend. I miss my heart.”

Those who remember “The Kelly and Staples Show” will definitely recognize Dennis’ voice on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Lexi said.

“It’s not how he talked at home. His radio voice and his home voice, while they sounded similar, weren’t the same thing,” Lexi said. “He peppers a lot of personality into his voice. It’s fun to listen to.”

‘Holiday Wishes 2′: Mannheim Steamroller means Christmas

By
Toledo Free Press
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When a man is everyone else’s Christmas tradition, there isn’t much he can do to impress his three children.

But that doesn’t stop Chip Davis from trying — and succeeding.

The founder of Mannheim Steamroller isn’t often home with children Kelly, Evan and Elyse during the busy holiday season, but he makes sure a few traditions endure.

The first is that he must be home for Christmas Day.

“Everyone else is home for Christmas. I just happen to be their entertainment; I am their tradition,” he said.

While home used to be Sylvania as a boy and later a music teacher at McCord Junior High, his home for most of his adult life has been Omaha, Neb., where he runs his music empire.

Getting home is harder for Davis  because his groups’ concerts, television specials and guest appearances often serve as Christmas traditions for everyone else.

Mannheim Steamroller’s annual holiday tour began Nov. 15 and continues with 90 performances through Dec. 30. This is the 27th year for the Christmas tour, which still sells out after all these years. Mannheim will be in Cleveland on Dec. 21 and then Columbus on Dec. 22.

Last year, the Mannheim Steamroller tour was among the top 20 concert tours in the nation and included a stop in Toledo.

This year, Mannheim’s song “Fum Fum Fum” will be featured on the Make-A-Wish holiday album, “Holiday Wishes 2,” produced by Toledo Free Press.

Adding to Davis’ busy schedule, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas will have its first run in Las Vegas.

“While the Christmas tour is going on, I will go out to Las Vegas because the third touring company of Mannheim will be playing in the Venetian every day until the first of the year,” he said.

For Thanksgiving, Davis will fly to New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Davis doesn’t play much anymore, but he will perform in the parade.

“I had neck surgery five years ago and it took my right arm out of commission,” he said. “It didn’t mean the end for me; it focused me on building the business.”

One of those newer projects is “Mannheim Steamroller: Pandora Unforgettable Moments on Ice.” It will air Nov. 25 from 4-6 p.m., the same day that Davis will celebrate Thanksgiving with his children. He is divorced from their mother.

“Christmas has always been a really favorite holiday, but I really love Thanksgiving,” he said. “It is hard to have a normal Thanksgiving with the Macy’s parade, so we will celebrate on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and watch the television special.”

More traditions

Davis and his family listen to Mannheim just like many families during the holidays, but their home-cooked meals are his second must-do tradition. One of his favorites is figgy pudding.

“My grandfather was a country doctor in Hamler, Ohio, and my grandma was a country cook. I can make a lot of her recipes because the tastes are still in my mouth and mind.

“If we are doing turkey, the challenge is not the turkey, it is the dressing. My grandmother added sausage to it and toasted almonds,” he said.

And then there is the French gravy with white wine. He can taste it already.

His memories are especially vivid these days after a trip to Northwest Ohio in September when his hometown of Sylvania and Sylvania Northview High School, recognized the Grammy-winning composer and musician who once played percussion in his high school band. Davis attended Sylvania High School before it split into Northview and Southview.

The city declared it “Chip Davis Day,” which was followed by a dedication of a street as “Chip Davis Way” at Silica Drive and Monroe Street. Davis grew up on Weldwood Lane where his childhood home is still standing, although the only child no longer has any family in the area.

Later that day, Davis was honored with a presentation at the halftime of the football game. Alumni sang the school’s alma mater, which Chip’s father, Louis Davis, composed. Chip is named after his father, but his mom, Betty, didn’t want people to say “Hey Junior,” so she started calling him Chip as a boy.

“Certainly my dad had a big hand in influencing me as a musician and composer,” Davis said.  “He could improvise on a piano like crazy.”

Davis came from a musical family. His dad was a high school music teacher, he learned piano from his grandmother and his mother played a trombone in an orchestra.  When he graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in musical education, Davis had mastered the bassoon and percussion.

