Search - Laura Kutscher :: Away In A Manger - Piano Reflections On Carols

This recording is about the timelessness of music and all that a song can hold. Christmas is a season of many things, and one of those many things is music. The music of Christmas evokes so many memories for all of us; these arrangements of beloved carols are my memories of Christmas and dedicated to my father, Thomas Kutscher. Tom Kutscher was a man who lived in Iowa most of his life and left this world one June morning a couple of years ago. My parents lived out in the country - "God's Country," as it was named - with acres of land surrounding them. For my Dad, who battled cancer for many years, working the land was a big part of his life. At any given time of year, a familiar whistle would come over the hills and hollows, the orchard, the fields or the pond, and a smile would come to the face as you would hear, soft as a birdsong, "Away in a Manger." "Away in a Manger" was the song of my father's contentment. It was just a whistle but it was a reminder of the joy that always dwells within; a reminder of the peace that can be found when the odds are high; a reminder that in the starkest of settings, love abounds, and love is found. This recording was a moment for me to remember Thomas Kutscher, and put into sound the precious memories of my Dad in my life.