By Kara Pound
Photos by Addison Fitzgerald
Sitting at the mixing console of his recording studio off US Highway 1 South, Jim Stafford is trying to put the last decade-and-a-half into words. “For all of these years,” he explains thoughtfully, “it’s been a real labor of love.”
Stafford is the owner of Eclipse Recording Company and he’s referring to the annual “Christmas In St. Augustine” Album that he has curated, arranged, produced, marketed and distributed annually, for 14 years, to help raise funds for The St. Augustine Record’s Empty Stocking Fund and other local charities.
Established in 2000, Eclipse Recording Company has grown into one of the area’s preeminent recording studios, offering everything from audio mastering to video services to web design and development. Stafford himself has more than 40 years’ of engineering experience.
In 2001, Stafford came up with the idea to have musicians contribute songs to a Christmas album that would then be sold online and at local stores to help raise money for families in need. Over the years, Eclipse’s popular holiday records have raised more than $30,000.
“Essentially, it’s about doing something good without asking for anything in return,” says Stafford. “I get to wake up every Christmas morning knowing that someone I’ve never met will have a better Christmas because of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
Now in its 15th year (Stafford had to skip last year’s album because of Hurricane Matthew), the “Christmas In St. Augustine” Album takes approximately 100 hours of donated time from the Eclipse crew and has featured more than 1,000 musicians.
This year’s record will include music from The Island Duet, Lon and Lis Williamson, Duffy Bishop, Not Quite Dead, Big Pineapple, The Four Horsemen, Barefoot Davis, Victoria Horne, Elizabeth Roth and nearly a dozen others.
“All of the musicians donate their time,” Stafford explains. “I like to think of it as instant good karma. These albums bring us all together and make you feel like you’ve done something good for the people in our community that really need help.”
The 15th Annual “Christmas In St. Augustine” release party was to be held prior to the street date of this issue of OCL, at Mardi Gras, on Saturday, December 2nd. CDs will be available for purchase for $15 each, at Music Matters, The Visitor Information Center and online at the Eclipse Recording Studio website HERE.
