"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokee Nation National Youth Choir

"The Cherokee
National Youth Choir"

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA – The Cherokee Nation recently announced the national release of “Comfort and Joy,” the latest CD of music by the Cherokee National Youth Choir. It is the fifth recording project by the award-winning group, and their second Christmas-themed release.

In “Comfort and Joy,” the choir welcomes the yuletide season with a collection of favorites which have been translated and recorded in the Cherokee language. In addition to much loved songs such as “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Deck the Halls,” the choir has expanded its repertoire with the addition of new arrangements of “Jingle Bells,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.” On select songs the youth choir is joined by the Cherokee National Adult Choir and by young children from the Cherokee Nation’s language immersion program.

“Our greatest mission is to share the Cherokee spirit with everybody,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We are extremely proud of the Cherokee National Youth Choir and the work they are doing to help preserve the Cherokee culture.”

“We are hoping to use the new songs to interest more people in the Cherokee language,” said Mary Kay Henderson, director of the choir. “I have given several CD’s to individuals with limited Cherokee language knowledge and they have called and said they find themselves singing along with the carols, and especially with the newer songs. Any time we can generate more interest in learning the language, and make it fun and easy to do, we have done our job.”

The Cherokee National Youth Choir consists of students from throughout the Cherokee Nation’s 14-county tribal jurisdiction in northeastern Oklahoma. Choir members must be citizens of the Cherokee Nation and range in age from 12 to 17.

The choir has received multiple Native American Music Awards and is considered to be among the top native language choirs in America. They have performed at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and at Ground Zero in New York City. Additionally, they have sung for President George W. Bush at the White House. The choir has appeared in concert and recorded with legendary entertainers such as Rita Coolidge and Dolly Parton.

“Comfort and Joy” is available now at the Cherokee Gift Shop, CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, AppleiTunes and other retail outlets.