But he tried to fight his destiny when he was a young choir boy.

 

Sylvania native Chip Davis, founder of Mannheim Steamroller, and a reindeer friend.

“I wanted to be an electrical engineer. I was fascinated with building things and measuring, but I found out that I liked measuring sound best so that drove me back to music,” Davis said, laughing.

His first job out of college was teaching music at McCord and playing the bassoon in the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.  While being a teacher wasn’t his ultimate goal, it helped prepare him for his next career move.

“I was doing it to figure out how to be a composer,” he said. “I was teaching and learning and treading water simultaneously. While I was teaching, I had a ball doing it. It ended up causing me to crystallize my thoughts about music. I had to teach someone else. The teaching experience ended up being good for me. When I wrote compositions, I had a better idea how to communicate music to the average person.”

Final tradition

At 65 years old, Davis is starting to think about the future of Mannheim and passing the tradition on.

So far, his 21-year-old daughter Kelly has shown the most interest. His other children, Evan, 16, and Elyse, 13, are still a little young to make a decision.

“I definitely see myself staying with the company,” said Kelly, who is the social media manager already. “We had a contest about why Mannheim means the holidays to people, and I read all 4,000 entries. People were saying that their kids listen to it, their grandmas listen to it. It would be silly not to continue the legacy that is Mannheim Steamroller.”

Growing up, Kelly said her dad was always just her dad.

“He wasn’t some crazy rock star,” she said. “We lived in the Midwest and had good values.”

Davis settled in Omaha after conducting a local production of “Hair.” He then took a job as a jingle writer for a Nebraska advertising agency. He started trading studio time for jingles.

Before his parents died, they witnessed some of his early success with his first album “Fresh Aire.”

“My dad was the piano tuner for the tour and my mom would travel just to be out there. They got to go and see the crowds build and see where it was heading,” Davis said.

The term “Mannheim Steamroller” comes from an 18th-century German musical technique called “Mannheim roller,” also known as the Mannheim rocket. The Mannheim rocket is a series of rapidly ascending broken chords from the lowest range of the bass line to the very top of the soprano line.

In 1984, Davis decided to create a Christmas album and soon Mannheim Steamroller Christmas was wowing  listeners with its modernized, electronic version of “Deck the Halls.” Shortly after, he put together his first Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tour.

“When I told the distributors and realtors I wanted to do a Christmas album, they said, ‘You’re nuts. The only time an artist will do a Christmas album is when they run out of ideas.’”

In Davis’ case, the Christmas album made his career. Today, Davis’ Mannheim has all types of fans, even melting the heart of political pundit Rush Limbaugh who plays Mannheim on his political radio show and encourages people to attend the concerts.

“It is interesting for us because our Christmas is helping other people have their Christmas traditions,” said Terry Calek, marketing and communication director for Mannheim.

Calek, a longtime friend of Davis’, said this year was especially busy because of the new Las Vegas show, a major production.

“Chip doesn’t do anything small; he doesn’t do anything ordinary.  He has never lost that sense of childhood wonder,” Calek said.

But even when Davis is busy, he makes time for his family and for traditions, she said.

“It always strikes me how magical it would have been to grow up with him as a father,” Calek said.

One time Davis set up cans of twinkly lights in a nearby meadow and told his children “the fairies had come,” Kelly said. For Halloween, he hosts a huge party for his children and their friends. He sets up a big screen showing black and white horror films. He sprinkles in a fortune teller, a headless horseman, witches and caldrons.

And his children seem to be taking after their creative father. Both his son and youngest daughter’s are exceptional instrumentalists, while Kelly, a vocalist, is talented on the business side.

Because Kelly works with her dad, she gets to see him more these days, but Christmas is still one of her favorite days with her dad. This year, he will be home by Dec. 23.

Kelly said her dad has always made Christmas Day special. He used to tell them that Santa was flying over the house, heading back to the North Pole. They would head outside with fake heat-sensing guns, and he would say, “Do you hear something?”

