New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Winter Graces are professional carolers in New York City, singing jazz, blues, folk, and pop versions of holiday classics and contemporary favorites.
The Winter Graces, new for the 2016 holiday season.
"We wanted to create a women's group that combined a welcoming, earthy comfort with a cosmopolitan, high-end sensibility worthy of New York City," says NYHS Executive
Director Jen Arvay
New York Holiday Singers, Inc. (NYHS) today introduces the newest addition to their professional caroling ensembles, the Winter Graces. Combining retro feel-good holiday classics with stylings from a variety of soulful music genres, the Winter Graces are perhaps the company's most unique group yet.
They sing "Angels We Have Heard On High," but in a bluesy and earthy style. "Away in a Manger" is mashed-up with Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper." A high-energy jazz version of "Carol of the Bells" is followed by a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time."
"We wanted to create a women's group that combined a welcoming, earthy comfort with a cosmopolitan, high-end sensibility worthy of New York City," says NYHS Executive
Director Jen Arvay. "We're excited to upend traditional ideas of women's ensemble singing, especially around holiday music."
New York Holiday Singers, Inc. has been providing professional carolers since their founding in 2009 by Jen Arvay and her husband, Greg Kefalas. Their ensembles have become New York City's most popular contemporary carolers, captivating guests at public and private events throughout New York City and attracting media attention from CBS Sunday Morning, Fox 5's Friday Night Live, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox News, SiriusXM's Pia Lindström Presents, WFUV's Cityscape, and WQXR's The Arts File.
"When looking at some of our favorite holiday music, we realized that there was a place in the industry for a women's caroling ensemble that bridged the gap between familiar classics and more recent styles," explains Greg Kefalas, NYHS's Creative and Musical Director. Adds Ms. Arvay, "We knew early on that we had to feature our take on music from female vocal legends and modern performers, but we were also motivated by our young nieces and cousins to create something that we hope is inspiring for them and young women everywhere."
The Winter Graces perform in trios and feature music adapted from artists such as Sara Bareilles, Joni Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper, The Andrews Sisters, The Carpenters,
Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss, as well as their own original versions of holiday classics composed and arranged specifically for the group. They join NYHS's existing ensembles: New York Holiday Choristers, Men Singing Carols, and the company namesake New York Holiday Singers. New York Holiday Singers, Inc. is headed by Executive and Financial
Director Jen Arvay, Creative and Musical
Director Greg Kefalas, and Associate Producer Doug Cordes.
To learn more about the Winter Graces, NYHS's ensembles, or for media or booking inquiries, contact Jen Arvay at 212.243.1149 or visit the website at https://wintergraces.com.
