Doug Hammer - Pianist and Composer

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Travels

Bonus section of Noël
© 2008 Doug Hammer

Welcome to the bonus section of Noël. First are the songs that didn’t make it on the CD. I had a hard time cutting these but they wouldn’t fit! I’m happy to share these bonus tracks with you. They are all high quality mp3's. Enjoy!

Cut Songs

Greensleeves
This is a simple rendition with a seafaring flair.

Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant
This is a classic French carol.

O Holy Night
A very understated version of this popular song.

Still, Still, Still
I already had something like this on the CD (In The Bleak Midwinter) so this was cut. Same kind of gentle expansive feel.

Alternate Versions

Here are alternate versions of many of the songs. Because this CD was so improvisational in nature, I ended up with a lot of different versions that I really liked. Sometimes it was hard to decide which would be the final version. Now you can hear some of the other explorations from this project.

Christmas Time Is Here
This was the first take and there was a lot I liked about it but take two ended up on the CD.

Do You Hear What I Hear?
Another exploration of this beautiful motif. I ended up using a later take that developed a bit more.

In The Bleak Midwinter (alt 1)
This almost became the CD version. Gentle and serene.

In The Bleak Midwinter (alt 2)
A more straightforward version. Nice mood.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
This went to some cool and interesting places. It was the third take, but I ended up using the fifth take.

Silent Night (alt 1)
This was the first take. I wasn’t sure where I was going but there is a feel of discovery.

Silent Night (alt 2)
This version has no ending. I liked the mood but didn’t want to stick an ending onto it so it just fades out. I love the smooth, flowing feel on this one.

Some Children See Him (alt 1)
I wrestled between this and another take for the final version. This is more straightforward and simpler.

Some Children See Him (alt 2)
This was the first take. Another straightforward version. I opted for the more explorative version for the CD.

The First Noel (alt 1)
Very similar to the CD version, I wanted to include it here. The next take ended up on the CD.

The First Noel (alt 2)
This was the second take. It was going to some different places that I liked. The overall shape of the final is present in this early version.

It’s Christmas Time (original idea)
This is the song being born. What you hear is how it initially came out. Later, you can hear me tapping my foot in tempo! After this, I worked with it and added the lyrics.

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Cut Songs

Greensleeves This is a simple rendition with a seafaring flair.

Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant This is a classic French carol.

O Holy Night A very understated version of this popular song.

Still, Still, Still I already had something like this on the CD (In The Bleak Midwinter) so this was cut. Same kind of gentle expansive feel.

Alternate Versions

Here are alternate versions of many of the songs. Because this CD was so improvisational in nature, I ended up with a lot of different versions that I really liked. Sometimes it was hard to decide which would be the final version. Now you can hear some of the other explorations from this project.

Christmas Time Is Here This was the first take and there was a lot I liked about it but take two ended up on the CD.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Another exploration of this beautiful motif. I ended up using a later take that developed a bit more.

In The Bleak Midwinter (alt 1) This almost became the CD version. Gentle and serene.

In The Bleak Midwinter (alt 2) A more straightforward version. Nice mood.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel This went to some cool and interesting places. It was the third take, but I ended up using the fifth take.

Silent Night (alt 1) This was the first take. I wasn’t sure where I was going but there is a feel of discovery.

Silent Night (alt 2) This version has no ending. I liked the mood but didn’t want to stick an ending onto it so it just fades out. I love the smooth, flowing feel on this one.

Some Children See Him (alt 1) I wrestled between this and another take for the final version. This is more straightforward and simpler.

Some Children See Him (alt 2) This was the first take. Another straightforward version. I opted for the more explorative version for the CD.

The First Noel (alt 1) Very similar to the CD version, I wanted to include it here. The next take ended up on the CD.

The First Noel (alt 2) This was the second take. It was going to some different places that I liked. The overall shape of the final is present in this early version.

It’s Christmas Time (original idea) This is the song being born. What you hear is how it initially came out. Later, you can hear me tapping my foot in tempo! After this, I worked with it and added the lyrics.