Not until a few years ago did Kelly learn that her dad had secretly set up a recording of jingling bells.

“That is definitely something I want to do with my kids,” she said.

And this speaks to the success of Mannheim: Traditions, like good music, make everything better.

Holiday Wishes 2: Pat Dailey tones down rowdy style for “River of Stars.”

By
Jeff McGinnis
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Local entertainer Pat Dailey switched from his usual rowdy, bawdy style for Holiday Wishes 2. Photo Courtesy Pat Dailey.

Fans of Pat Dailey — and the man who has become a local music institution has many of them — are used to a rowdy, bawdy tone to his music.

So, seeing his name attached to a sweet holiday project like “Holiday Wishes 2” may seem a bit peculiar on the surface, especially with a track as lyrical and poetic as “River of Stars.”

But Dailey was thrilled when he was asked to contribute.“I was anxious and happy to participate, and flattered,” he said.

Ofcourse, longtime fans of the local singer may have heard this particular recording before.

“It was on an album I made called ‘Shorelines,’ which is a record I made specifically to cover some nice ballads and stuff like that, instead of always having that rowdy, beer-drinking kind of music,” Dailey said. “That song was put in there because of the peacefulness of it, and that’s probably why the track was selected for a holiday CD, because it has that peaceful kind of feeling.”

“It may not be a specific Christmas track, but it is as spiritual as anything on the CD,and its tone and sound complement the more traditional songs,” said Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller, who produced the CD.

Dailey said the change of pace is one of the things that made this particular project so appealing to him.

“I’m always happy to do those kind of things, because most of my life is just singing in front of people drinking and raising hell,” he said. “So to have any kind of something that is meaningful and helpful to somebody, it means a lot to me.”

Indeed, Dailey has contributed work to many other charity projects in the past — a facet of his career he prefers to not brag about.

“I don’t like to talk too much about it, because — somebody said something to the effect that your good deeds should go quietly and speak for themselves,” he said.

Dailey said he hopes people find “River of Stars” and “Holiday Wishes 2” in general inspiring.“What I hope is it makes them all think about contributing something to some good cause and to helping others and to realize that if a no-good guy like me can do something good, then everybody should,” Dailey said.

Holiday Wishes 2: Her Hometown: LaFontaine reflects on Toledo

By
Jeff McGinnis
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Sheri LaFontaine

It is a sad irony that Sheri laFontaine’s love letter to the Glass City —“Toledo, My Hometown” —appears on “Holiday Wishes 2” just as she is making a new city her home. Although laFontaine recently moved to Nashville in further pursuit of her music career, she speaks of Toledo, and the song it inspired, with great warmth.

“It really is a special thing to think back to the time when I first wrote that song,” laFontaine said. “I lived in Toledo for eight years, and I fell in love with this city that I had heard was —all the songs that I had heard about it, John Denver’s song (“Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio”) and different things, had been, you know, picturing Toledo in a negative light. And I just felt it was high time somebody said something positive about it.”

Her desire to take a musical stand for Toledoans came to a head in the most obvious of places — at a baseball game.

“I was at the Mud Hens game, I think, three years ago, when I started writing the first verse to the song, and then it turned into a Christmas song and [101.5] The River picked it up,” laFontaine said. “When I recorded it, we sent it to [101.5] at, like, 3 in the morning when we were done taping. And by 6 a.m., it was on ‘Mary Beth and Rick.’ It was just amazing,” she said.

Over the past few years, laFontaine’s self-published track has become a holiday staple on The River. She produced copies herself that “sold as fast as we could print them.”

She said there’s something about the track that speaks to a love of tradition — especially local traditions.

“I love the fact that we can go to the Lights Before Christmas. I love the fact that we’re gonna go and see either ‘Scrooge’ or ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Stranahan. It’s all part of the holiday theater. And I think that’s what makes that song so special to people, is that people from all over the Toledo area can connect, because we all do the same things every holiday season.”

Even now, as she works for a company called Vertical Sky in Nashville, laFontaine isn’t giving up on those local traditions. During the course of this interview, she was on her way back to Toledo to visit for Thanksgiving, and plans on returning again for Christmas. And she spoke with great pride about how “Toledo My Hometown” has now found a new home on “Holiday Wishes 2.”

