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Vol. LXI, No. 51
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
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Vol. LXI, No. 51
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
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A Princeton Christmas: For the Children of Africa, the 20-song, one-hour album produced by local resident Tom Meagher to raise funds for hunger relief in Africa and featuring the music of local choral groups, has found a following on iTunes and a place in the top 100 listing of iTunes holiday albums.
“Even with no advertising we’re now at number 24 in the Top 100 iTunes Plus Holiday albums, while one of the album’s songs — ‘Ding Dong! Merrily on High’ by the American Boychoir — is well into the top half of the Top 100 iTunes Plus Holiday songs,” reported Mr. Meagher.
The purchase of each copy of A Princeton Christmas (through www.princetonchristmas.org and also via download from the iTunes Store) will feed one African child for nearly three months through the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) School Feeding campaign.
The CD received a boost when Lauren Bush, the fashion model niece of President George Bush, endorsed its musical mission.
Ms. Bush, who has been featured on the covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair, graduated from Princeton University in 2006 after majoring in anthropology. She served as the honorary spoksperson for WFP’s student campaign on global hunger in 2004 and traveled to Chad as a student ambassador for the World Food Program in 2005.
A founder of the FEED Projects (www.feedprojects.org) to design and produce eco-friendly products, such as a burlap and muslin FEED bag, the sale of which also benefits the United Nations World Food Program School Feeding campaign, Ms. Bush lauded the Princeton choral community for the holiday album. “I am so proud of the response by the Princeton community with this musical mission, and I am honored to support it,” she said, suggesting that a FEED bag containing the CD would be the the ideal holiday gift.
“Lauren Bush has been incredibly supportive of the effort and an inspiration to the team of volunteers who have collaborated to bring great music from a great community to help children who desperately need our help,” said Mr. Meagher.
The CD, which features performances by The American Boychoir; The Princeton Girlchoir; the Princeton University Chapel Choir; The Westminster Concert Bell Choir and Westminster Choir of the Westminster Choir College of Rider University; The Tartantones of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart; The Princeton Day School Choir Madrigal Singers; and The Princeton High School Choir, is available at the Princeton University Store on Nassau Street for a minimum donation of $20 to the WFP.
“Every additional CD that gets exchanged for a donation feeds one of these children for three months in WFP’s school feeding program,” said Mr. Meagher.
For more information, visit www.princetonchristmas.org, or www.friendsofwfp.org.