Flutist Dianne Williams Releases Second Album "Tinsel"
The Press News, October 2003

In response to countless requests from fans across the country, flutist Dianne Williams has just released her much-sought-after holiday album titled, Tinsel. This, her second CD recording, utilizes her own unique style so apparent on her first album, Simplicity…a fusion of traditional with contemporary, and a flute tone full of richness and character. Tinsel features many favorite holiday melodies such as Silent Night; The Holly and The Ivy; Carol of the Bells; Coventry Carol; A Nutcracker Dance Suite; Go Tell It on the Mountain; Auld Lang Syne; Hark, the Herald Angels Sing; Angels from the Realms of Glory; Angels We Have Heard on High; and many more. Each of these melodies is played on flute, piccolo, or alto flute with accompaniment of piano, strings, cello, guitar, percussion, and other instruments. Fans liken the overall feeling of Williams' music to that of well-known "New Age" artists including Jim Brickman, Enya, Yanni, Mannheim Steamroller, John Tesh, and Lorie Line, often being described as "soothing and uplifting at the same time."

What really makes Tinsel unique from other holiday albums, however, is its inclusion of melodies lesser-known in our culture - perhaps even "obscure." Williams states, "As I was doing research for this recording, I found a few absolutely gorgeous melodies most of us have never heard. I simply fell in love with these pieces and decided to include my favorites on this album…to add variety, I suppose. Tinsel introduces listeners to new favorites, as well as providing them with their old favorites."

Melodies such as "The Happy Christmas Comes Once More" (a traditional carol from Denmark), "'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime" (from England), "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" (from Germany), "Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella" (from France) and other traditional carols from around the world set this recording in a league of its own by making it truly unique from the thousands of other holiday albums available. These lesser-known but beautiful melodies are unlikely to be found on other recordings. In addition, Williams has included an original piece sharing the title of the album, "Tinsel." What also sets this album apart from the rest of the pack is its length. Unlike most holiday albums averaging a total running time of 25 to 40 minutes, Tinsel is more than 55 minutes in length…fifty-five magnificent minutes, at that.

Williams' premiere live public performance of the music from Tinsel will be held on the evening of Friday, November 22nd at a Benefit Concert for the Salvation Army. The event is being held at the Cultural Center for the Arts in downtown Canton at 8 pm. Tickets have just been made available through the Salvation Army. Call 330-453-0158 to order. Pre-paid tickets are $10 per person and are strongly encouraged as organizers expect this concert to be sold out well in advance. All of the proceeds from this event will be given to the Salvation Army of Canton to be used in meeting human needs in the central Stark County area.

Williams began working on Tinsel in January of 2002 with hours of research to choose the right mix of pieces for the album. In February, she began working on the arrangements (which are all original), and by May, she was in the recording studio. The actual CDs arrived just a few weeks ago, and as Williams states, "these are the freshest CDs you can buy!" The album is already receiving critical acclaim from listeners around the country.

As a professional musician in Northeast Ohio, Williams has performed on television programs for WKYC-Channel 3, WEWS-Newschannel 5, WJW-FOX-8, and TBN. She has also performed live on WHBC, and her music is playing on several Christian and instrumental radio stations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Williams operates a studio of more than 20 private flute students and is an associate flutist with several professional orchestras including the symphonies in Canton, Akron, Ashland, Mansfield, and Columbus, among many others. She also teaches courses through the Canton Symphony Orchestra's "After School Alive" program, and has taught courses and clinics at several high schools and colleges. She is currently planning her next recording while maintaining a busy performance schedule throughout Ohio.