“This is what the holidays are about,” she said. “Helping others. And I’m not a doctor, I’m not a nurse, I’m nothing like that. All I know to help with is my gift, and that’s music.”

Ottney: “Holiday Wishes 2” CD to benefit Make-a-Wish.

By
Erin Holden
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The mission and passion of Make-A-Wish Foundation is to grant wishes for children with medically life-threatening conditions.

“We want to grant the heartfelt wish of every child,” said Emily Denholm, marketing communications coordinator for Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. “Every wish is different. We really try to focus on the uniqueness of every wish.”

Being able to grant more wishes for children in Northwest Ohio is the reason Denholm is excited about “Holiday Wishes 2,” a benefit CD project organized for the second year by Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S.Miller.

For Christmas 2011, Toledo Free Press produced “Holiday Wishes,” a CD of holiday songs performed by Northwest Ohio musicians. The 25-track compilation sold out quickly, raising more than $25,000 for Make-A-Wish.

“The response was immediate and there was no doubt we were going to try again this year,” Miller said. “At the end of summer, we had 87 minutes of great music, but a CD only holds about 80 minutes. So we had to either cut seven minutes or find another 73. Not only did we find what we needed, we have several great songs on hold for 2013.”

This year’s project, “Holiday Wishes 2,” is a two-disc CD package featuring 44 tracks contributed by local artists. CDs will be sold for $15 at area Panera Bread and select Levis Commons locations starting Black Friday, Nov. 23. Digital downloads will also be available.

The project, from the recording to the mixing to the artwork by Dustin Hostetler (UPSO), was created locally. All proceeds to Make-A-Wish.

Because the project was sponsored by GM Powertrain Toledo, UAW Local 14, WNWO, 101.5 The River, A&D Glass & Mirror, Levis Commons and Panera Bread, all proceeds will go directly to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana to benefit children in the 21-county Northwest Ohio region.

“People really enjoyed it last year,” Denholm said. “This year we added more songs to make it even better. People love Christmas music and this gives them the opportunity to go out and buy a CD that not only features local artists, but promotes a local cause. I think people are very excited about it and we are, too.”

Make-A-Wish grants wishes for children 2 ½ to 18 who have a medically life-threatening condition that is progressive, degenerative or malignant — although not necessarily terminal. Many “wish kids” recover and go on to lead healthy lives, Denholm said.
Many children are referred to Make-A-Wish by doctors or social workers while others come through familyinquiries. Doctors decide whether a child’s condition qualifies for a wish and whether the child is healthy enough to experience their wish.

The Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky chapter has granted more than 11,000 wishes since it started in 1983. Among the most popular wishes are visiting a theme park, traveling, going on a shopping spree and meeting a celebrity. Recent wishes granted in Northwest Ohio include a trip to Yellowstone National Park and a trip to Nickelodeon Studios to get“slimed,” Denholm said.

“Wishes typically fall into four categories,” Denholm said. “To go, as in go on a trip. To be, as in to be a police officer, for example, which was the first wish ever granted, in Arizona in 1980. To have, such as a laptop or a shopping spree. Or to meet, such as dolphins or a celebrity.”

The Make-A-Wish experience has positive effects on the child and everyone in their lives, Denholm said.

“The wish helps not only the child, but the family, the volunteers, the medical professionals. They all get to be a part of what this child’s big dream is,” Denholm said. “When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening condition, they are constantly told ‘No.’ Make-A-Wish is an opportunity for us to say ‘Yes.’ We work very hard to make sure we find out what the heart-felt wish of each child is and then do our very best to make it come true. I think that’s the magic of Make-A-Wish. That’s when you really see our mission come to life.”

Ninety-eight percent of parents surveyed by Make-A-Wish said they felt the wish experience allowed them to put aside fear and stress for a time and feel like a “normal” family again.

Eighty-one percent of parents said they noticed an increased willingness from their child to comply with their treatment. A combined 89 percent of nurses, doctors, social workers and child life specialists surveyed said the Make-A-Wish experience can have a positive impact on a child’s emotional and even physical health.

