Charlie Hope is a Seattle-based singer and songwriter with one of the sweetest voices you'll hear in children's music. She can often be found on the local library concert circuit, and the Juno award winner also tours nationwide to share her tuneful songs with her little fans.
Hope's newest CD, Sing As We Go, is the ideal companion to quiet playtime, featuring melodic takes on timeless tunes along with charming original songs that inspire listeners young and old to sing along.
My daughter and I first discovered Charlie Hope when she collaborated with Caspar Babypants on the 2010 album This Is Fun. Sing As We Go also features fantastic collaborations with other children's musicians, including Morgan Taylor of Gustafer Yellowgold in one of the album's best songs, "With You." The duet is as cozy as snuggling on the snowy afternoon described in the lyrics. Hope and Taylor are magical together in the song, which is sure to tug on the heartstrings of any parent listening.
Hope also pairs up with Elizabeth Mitchell for "Harmony," a delightful ditty that lives up to its name. If you and your kids are already fans of Elizabeth Mitchell's soothing style, you'll find a lot to love in Charlie Hope's music as well.
Kids will be itching to sing along with Hope's take on classic children's songs and nursery rhymes they might not have heard before, like "Apples and Bananas" and "Sally Go Round the Sun."
While most of Sing As We Go radiates a peaceful energy, no kid can resist getting up and dancing to "Skip to My Lou" and "Happy Wanderer." The CD also includes folk songs from Canada made family-friendly, like "When the Ice Worm Nests Again" and "Land of the Silver Birch," both great accompaniments to a chilly, gray winter day.
The original songs on the album are remarkable as well, especially "From You," a simple ode to parents everywhere. In fact, Hope's own mother makes an appearance on Sing As We Go, as she recounts the fairy tale The Shoemaker and the Elves with warmth in her clear voice. It might be my 4-year-old's favorite track on the album. If we arrive at our destination while the tale is still being spun, my daughter insists on staying in the car until the end, no matter how many times she's heard it before.
Hope sings with a smile in her voice that shines through in every song. Sing As We Go is her fourth album and the perfect introduction to her sweet sound.
Sing As We Go is now available at a suggested retail price of $9.99 in the iTunes store and on Amazon.com as well.
Kelly Knox is a Seattle-area writer and mom of a happy wanderer.
