track name

At Christmastime

album and band name

by Martin Praetorius & The Sleighbell Slingers

At Christmastime Cover Art
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about
At Christmastime
or:
If you want to make a difference, you have to make the first step.

Hi y'all,

I have written and - with a bunch of wonderful friends - recorded a Christmas song which you can download here.

At the same time I would like to ask you for a couple of minutes of your time to read the following blog:

For the last 3 ½ years I have been involved in a project called jamtruck©, a musical project for kids aged from 11 – 20 in/from socially neglected backgrounds in my hometown, Essen.
In the course of this work, I have seen up close and personal, how in our country – and probably in any other country in the world – money is spent on anything and everything except for the things most needed, no matter which elected government is telling us they will spend more money... on education!
In my opinion one of the greatest goods of a society is the education of their children, and it is one of the best investments for a peaceful future.

In a survey about child poverty in Germany, my hometown occupies one of the top spots. Since last January, the jamtruck© is located in a neighbourhood which is regarded as the one of the poorest in the city when it comes to child poverty - about a mile away from yet another expendable super-shopping-mall which probably devoured a couple of a hundred million Euros.
Living literally a stone's throw away are children and families who are lacking bare necessities and whose outlook is most uncertain.
This situation is without doubt just one example of similar circumstances you will/might happen to come across in your own neighbourhood.

I know that there are many national and global organisations/charities whose main objective is to benefit disadvantaged children and which are asking for your support, especially at Christmastime. I want to stress strongly that I do not want to challenge the necessity and good work of these organisations.
Nevertheless and very unfortunately, there are still many more spots where we CAN help and where even a small donation can make a very immediate difference.

For example, the "Jugendhaus Zwingli", in Essen, is an organisation that helps kids with their homework, supplies lunches, organises great playing activities and is in need of every Euro.
Every musician involved in the making of this song would be very happy to see you taking a closer look at the neighbourhood you are living in. Maybe there is something you can do to help children in your environment?
Every small donation counts. Passing on information counts. Everybody who makes that first step counts.

We would like to encourage you to share the song "At Christmastime", and this blog, with all the people you know to make sure it reaches as many people as possible.

Also, in exchange for the free download of our song, we would be very happy if you could make a donation to the Jugendhaus Zwingli (bank details below) or to a children’s charity of your own choice.


Thank you for taking the time to read this and we would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy 2012.

Martin Praetorius,
with Dania Koenig, Marius Goldhammer, Markus Segschneider, Dino Soldo, Fritz Fey, Mario Garruccio

Bank details Jugendhaus Zwingli:
KD Bank Dortmund
BLZ 350 601 90
Konto Nr. 10 11 44 80 18
Verwendungszweck: Zwingli
lyrics
At Christmastime

There's a road I travel
Around this time of year
It always takes me 'round the same old bends
It always asks me questions
About my darkest fears
If I can tell right from wrong and do I know my friends

I'm surely not a man of church
I can't fight these wars
I don't care, who's the only one
I see trouble everywhere
Sometimes it's too much to bear
Brother fighting brother, so it seems

Chorus
Then I look at all the lights that shine at Christmastime
And I pray they'll find a way into our hearts
'Till every little corner will be safe and warm
'Cause I believe that's what Christmas should be for

But the wars outside are raging
The world's a battlefield
Of greed and grudge and who will have the most
The devil has the best of us
Although I'm nearly sure
He was made up by those who run the show

We're prisoners of our selfishness
We're chasing what we think is best
And what is best we don't really know for sure
We're running like a herd of fools
The internet and money rule
And we're scared not knowing who to trust

Chorus
So look at all the lights that shine at Christmastime
Searching for a way into our hearts
'Till every little corner will be safe and warm
Wouldn't that be something, for a start?

And I do like the lights around at Christmastime
And I pray they'll find a way into our hearts
'Till every little corner will be safe and warm
'Cause I believe that's what Christmas should be for
credits
released 01 December 2009
At Christmastime
written by Martin Praetorius

performed by Martin Praetorius & The Sleighbell Slingers

Martin Praetorius – vocals, acoustic guitar, programming
Dania Koenig – harmony vocals, piano, glockenspiel
Dino Soldo – woodwinds
Markus Segschneider – sitar, mandoline
Marius Goldhammer – bass
drumloop courtesy of "Gefallen" by Dania Koenig,
originally played by Mario Garruccio

recorded by the involved at their homes in December 2009
mixed by Martin Praetorius at "Working Corners", Essen.
mastered by Fritz Fey at Double-D Mastering, Oberhausen
tags
tags: charity christmas christmas carols rock roots rock singer-songwriter Essen
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