Make-A-Wish does not receive federal, state or local government funding. Wishes are paid for by donations and donations in-kind, including gifted airline miles.

The average cost of a wish is $8,000, Denholm said.

Denholm said she hopes people are touched by the CD project and moved to support Make-A-Wish’s mission.

“The holiday season is a celebration of giving and family and I think that’s really where the heart of our mission is,” Denholm said. “We give back to our community and give back to our kids. Our hope is that people are not only touched by the holiday season but also our magical mission and just continue to help our wish kids.”

For more information visit makeawishohio.org.

Holiday Wishes 2: Stewart, White partner on “Happy Xmas”

By
Matt Liasse
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Jeff Stewart and Kyle White contribute "Happy Xmas" to the Holiday Wishes 2 CD to benefit Make-a-Wish. Photo courtesy Kyle White.

Both Jeff Stewart and Kyle White appeared individually on last year’s “Holiday Wishes” compilation CD benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation. This year they joined forces to create a bigger production.

“This was really fun, doing a full band production song together after we did the acoustic, solo tracks last year,” White said.

While looking for duets, Stewart chose “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” the 1971 John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band tune performed with the Harlem Community Choir. It was released during the Vietnam War.

“I love that song,” White said. “I love John Lennon and I think it’s appropriate to the times right now.”

White said the song wasn’t too hard to make her own. She sings Ono’s parts.

“I’m not quite as weird as she is,” White said. “I think I sang it a little clearer. Yoko is kind of strange.”

White is happy with the end result.

“It turned out awesome,” she said. “I’m so happy with it.”

Stewart and White have been friends for 10 years, and occasionally play together.

“The music community in Toledo, we’re all friends and supportive of each other,” White said.

White has a number of upcoming shows in December, which are listed on her website, www.kylewhitemusic.com. She is also recording her third album.

White said she was happy to be involved with the project again this year.

“It’s such a good cause and such a wonderful charity,” White said. “I love helping kids.”

Even though White doesn’t personally know any children involved with Make-A-Wish, she said it is still rewarding to be a part of the compilation.

“A lot of the time they’re going through difficult treatments,” White said. “To be able to give them some joy is very important.”

Holiday Wishes 2: Local producer Wells donates ‘Santa Got A Jump Jet!’

By
Matt Liasse
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E.J. Wells wishes he could make things easier for Santa. That was the thinking behind his original song “Santa Got A Jump Jet!”
“You have to be practical about these things,” Wells said. “The whole sleigh and reindeer thing seems impractical.”

Wells was also involved with the production side of “Holiday Wishes 2,” producing The Ogres’ “Looks Like Christmas Is Here” and Abby Powell Turpin and Travis Turpin’s “The Christmas Song.”

It was last minute that he decided to write a track of his own. He toyed with an idea of Santa delivering toys in a spaceship before he settled on a jump jet.

“I was trying to mix a little bit of fantasy with reality,” Wells said. “I just ridiculously started thinking [of] what could get him around better. I just figured, for his sake, to get the job done quicker would be a little less work for the old boy.”

Playing music professionally for almost 40 years, Wells said he doesn’t perform much anymore, but always has a project he’s working on. He is in the midst of producing albums for a couple of different artists.

Lately, Wells has also been trying his luck with electronic music, hoping to get his foot in the door of soundtrack-making. He’s interested in making music for films and television.

Wells was not involved with last year’s “Holiday Wishes” CD benefiting Make-A-Wish, but knew about it.

When asked to become involved this year, he didn’t hesitate.

“It’s hard for me to say no whenthere’s a good cause involved,” Wells said. “I’m happy to help.”

Holiday Wishes 2: Teutonia choir contributes German classic ‘O Tannenbaum’

By
Erin Holden
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Teutonia Damenchor, along with Teutonia Mannerchor, are part of the Holiday Wishes 2 CD with the German classic "O Tannenbaum." Photo courtesy Teutonia Damenchor.

