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Combined Shipping - Add items to cart Choral gold shines bright— Annie’s Songs weaves Anne Albritton’s genius across two CDs! This 2004 Northeast TN-sourced set from Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC) and The Women’s Chorus of Dallas (TWCD), with a Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus cameo, honors Albritton’s legacy—six years as TCC’s Principal Accompanist, twelve with TWCD. From “White Christmas” to AIDS-era medleys like “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables/Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” her arrangements fit like gloves—33 tracks of love, loss, and hope (Vol. I: 17, Vol. II: 16). Proceeds aid her medical fight, making this a rare, soulful must for gospel fans and choral collectors! The year was 1989. The Turtle Creek Chorale was performing for an AIDS healing service at the Episcopal Cathedral downtown Dallas. It was the height of the AIDS crisis and any hope offered was welcome. At the end of the service, a petite, bright, perky woman approached me to say how much the service and the singing had meant to her She said, tn her thick Texas accent, “Hi, my name is Anne. I'm from Corsicanna. Texas and I play the piano. (It could have only been worse if she had said, “and I write songs, ” which of course she does.) She mentioned she was a friend of composer Jane Marshall and if we ever needed someone to play. I should give her a call. We went on our way and she headed back to Corsicana and her life as THE piano teacher in town, organist/choir master at the Presbyterian church and married to a banker. Not long after that, a group began to meet with the intent of starting a women’s chorus in Dallas. When the topic of an accompanist came up, that bright, perky pianist from Corsicana jumped to mind, but I didn't remember her name, just her charm and her accent. So, I called Jane Marshall and described this mystery woman. She knew right away who it was and Anne got the call. The rest is history. Not only was she every bit as bright and perky as she was at first sight, but a gifted artist both at the keyboard and, we were soon to find out, at arranging and composing. W4 had no idea that she would soon become the heart and soul of The Women’s Chorus of Dallas and “Mom” to the Turtle Creek Chorale. And we had no idea that the perky' was really mischief in disguise. Anne began arranging music for the women as a way to help fit music perfectly to their sound. The first was “White Christmas. ” Not long after that, she tried her hand at male choral music. Her first arrangement for the TCC once again addressed the times in which we found ourselves, a medley including “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.” and “ Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. ” The arrangements fit both choruses like a glove. Her spirit is in everything we sing. Her exquisite musicianship and magnanimous heart inspire us to continue to try to change the world with our music. She and her partner remain role models for each of us in every area of their lives. They are educators, they are friends, they are caregivers and they are both actually great Moms in the biological- sense and the figurative sense. We present this partial collection of all the gifts Annie has given our choruses. May your heart be touched by Anne’s as you share in her music and may your life be enriched, as ours, just by having known her. /A portion of every CD sold will go to help Anne with her medical costs as she fights and defeats the angry disease that has visited her. With love. Your guys and gals of TCC and TWCD. Anne Albritton received a Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance and Theory/Compos it ion from Northwestern University and Southern Methodist University. A significant portion of her professional career has been spent in the fields of teaching and church music. /I great lover of musical theater, she was music director for numerous productions at the Warehouse Living Arts Center in Corsicana. Texas. She was the founding music director for Bravo Productions, a national touring company. Anne served as Principal Accompanist of the Turtle Creek Chorale for six years and The Women's Chorus of Dallas for twelve years. She continues to arrange and compose for both choruses and her work is commissioned by choral groups throughout the country. She is currently Director of Music at Lakewood United Methodist Church. (Many of the previously released tracks on this recording feature Anne as accompanist.) Thank you for your business. Gallimoresgoods