An album for all seasons

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This article was published 06/07/2022 (1213 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OAK BLUFF

A good tune is never out of season.

Oak Bluff-based singer, songwriter and musician Barbara Joy recently released her third full-length album, and some of the songs are a perfect fit for muggy summer days, teaming with life.

Iced Tea the fifth song on Joy’s new album Seasons conjures a scene: sitting in a lawn chair on a hot humid day and sipping a cool drink, with stray cats skulking through the yard and crickets chirping in the background.

“It’s more of a jazz tune,” Joy said. “Lots of soul in that one.”

Seasons transports listeners through the stages and events that mark a year in Manitoba. But Joy’s new album has a more abstract message, too, which can be found in the opening track, Joy in All Seasons.

“There are the seasons of the year, but there’s also the seasons in our life,” Joy said, “the seasons that Jesus Christ made.”

Joy’s Christian faith and worship is a thread linking the album’s songs, as well as the themes of encouragement, hope and appreciation. Joy is a member of the Oak Bluff Bible Church.

On the opposite side of the spectrum from Iced Tea is Winnipeg Winter — the album’s closing track. This recording is an ode to the activities and sentiments that make the season special:

Enjoy the thrill of the wintertime / Dress up warm, snow hills to climb

Take in the fun of the wintertime / Play some hockey come out and shine

Seasons is the third album in which Joy has teamed up with producer Jordan Jackiew. Joy collaborated with guest artist and co-writer Sharalee Smith on several tracks; Rosemary Siemens shared her talents to Stille Nacht, Silent Night (The Angels Sang) — a festive nod to Joy’s German heritage.

A team of other music artists helped make the album sing.

Joy is a classically trained pianist who found her voice as a child during church performances.

After training through Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, Joy began writing songs and released her first EP, A King Has Come, shortly thereafter.

A King Has Come was nominated for best seasonal album of the year for the Covenant Awards, presented by the Gospel Music Association of Canada.

“I got such positive feedback on that, and singing and playing those songs,” Joy said, adding that her music and subsequent performances were particularly popular in rural Manitoba communities.

Juno Award-winning art director and designer Roberta Landreth created Seasons’ visual design, which includes an eight-page booklet featuring lyrics and photography by Sandra Murner and Mel Muir.

Joy followed her 2011 debut release with the 2018 collection titled God’s Wonder.

Physical copies of Seasons are available for purchase by contacting Joy through her Facebook page: Barbara Joy Music. All of Joy’s full-length albums can be streamed through Spotify and Apple Music.

Notifications about Joy’s future performances and releases can be found through the Facebook page, or by visiting www.manitobamusic.com/artists/barbarajoy