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So This Is Christmas

Courtney Hadwin adds the voice of an archangel to this John Lennon/Yoko Ono classic.

By J. D. RogersPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Happy Xmas (War Is Over) is probably a song title that you don't recognize. I didn't recognize it when I saw Courtney Hadwin released it for the holiday season. But once I heard the song, I recognized it.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono released the song in 1971 under the title, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), but most people think of it as, So This Is Christmas, which is the verse that you hear most often in the song. It's a beautiful song that was written during the troubled times of the Vietnam War. Hence the title, which today may seem a bit puzzling.

Looking back at 2020 and all the troubles that came with it, I can see why Courtney felt it was an appropriate song for the holiday season.

But I'm not here to talk about 2020, I'm here to talk about Courtney. She's got what's called a signature voice. Once you hear it, you never forget it. Lots of people compare her to Janis Joplin, probably because of her ability to growl, add grit to notes, toss gravel on the notes, whatever you want to call it. It's what made Joplin's voice so recognizable.

But to call Courtney another Janis Joplin is to mislabel her. Courtney and her vocal coach, Julie Miles, have worked incredibly on hard on her voice. She can sound like Joplin when she wants to, but she can do so much more.

Don't believe me, go to Courtney's TikTok page and check out her imitating Christina Aguilera. Courtney's got a three plus octave range, something you can also discover on her TikTok page. She can growl like Joplin, and she can belt like few singers I've ever heard.

I first saw Courtney when she competed on America's Got Talent. She was thirteen at the time and I was stunned, wondering where a thirteen year old had learned to belt like that. But belting and growling aren't only weapons in Courtney's arsenal.

She can sound as smooth as your favorite pop princess. What's more, she can do it at the lower end of her register, where she has a deep soulful sound, and she can do it at the upper end of her register, revealing one of the prettiest falsettos I've ever heard.

Courtney doesn't do a lot of growling in Happy Xmas but you do get to hear that deep soulful croon mixed with that stunningly beautiful falsetto. But don't worry, Courtney and her producer, Kevin Bowe, did find a couple of verses where she could cut lose and show off those amazing belting skills.

I got to throw a little love Kevin Bowe's way. Courtney's vocal arsenal is both vast and impressive, but knowing which part of her arsenal to use, and when to use it, can't be easy. Kevin and
Courtney did a great job on this song. The good news for Courtney fans is they are still working together, this time on original material. I also have to give Kevin credit for his choice of backup singers, Pat Lacy and Layce Dreamz. Their voices blend well with Courtney's soulful sound.

To me, Courtney has the voice of an angel. I know some people will disagree with me on that, but I'm not done. Angels come in all shapes and sizes, and Courtney doesn't have the voice of an ordinary angel, she's got the voice of an archangel.

In case you're not familiar with angels, archangels are the big, powerful ones. When I imagine what an archangel sounds like, I imagine a voice that is both stunningly beautiful and stunningly powerful. That's what you get when Courtney sings. Her falsetto is stunningly beautiful, and when she cuts lose and belts, it is stunningly powerful.

So this Christmas season, when you're putting that star or angel on top of your tree, put on Courtney's version of Happy Xmas (War Is Over), and let the voice of an archangel fill your home. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the season.

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About the Creator

J. D. Rogers

Author of eight novels including the Princess Wars series and Dirty Little Mermaid.

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