When they first appeared in our catalog with "First Light," Greenbelt, MD's Chromatics were a group of nine mixed voices. By their 2nd , "AstroCappella 2.0," they were 8 voices, by the Christmas CD "Unwrapped," their 3rd, they were 7 voices and predictably on "Mixed," their 4th CD, they are 6, three men and three women. The group wanted "a limited-edition collection that captured our live sound, showcased our newest member, Barry Mahaffey, and included songs that might not otherwise appear on a Chromie CD." Included are some of the group's favorite cover songs, a holiday tune or two that didn't appear on "Unwrapped," and some choral pieces they like "a darn lot!" "A Little Bit of Rock" and "Dance of the Planets" appeared on their astronomy music CD, "AstroCappella," and "Buns and Muffins is from "First Light." Many tracks were recorded in front of a very vocal live audience at the Blue House House Concert in October of 2003. Some favorites among the 11 songs: the manic "Love Shack," Lennon/McCartney's "Because," the silly "The Day After Christmas," a crowd-pleasing "Lion Sleeps Tonight," Abba's "Mamma Mia" and the traditional spiritual "The Water Is Wide." The talented Chromatics are always entertaining, either touching us, teaching us or making us laugh. |