Singing has long been her passion, so much so that she's mastered songs in 30 languages.

But when people hear the voice of Gloria Lenhoff, they won't know that she can't tie her shoes or cross the street by herself.

Lenhoff has Williams Syndrome, a rare condition that produces cognitive and physical abnormalities. But unique to people with the syndrome is a tremendous aptitude toward music.

In February, Lenhoff visited Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee to perform and record a CD with Sandra Meyer, associate professor of music. When that CD, "Religious Classics for Soprano," is released soon, it will be the only known commercial recording by a person with Williams Syndrome.

"It was wonderful to work with her," Meyer said. "If people know someone with Williams Syndrome or are acquainted with someone with developmental disabilities, they will be blown away. I get tears in my eyes when I hear her sing. You do because you know the limitations of that person, yet what she does is incredible."

About 100 copies of the CD will be available through the OBU Fine Arts Office. Proceeds will go mostly to the Williams Syndrome Foundation. But part of the money from OBU's sales will go toward music scholarships at the university. Cost per CD is $15.

The first nine tracks on the album feature Lenhoff singing to Meyer's piano accompaniment. The last nine are just Meyer on piano. This arrangement is good for singers who would like to practice on their own, Meyer said, or for someone who doesn't have the money or resources for an accompanist.

The album also is in CDG format, meaning it can be used on a karaoke machine with a viewer and the words will be displayed. It is released on the label Music Minus One, on its Pocket Songs Division. The label was originally created to provide accompaniment to soloists, Meyer said.

The nine songs represent a variety of composers. There are three versions of "Ave Maria" -- by Verdi, Schubert and Bach-Gounod; Handel's "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" (from "Messiah"); "O Divine Redeemer" by Gounod; "He That Keepeth Israel" by Schloesser and others.

Working with Lenhoff was different in several ways, but a joy, Meyer said. Because a trait of Williams Syndrome is being eager to please, Lenhoff would turn down offers for a break, thinking she would be letting someone down if she paused, Meyer said. But when Meyer said she needed a break, Lenhoff agreed, and they both would return refreshed.

Meyer said she also learned to be less task-oriented with Lenhoff during the recording.

"I found that I needed to be extremely sensitive to encouraging her a lot," she said. "Things started going a lot better when I talked to her about what the music meant to her. Like we all do, she thrived on encouragement. She needed that personal input."

At one point in the recording, Meyer was struck by the essence of what makes Lenhoff's talent so impressive, she said. The work hadn't been going quite as well when she and former OBU student Adam Ray were helping Lenhoff record the last song of the day, "O Divine Redeemer."

"All of a sudden, she was just singing from her heart," Meyer said. "Adam and I looked at each other and had chills. I told her how good she sounded and she said, 'I just love this song. It expresses what's in my heart.'"

Equipment problems prevented the duo from finishing the recording in Shawnee. But with the help of PDM Studios in Oklahoma City, and a recording studio near Lenhoff's Mississippi home, the project was completed. It should be available soon, Meyer said.

Paul Hammond, dean of OBU's College of Fine Arts, said Lenhoff's time in Shawnee had an impact on those who heard her, and the album has the same potential.

"It made people aware of the unique gifts that people like Gloria have," he said. "It's a remarkable gift she has in that area, when otherwise she's limited in how she deals with the world. It's so much a part of her; it's her means of expression.

"It also helped some of our students become more interested in music therapy and see it as a career possibility."

Lenhoff, 48, lives in Senatobia, Miss., in an assisted living center for people with cognitive disabilities. She takes voice lessons and lives near her parents, who guide her singing career.

This summer, she has performed with the San Diego Community Orchestra, taped a performance for Japanese TV and recorded an appearance for "60 Minutes," Meyer said. Previous performances have taken her to opera houses across the world, to the Grand Ole Opry and the Kennedy Center.

Meyer got to know Lenhoff because she has worked at Williams Syndrome music camps and has a niece with the condition. Lenhoff's voice is more than beautiful -- it's her way of reaching people and communicating with them, Meyer said.