Deborah Berg | Posted on Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 12:15PM
It was an honor to sing the last solo with my choir in the Christmas Eve Special, "A Bold New Love: Christmas Eve with Middle Collegiate Church," which aired on CBS on December 24, 2018.
This year, CBS will air a Christmas Eve service of Middle Church and MCJJGC to be aired nationwide on December 24th at 11:30pm. I have the honor of singing the solo on the classic James Cleveland gospel standard "Long As I Got King Jesus." (I'll share more details about the television program when I get them!)
I feel so free when I sing a big gospel song like King Jesus. It seemed fitting to release Lady Liberty to share at this time as well.
ABOUT LADY LIBERTY:
The lyrics for "Lady Liberty" focus on the symbolism of the iconic statue with emphasis on the Emma Lazarus poem "The New Colossus," which is inscribed on the statue's pedestal.
The poem's most famous lines:
"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Lady Liberty is a much-admired and respected American monument. Droves of people visit NYC every year to visit it. People whose ancestors came through Ellis Island explain to their children, "This is what your great-grandparents first gazed upon when they came to this country."
We are very aware of Lady Liberty and her presence in our culture, but are we aware of what she represents as an American institution?
By standing proud in the New York Harbor with her torch eternally lit, guiding the way home to hundreds of thousands, Lady Liberty has spread a message of hope and inclusivity to immigrants from all over the world for over 150 years.
Is her message still relevant?
If we say we will support her, does it mean we will support the economy by purchasing posters and foam crowns?
Or does it mean we will support her gracious message to embrace immigrants looking for a better life in America?
This is the first protest song I have written, and it needed help being born. This song best represents what I've been learning as an active member at Middle Collegiate Church. I feel I have the freedom to express my faith in God through community activism when I sing in gospel choir.
I wanted to give Lady Liberty a voice so that she could do the same.
I would love to hear from you, Love, xx Deborah
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"New Road Home," my third solo album, is due for release on February 14, 2019. Join my mailing list to get all the details!
To celebrate, I’m also launching its official music video on YouTube:
A bit about this song: We recorded "Merry Christmas To You" back in the summer of 2012. It was really fun to record the song with some first rate musician friends: Ann Klein, Tomek Miernowski, and Dave Scalia.
I wanted to write a Christmas song that invoked the spirit of the holiday without it being too religious, so people of varying faiths might be able to relate to it, too. The song focuses on the generosity and playfulness of the season, giving a suggestion of magic or even miracles.
I’ve long wanted to create a music video featuring vintage cartoon animal imagery to communicate the energy of these warm community gatherings filled with peace, love, and harmony at Christmastime. But my search for an animator to convey this imagery kept hitting a dead end.
Then, my talented musician friend Johnny Jake posted online a few music videos that he had created. I asked if he might be able to help me with this project and he said yes! He was brilliant!
We hope you enjoy it and that you will share this friendly video with people in your family who may be entertained by its charm.
And just in time for the new video, Women of Substance Radio is featuring "Merry Christmas To You" on episode #888 (an auspicious number!) on Friday, November 30th.
Finally, we are in the final stages of completing work on "New Road Home"! The album will be released in early 2019 on CD and digital.
We have chosen one track from the album to be released early.
The song, "Lady Liberty," holds a message of American history and current events, as perceived by Lady Liberty herself. This will be Johnny Jake’s second music video collaboration with my music. Hubby Mike got recruited to do some filming for the video, down in Battery Park! It’s a family affair.
Watch this space in December for "Lady Liberty"!
That’s it for now! Sending many warm wishes of love and sweet times with those who are dear to you, xxx, Deborah
Deborah Berg | Posted on 
My upcoming album is now available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon Music!