Oregon-based choir Teutonia Männerchor and Damenchor is best known as a sponsor of the annual German-American Festival, where it performs each year at the opening ceremonies, singing the Unitedstates, German and Swiss national anthems.

But many people don’t realize the group practices and performs all year, including a holiday concert and a spring concert, said director Eric Graber.

The group contributed “O Tannenbaum” (“ O Christmas Tree”) to the “Holiday Wishes 2” CD to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“It’s one of the few German carols we hear in this country,” Graber said. “That and ‘Silent Night,’ or ‘Stille Nacht,’ but what better than ‘ O Christmas Tree?’ Everybody likes a Christmas tree. We just did it a cappella with a little bit of keyboard behind us. All three verses are in German.”

Graber said the choir jumped at the chance to get some publicity while helping Make-A-Wish at the same time.

“We’re a charitable organization, too, so this is a nice way to help out with another charity,” Graber said. “It’s another way of giving back.”

The Teutonia Männerchor, founded in 1867 as a German male chorus, is the oldest continuing performing arts group in the Toledo area, Graber said. The ladies’ chorus, the Teutonia Damenchor, was founded in 1969 and the two have become one performing ensemble.

The choir will present its holiday concert, “Weihnachtsglocken!” (“Christmas Bells!”) on Dec. 8 at Oakshade Grove, 3624 Seaman Road, Oregon. Half the songs will be sung in German and half in English, Graber said. Translations will be printed in a program.
Doors open 5 p.m., dinner will be served 5:30-6:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. followed by dancing until about midnight. A cashbar will be available.

The handbell choir from First St. John’s Lutheran Church will also perform. Dance music will be provided by ENCORE!, which offers polkas, waltzes, line-dancing and more, Graber said.

Tickets are $24 for dinner, concert and dancing or $13 for the concert and dancing.

 

