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The contemporary group known
as Celebrate originated in 1976 at St. Ignatius of
Loyola Church (a parish of over 2,000 families) in Cincinnati
and continues to provide music for the 10:30 Sunday liturgy. The
group also has been performing at Christian celebrations
(weddings, anniversaries, and funerals) all over the tri-state
area for over 20 years.
Original members of the group
include siblings Jenny Sedler Bates (Director, vocalist, and
guitarist), Mary Sedler Massa (vocalist), and Frank Sedler
(vocalist and bass player). Another original member, Lisa
Pollard Hasselbeck, plays lead acoustic 12-string guitar and
banjo. The group also includes Pam Johnson Rosenacker (piano and
keyboards), Mike Knueven (vocalist and drums/percussion), Lew
Isaacs (drums and percussion), Stacy Day (flute), five
additional acoustic/electric guitarists, and two additional
percussionists.
The group recorded its first
album called Celebrate That Spirit in 1983. Their second
recording, Venimos,
came about in 1997 as a result of a covenant signed between the
St. Ignatius Parish and their Sister Parish known as San Jose La
Comunidad in Mixco, Guatemala. The group became aware of a
Children's Clinic in the San Jose area that was in need of
medical supplies/equipment and medicine. Celebrate
decided to record a second time to raise money for the medical
needs of the children who visit the Clinic. Venimos was
extremely well received by the public. The CD sold out and
raised approximately $9,000 for the Children's Clinic.
Venimos
was professionally recorded at Legend Entertainment in
Cincinnati. The studio engineer was Jerry Lane (engineer for the
nationally-acclaimed group Blessid Union of Souls). Media
coverage for the project included the group's performance of the
title track on the CBS affiliate Channel 12 (WKRC) Morning Show,
a radio interview by Bill Tonnis of 700 WLW, and an article in
the Cincinnati Enquirer and other local papers. Area stores
carried the CD.
Share
In The Joy is the group's current CD; it includes an
original song that is the title track. All proceeds will benefit
once again the Children's Clinic in Guatemala. This recording
was also done professionally at Legend Entertainment and
engineered by Jerry Lane. It includes a guest drum/percussion
performance by Eddie Hedges of Blessid Union of Souls (courtesy
of V2/BMG Records) on Was It A Morning Like This,
originally recorded by Sandi Patty. Furthermore, the group had
the CD mastered by Benny Quinn of Masterfonics
in Nashville. He has mastered such artists as Amy Grant, Michael
W. Smith, Sandi Patty, Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Shania Twain, and
many others.
For more information, please
contact Bill Bates at (513) 574-7163 or at the E-mail address: bbates@fuse.net.
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