It was a recording session one year ago that brought mixed emotions to the early years choir at Winnipeg’s Linden Christian School.

The students, ages seven to nine, were asked by former University of Manitoba jazz instructor Jimmy Greene to be part of his new album.

It’s titled “Beautiful Life” and it honours his daughter, Ana Márquez-Greene, who was killed in December 2012 after a gunman opened fire in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Six-year-old Ana died along with 19 other children and six adults at the school.

Many of the students featured on the album are former classmates of Ana’s and her brother Isaiah.

The Márquez-Greene family lived in Winnipeg for three years before moving to Connecticut.

Ana’s friend eight-year-old Abby Schroeder, now a Grade 3 student at Linden Christian, said it was important for her to participate.

“I knew that I was comforting their family when they heard the songs and I knew that I was bringing joy to all the people who were listening,” Abby Schroeder said.

In total, “Beautiful Life” features 10 tracks and it is available for purchase and download on iTunes and Amazon.

The students helped record two songs: “Ana’s Way” and “Little Voices.”

Choir member, 10-year-old Keira Pasveer, said she thinks the music on the album reflects how Ana lived her life.

“She was always very happy and she seemed like she never stopped smiling,” said Pasveer.

“I think when people listen to this - people will learn how to live their life like she did.”

Family friend and Linden Christian teacher, Karen Schroeder said recording the album with Ana’s former classmates was difficult at times for Jimmy.

“It was hard for him to see all of Ana’s classmates without her,” Schroeder said.

“To see them growing taller, with bigger feet, changing feet, changing grades, losing teeth – all the things that Ana should be doing so he had to see them all again as a group of classmates without her and I know that was really, really tough for the family.”

Even though it was an emotional recording, she said Jimmy helped to make the experience a positive one for the kids.

The students said Jimmy told them to keep smiling.

Partial proceeds from the album will go to the Ana Grace Project and the Artist Collective of Hartford.