Country music singer/songwriter and recording artist Camille Harrison recently released her cover of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, a Christian hymn for Advent and Christmas, is one I’ve wanted to record for years,” Camille shares. “This hymn has its origins over 1,200 years ago in monastic life. When developing this arrangement and looking at the lyrics, it was begging to give voice to those hurting or suffering and I have hopefully expressed that in the musical interludes between each verse…
For a new approach to this piece, I chose a descending chromatic chord progression for the last two verses, which seemed to work well along with ending on a Picardy third – turning from a minor to a major key. And, of course, singing the lead and background vocals were a joy. The contributions of musicians and engineers were incredible and I am thrilled to share my rendition of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
The single, released on December 1, 2023, is already receiving rave reviews from press and listeners alike:
“Camille’s stunning delivery of ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel,’ with her classy vibrato echoing off the cello’s strings, is the soothing sound we need this season. The recording builds wonderfully with piano, harmonies, and showcases Camille’s vocal range, never overdone, but used sparingly for storytelling emphasis on this fine new interpretation of the mid-1800s composition.”
-Warren Kurtz (Goldmine)
“Camille has such a beautiful vocal tone and this song was the perfect choice for her.”
–Music City Melodies
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is Camille’s most recent Christmas single, following the release of her 2021 album “Christmas with You.”
Track Listing
1. Christmas Dreams Come True
2. Jesus, The Good Shepherd
3. Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming, O Little Town of Bethlehem
4. Christmas with You in My Heart
5. The Holly and The Ivy
6. What Child Is This
7. Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
8. Christmas Dreams Come True, O Come All Ye Faithful (Reprise)
About Camille Harrison
Camille Harrison, an American singer songwriter, pianist, guitarist, engineer, and producer, was born in the home of country music capital, Nashville, Tennessee, and has spent a time in the musical melting mecca, Memphis, Tennessee. Her gift for singing was discovered early on while she was singing on country music jamborees (produced by her father) following her early childhood years of singing church and classical pieces with her mother (a classical pianist).
Before the age of 20, Harrison’s professional career was on a fast-track; performing at Mid-South Concerts, Memphis Country Jubilee, Millington Navy Base, the Orpheum, Mid-South Coliseum, Beale Street nightspots, Liberty Land Theme Park Land and Opryland Theme Park, headliner in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Sunset Symphony and Memphis in May festivals for three consecutive years and touring throughout Europe. Camille has also enjoyed opening shows for many of her heroes, including Hank Williams, Jr., Conway Twitty, Dottie West, Dolly Parton, Vern Gosdin and Tom T. Hall, and landing leading roles such as Mabel in Pirates of Penzance gave her a deep admiration for a plethora of genres of music.
With her love music encouraged by her mother and father, various opportunities came very quickly for her. Along with listening to her favorites, Dolly, Streisand, Sinatra, Olivia, Ella, Lily Pons and Ricki Lee Jones in her early years, her studies gave her wide range of musical styles and a nice platform for her songwriting as she wrote for different publishers and then for releasing independent records of her own; The Big Parade, The Jelly Bean Jar, When it Comes to Love, and others. Camille has also sung on other recordings, such as Prince of Egypt soundtrack, One Road Man by Chris LeDoux, and Bela Fleckand the Flecktones’ first album.
A lover of all things Christmas, Camille uses her gift of music to encourage and uplift people during the holiday season. She released her newest single, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” on December 1, 2023.
You can follow Camille on Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify.