Welcome, friends.
Those who enter at this stage are participating in the making of my new record.
It has been on my mind since the very beginning of my recording life. The first vocal track I ever released was Silent Night and I was so inspired by the beauty and stillness of that piece that I have been pining after more. The vision for this took time to come together but now the ideas have arrived and I am on the move.
An Irish producer once told me that it’s tradition for Irish women to sing whatever they like, and I accepted that almost as an inheritance. I have sung and played folk music drawn from many countries and sung in four languages, through hymns both old and new, country ballads, pop songs, and classical pieces. I feel quite comfortable singing songs that were originally written for men. I hold a particular fondness for duets, for the way two voices can meet and create something completely new and unexpected. When recording, my violin stays with me and may offer a single line or bloom into a full strings section. I enjoy the colour and warmth that all of this lends to my own musical world and to what I can share with others.
The album that I want to do this time will be a Christmas album. I don’t yet have a title or the artwork. But I know about two-thirds of the tracklist and that it will be both religious and folk-inspired. I have played many of these songs in concerts but most I have never recorded. It will be a warm, rich, album, full of the colour deserving of the Greatest Story Ever Told.
In writing the pre-order invitation, I put a lot of consideration into the way my music’s fans could choose to be a part of the album’s story. Each level reflects a new proximity to the work.
The album is to be released in the autumn of 2026. In the context of designing, programming, pre-producing and recording an album track by track, that time is needed to bring these ideas to life in their fullest. Pre-ordering is the way to secure the best price on the album, secure a signed edition, receive the music early, access private experiences connected to the release, and to be a part of the album, its making and its community.
I am doing something quite unique on this record. Artistically speaking, I have had some wonderful experiences with song commissions – both through contributing to a concert or broadcast, or by opening up to audience requests in concerts. So for the first time, Patrons will have the opportunity to commission a track, thus allowing fans to help shape the album. If you feel you would like to be involved at this level, then please get in touch below. There are many other ways to participate and I invite you all to peruse the options and make your choice.
Most of all, pre-ordering is, of course, the way to support this independent music as it is being brought into the world.
Thank you for being here with me. I truly appreciate each one of you and am very much looking forward to our collaboration.
~ Rhoda
Here’s a sample of Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel:
The Listener
Digital download of the album, digital lyric booklet with album notes, and a personal note of thanks from the artist.
£10
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/6Z6VS7GVA9YGW
The Signed Edition
Everything above, plus a signed physical CD with free worldwide delivery and a handwritten thank-you card.
£25
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/E8FHCDQP57Q7Q
The Inner Circle
Includes the signed edition, access to a private listening session, and a one-year membership to Rhoda Barfoot’s Something Good.
£100
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/MJGVTP35FNKH2
The Patron
Includes all previous levels, your name listed in the album credits under Patrons, and an invitation to a private, live, online recital.
£150
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/WJ4EA2AJPZAAG
The Dedication
Everything in previous levels, plus the dedication of one album track in your name (or in honour of someone you choose), acknowledged in the liner notes.
£1,000 – limited number.
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/N6Y42YNZQA4KN
If you feel drawn to support the work in a different way, you are welcome to get in touch.