Cover artwork for Vocal Point's new Christmas Album. The album released on Friday, Oct. 9. (BYU Vocal Point)
BYU's Vocal Point released their first Christmas album on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015. The album, 'He Is Born,' features 11 songs including well-known classics such as 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' as well as 'One Single Bell,' an original song.
BYU Records general manager Ben Fales said this album will be the widest release for a BYU album. The album will be available at iTunes, Deseret Book and Amazon.com like many of their other works, but it will also become available in Barnes & Noble stores across the U.S. at the end of October.
'That's a big deal for us, to have other people in the music industry think it's a great album and be willing to carry it,' Fales said. 'I can't think of any other BYU product that has been distributed nationally in a national chain. It speaks to the quality of the work.'
Several special guests are featured on 'He Is Born,' including BYU Noteworthy, nationally acclaimed One Voice Children's Choir and vocalists Ryan Innes and Elisha Garrett.
Some of the songs on the album are Christmas songs that were recorded previously for other albums, but the CD features many new exclusive songs as well. The nine-man a cappella group worked on recording the songs for this album primarily over this past summer. Current Vocal Point member Bryce Romney commented that it felt odd to be singing Christmas songs in the middle of June, but the recording of the album was a really enjoyable experience.
BYU Vocal Point director Mckay Crockett was in the middle of changing homes while the group was working on the album and because of this the group's usual recording studio in his home was being moved as well. Former BYU Vocal Point member Parker O'Very took part in recording some of the songs for the album and shared how they overcame this predicament.
'We had to make a makeshift studio out of one of the rooms in his new house. We lined the closet with blankets and mattresses and kind of soundproofed it,' O'Very said. 'We closed the doors and shut ourselves in there and that is where we recorded. Literally in a closet.'
O'Very laughed about the experience and explained that since they had the right equipment listeners will not even be able to tell the difference.
He also said many might be surprised to know that a lot of artists have had to record under similar circumstances.
BYU Vocal Point group members as of October 15, 2014. (Mark A. Philbrick)
BYU Vocal Point has won countless music awards over the years and has performed in front of millions on NBC's 'The Sing-Off.'
Scott Shattuck, a former member who was a part of 'He Is Born,' said his time with with the group changed the reason he was at BYU and showed him how he could potentially have a career doing something he was passionate about.
Romney, O'Very and Shattuck said they are very excited about the release of this long-awaited album and hope that everyone will enjoy it.
'It was so fun to make. I just hope people love it as much as we do. It'll probably be the Christmas gift that I give to all of my friends,' Romney said.