Miller: Holiday Wishes 2: River of Stars

By
Michael Miller
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Pat Dailey’s “River of Stars” is not a Christmas song, yet it lends its title to this year’s collection of local holiday music benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The “star” connection is obvious. Make-A-Wish uses a bright blue star as its logo.Toledo Free Press uses a star in its masthead (a tribute to the owner’s connections to Texas).
With two CDs containing 44 tracks, the river of local music stars is well represented. And the star is a shining symbol for the wish kids and families that benefit from the organization’s great work.
The song’s connection to Christmas is not as obvious.
This is the second year for the“Holiday Wishes” project and the second year Dailey and his manager Tom Brady have generously contributed a track.
Last year’s Dailey song,“Here Comes The Cold,” was a natural fit. Another of his few winter-themed tracks, “Here In The North,” is one I hope to include next year.
When I heard “River of Stars,” from Dailey’s “Squeaky Clean” collection, it immediately struck me as a perfect choice to set the tone for this year’s collection. It begins with a light, sparkling twinkle of sounds that segue into gentle guitar.
The first words Dailey sings may not have been written to evoke Christmas, but they certainly serve as a grand place to begin this year’s musical journey through the holidays: “I remember a night, so long ago/under a river of stars,” Dailey sings, with all the confidence of a master storyteller.
And while Dailey may have envisioned Put-in-Bay harbor when he wrote the lyrics, they could just as easily describe a special night in the Bethlehem sky.
The song seems to be about an earthly relationship, but it culminates in imagery that clearly paints a picture of faith: “And so I row, row, row my boat once more/Until I find you waiting on a distant shore/With outstretched arms and upturned hands/You lead me into the harbor and back to the sand.”
It is a spiritual image of hope and comfort that captures the feeling of Christmas without needing a single direct word.
Musical treasures
There are many surprises and musical treasures on this year’s CDs.
Jon Hendricks contributes an original song, “The Gift,” that sounds as if it could be found on a Frank Sinatra holiday CD. Listening to the track for the first time with Dave Mariasy at Audio Matrix recording studio was transporting. Music is mostly listened to through tiny earbuds, computer speakers orc ar stereos. To listen to Hendricks and a single piano through Mariasy’s high-tech studio speakers was akin to hearing music for the first time.
It was a revelation. Hendricks’ voice simultaneously weaves tensile strength with an aching fragility.
A new tradition
For Christmas 2011,Toledo Free Press produced “Holiday Wishes,” a CD of holiday songs performed by Northwest Ohio musicians. The CD was a 25-track compilation and raised more than $25,000 for Make-A-Wish. It was underwritten by Toledo Transmission and UAW Local 14, so every dollar raised, through sales at Panera Bread locations, went directly to Make-A-Wish.
Although Toledo Free Press had produced two previous CDs, one collecting historical recordings and one from a Toledo songwriting contest, neither approached the scale or complexity of “Holiday Wishes.”
The 2011 CD included contributions from such Northwest Ohio stalwarts as Dailey, Jamie Farr, Mannheim Steamroller, Sherila Fontaine, Candice Coleman, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Crystal Bowersox and Alyson Stoner. It also featured newbrecordings from Kerry Patrick Clark, Jeff Stewart, Kyle White, Ramona Collins, TAPESTRY, Chrys Peterson and Hepcat Revival, Voodoo Libido, Mighty Wyte and Jameil Aossey, among several others.
With tremendous media support from FOX Toledo, WPOS, 101.5  The River and many of our media friends, the CD sold out and even before 2012 started, we were thinking about a second volume. Rather than start in late July, as we did in 2011, the 2012 compilation process started in January. Lexi Staples gave us a copy of a track her father, the late radio personality Dennis Staples, recorded of Dr. Seuss’ “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” That required tracking down permission from Random House Publishing, Warner Bros. Studios and the estate of Dr. Seuss. With all those rights now granted, it is a great honor to include that track on this year’s CD.
Another late performer is remembered as the Johnny Knorr Orchestra, led by Johnny’s son, Jerry, plays “Auld Lang Syne” for the 2012 CD.
Johnny died in August 2011.
LaFontaine has allowed us to include “Toledo, My Hometown” on this year’s collection. It is a contribution that raises the bar for all the participating artists. “Toledo, My Hometown” is a seasonal staple on The River, and it is an honor to have it on this year’s CD. The tune has added poignancy as we wish laFontaine well in her new city of Nashville, Tenn.
There are several artists returning from last year. Stewart and White perform a revelatory version of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over).”
The great Chip Davis allowed us to use Mannheim Steamroller’s “Fum Fum Fum.”
Coleman did double duty, singing “Santa Baby” with Chris Brown’s band and “Merry Christmas Baby” with Buck 69.
Peterson and our friends in Hepcat Revival cover Harry Connick Jr.’s “Pray on Christmas.” Voodoo Libido, Skoobie Snaks and The Wanna Bees all contribute rocking tracks. The Polka Floyd show took “Run Like Hell” from Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and created a mashup that has already attracted regional attention.
VH1 favorite Tatiana Owens wrote and recorded a stunning new song, “Winter Holidays,” that could be played alongside any modern classic.
Local media veterans Jerry Anderson, Fred leFebvre, Mary Beth Zolik and Rick Woodell recorded dynamic readings on par with Farr’s interpretation of “A Visit From St.Nicholas” from last year.
We wish Zolik a speedy recovery as she undergoes treatment for cancer.
This year’s CD will include a number of exciting new artists, from young country singers such as Connor Rose to emerging rockers like The Sanderlings.
Not that every wish comes true; a few notable Toledo entertainers did not bother to respond to requests, even with a “no.” The Danny Thomas estate declined permission for a track, and Sony Legacy would not provide gratis rights to a Teresa Brewer track we were hoping to include.
But even with those very few disappointments, we still had so many quality submissions we had to start saving them for 2013. Great tracks by Arctic Clam, Krystal Monique, Mitch Kahl, Tim Ellis, Andrew Z’s Morning Crew and a few others are waiting in the wings.
The MVPs
The best news for the project was the return of three people who are behind the scenes, but integral to the process; indeed, without them it would not have happened last year and would not happen this year.
Christopher Stoll, engineer at Audioflare Productions at Zeta Recording Studios, donated studio time and his finely attuned ears to the project. He earned MVP status this year, recording tracks ranging from Irish folk to German choirs. Matt Feher engineered the CDs, ensuring the discs are produced to the highest standards. Larry Meyer navigates the legal and publishing issues to make sure every “T” is crossed and every “I” is dotted.
Special thank-yous this year go to GM Powertrain Toledo, UAW Local 14, WNWO, 101.5 The River, A&D Glass & Mirror, Levis Commons and Panera Bread.
All proceeds will go directly to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana to benefit children in the 21-county Northwest Ohio region. Make-A-Wish development officer Ellie McManus is a dream to work with and is a constant inspiration and reminder of Make-A-Wish’s mission.
Toledo Free Press Sales Manager BJ Rahn has also been an invaluable help.
I am personally grateful to have strengthened some friendships and made new ones. I may never have met McManus, Clark or E.J. Wells without this project, and my life would be a bit dimmer without their creativity.
Summertime Project
The project has also inspired an offshoot. For summer 2013, ToledoFree Press will produce a CD of upbeat summer party songs for the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio to use as a vehicle for summer safety information. If you are a local musician interested in getting your Beach Boys vibe on disc, contact me before we get too far into January.
Thank you again to every musician and person who donated their time and talent to this project. If you would like to see the recipients of your labor, join us at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at The Blarney Event Center for our second annual “Holiday Wishes” benefit concert. There will be food, friends and a lot of smiling faces at the public event.
In the meantime, I am going to start working on convincing Ramona Collins to record “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” for the 2013 collection.

