• Debbie Fortnum: The Christmas Piano

This very talented Chilliwack singer-songwriter showcases another of her skills. Fortnum’s style could be described as ornate, but not excessively so. It’s a very pleasant listen – by turns  both celebratory and contemplative renditions of Christmas favourites. The most effective pieces are the unaccompanied ones. There are several augmented by synthesizer; while that isn’t my cup of tea, it is done tastefully, without overwhelming the piano. Fortnum seems to have an intuitive understanding of a good melody; the playing here is not merely pretty. It features a bonus vocal track: ‘The Music of Emmanuel.’

farawayworship.com

• Terry Butler & Smitty Price: Yuletide Blend, Ion

Surrey-based indie label Ion Worship plays Santa. From the opening jingle bells to the final ‘Silent Night,’ this is an appealing collection of Christmas ‘hits.’ ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ features some funky saxophone; ‘We Three Kings’ has some nice Middle Eastern touches. Highlights include Annie Herring’s vocal on ‘What Child is This?’; and Marc Wymore on ‘Glory to God.’ My favourite cut is ‘Mary’s Song of Joy,’ with Nicole Kamae doing a superb rendition of The Magnificat.          ionworship.org

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• Cariboo Hill Temple Band: Carols for the City, Vol. 2

While all-brass renditions of traditional tunes will not appeal to everyone, this group demonstrates more than just skill; it is a Salvation Army band, after all. The arrangements are imaginative, and the playing vigorous. The emphasis is on upbeat tunes, but some actually come across as meditative – which ain’t easy to do with brass! Good work by this Burnaby ensemble.       SalvationArmy.ca

­– DFD

Christmas violin

Violinist Calvin Dyck (left) has released several recordings to benefit Communitas Supportive Care’s work helping people with disabilities; he is also director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. As a soloist, he will be appearing in two presentations this month. A World Christmas, featuring carols from 18 countries, will take place December 7 – 9 at South Abbotsford MB Church; and Dyck will perform December 21 – 22 with the Vancouver Island Symphony, at The Port Theatre in Nanaimo.

Contact: calvindyck.com.

December 2007