CHARLES DI RAIMONDO The Christmas Collection   Charles Di Raimondo has had a long love affair with Christmas music. That passion is now fully consummated with the recording and release of The Christmas Collection, the first seasonal album from the Brampton-based tenor singing star. “Christmas music has always been special to me,” says Charles. “I sang in choirs at church as a youngster in school. My mother also sang in the choir there and I was surrounded by Christmas music during the holiday season. Later, as a tenor, I have been a guest singer with many orchestras doing Christmas concerts, and I now continue to perform more elaborate Christmas repertoire, such as Handel's Messiah, and Saint Saen's Christmas Oratorio.” Di Raimondo is no stranger to recording Christmas songs. In fact, for the past decade he has recorded a seasonal favourite every year, sending it out to family and friends as a personalized “Christmas Greeting" musical treat. Thankfully, Charles recently decided to bring his interpretations of Christmas-themed material to a wider audience. The Christmas Collection is the compelling result. It is a seamless mix of classical and contemporary pieces, all brought to vivid life by his original arrangements and orchestrations and strikingly resonant tenor. “As a tenor I wanted to show that side of my singing so I chose pieces that would fit that style,” Charles explains. “It also gave me a chance to explore pieces that reflect my faith more strongly. This time of year is special for that.” DiRaimondo produced the album himself at his own recording studio, recruiting engineer Chris Johnson to assist in the mixing. On his acclaimed 2012 album Passione, Charles worked with famed producer Glenn Morley (Gino Vannelli, Alfie Zappacosta). “I learned so much from Glenn and I knew I was in a unique position to implement all the great mixing and producing techniques I have stored up over the years,” says Charles. “I decided to just dive in and do it rather than outsource it to someone else. This project has given me a great deal of confidence to go forward to produce and mix all my own projects in the future.” Di Raimondo certainly learned his lessons well, for The Christmas Collection features a rich and full elite-level production sound. The multi-talented artist played piano, all guitars, synthesizers, and bass, while calling upon some A-list local musicians to augment the sound. Long time colleague Jeff Salem played drums and percussion and Carson Freeman contributed saxophones, while memorable cameos came from Tony Carlucci (flugelhorn on "White Christmas") and  Sabatino Vacca (piano on "The Lord's Prayer"). Refreshingly, Charles has not been afraid to put a uniquely fresh spin on these much-loved pieces. Take “Panis Angelicus” for example. “It is a classical sacred piece that I have performed at length and also recorded before,” he explains. “I chose a synthy, techno style arrangement in order to give it a fresh sound.” The piece neatly showcases both Charles’ arranging skills and classical vocal prowess. On the album, Di Raimondo displays that velvety tenor voice like never before, as showcased on his emotionally eloquent renditions of “O Holy Night” and everybody's favourite, “Silent Night.” A real highlight on a record devoid of lowlights is  "Little Drummer Boy,” a much-loved favourite given fresh life here via African drumming sounds and guitar. No surprise that this new version is already receiving an enthusiastic response. The arranging and recording of The Christmas Collection went so smoothly that an originally planned release date of late 2014 was pushed up a year. Charles jokingly recalls that “I drove my family crazy with this project though, having them listening to Christmas music in July!” The Christmas Collection is Di Raimondo’s fifth album. Two earlier albums of classic repertoire, The Arias and Arias and Serenades, plus a jazz CD, 2005's Summer Rain, were all well-received, while 2012’s Passione heralded his real arrival as a fully-fledged artist at the top of his game. His talent as a classically-trained tenor with a pure and powerful voice has long been recognized in  the classical and opera worlds, and Charles is now in great demand as a performer at concerts, recitals, and festivals, both solo and as a member of popular vocal ensemble Canada's Classic Tenors (formerly Canada’s Three Tenors). He has also often performed the national anthem (to spine-tingling effect) at such major occasions as, most recently, the Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee Event at Maple Leaf Gardens. Excitement is now building in anticipation of the official CD launch performance for The Christmas Collection, set for The Veneto Centre in Woodbridge, Ontario, on Dec. 15. For those not fortunate enough to be able to attend, The Christmas Collection can be unequivocally recommended as a must-have addition to your seasonal listening library!   For more information, contact CD Productions 416 452-1434 website: www.charlesdiraimondo.com email: charlesdiraimondo@rogers.com