Holiday Wishes 2: Chrys Peterson, Hepcat Revival ‘Pray on Christmas.’

By
Matt Liasse
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Hepcat Revival's Greg Tye and WTOL's Chrys Peterson "Pray on Christmas" for the Holiday Wishes 2 CD for Make-a-Wish.

WTOL news anchor Chrys Peterson’s favorite Christmas song is Elvis Presley’s “Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me,” which she sang with Hepcat Revival for last year’s inaugural “Holiday Wishes” album.

This year, she challenged herself.

To choose a song, she and Hepcat Revival scanned YouTube.

“We wanted to do something maybe that people hadn’t really heard of that much,” Peterson said.

Hepcat Revival vocalist Greg Tye chose “Pray on Christmas” by Harry Connick Jr., but with an added refrain from “Go Tell It On The Mountain” and musical elements of “Joy To The World.”

Peterson said the components give the little-known song a sense of familiarity.

“You’ll recognize a lot of different Christmas music,” Peterson said. “I think there will be something familiar to a lot of people in it.”

Both Tye and Peterson were part of last year’s compilation, but only Peterson sang. This year, they both provide vocals.

Peterson said she was unquestionably interested in being involved with the Make-A-Wish benefit project again this year.

“There was such a great buzz about this last year,” she said. “Just to know that you can spend a little bit of time having fun and making music and that that music will bring joy … Isn’t that was Christmas is all about? That’s Christmas in a nutshell. It’s about giving of yourself and your time to make somebody else happy. And that’s exactly what this CD is.”

Peterson has been involved with Make-A-Wish before.

“I’ve served on the Make-A-Wish board and have gone on a couple of wish grantings,” Peterson said. “I know the mission of Make-A-Wish is very important. These children and these families in one of the lowest and most vulnerable times in their lives find joy and get comfort by Make-A-Wish.

“It’s a very bleak time for some ofthese families,” Peterson said. “Sometimes all a sick child needs is just that little spark.”

This year’s track was a little harderto record than last year’s and requiredmore studio time, Peterson said. She said it was still easy to make the song her own, but the challenge was balancing it with her work schedule at WTOL11 and the band members’ gigs and rehearsals.

The song was recorded almost three months before Christmas, but that was OK with Peterson.

“I keep my Christmas spirit all year round,” she said. “I suppose you can argue about the commercialism of it, but it makes me happy when I see Christmas trees and lights.”

Peterson doesn’t have history with“Pray on Christmas” the way she did with “Santa, Bring My Baby Back To Me,” but she has other hopes for it.

“Hopefully I’m making some history with the song and people will like it and it’ll become part of my tradition,” Peterson said. “It’s a beautiful song.”

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