Music

LOOK UP ‘tasteful’ in the dictionary and you’d likely find a picture of Spencer Capier ’s fiddle. This Vancouver musician – who seems to pop up on just about every local independent CD – is a class act.

Christmas Instrumentals  offers his own distinctive versions  of seasonal works. His often unusual instrumentation – featuring Capier on violin, Irish bouzouki, lap steel, mandolin and guitar – brings a fresh feel to familiar pieces such as ‘In Dulci Jubilo,’ ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’ and ‘In the Bleak Midwinter.’

There are also some obscure ditties, such as ‘At the Hour of Midnight,’ a lovely Puerto Rican tune; and a Shaker hymn titled ‘Not One Sparrow is Forgotten.’

The latter is given a poignant, haunting feel which could give ‘Ashokan Farewell’ a run for its money. Other highlights include a countrified ‘Here We Come a Wassailing’; a jazzy ‘Auld Lang Syne’; a downright jaunty ‘We Three Kings’; and Mozart’s big hit, ‘Ave Verum Corpus.’

Most people in the Western world probably recall Susan Boyle ’s triumphant conquest of YouTube via her splendid rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream.’ What some may not realize is that she is also a devout Christian. This is reinforced by her second CD, The Gift .

She offers mostly seasonal classics, with a few off-kilter selections which add some thought-provoking elements to the overall message.

Notable among these is Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ – perhaps an odd choice, but Boyle’s rendition effectively evokes the overcoming of loneliness.

Other highlights include ‘Make Me a Channel of Your Peace’; and ‘The First Noel,’ which is given a restrained, contemplative reading. A fine offering from a great voice.

The Priests are back, with a timely Noel. The tuneful trio’s latest begins with a suitably exuberant ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High,’ and then runs through a rather standard repertoire of classics. While the selections are overly familiar at times, their impeccable harmonies keep things enjoyable.

The highlight is an inventive arrangement combining ‘Little Drummer Boy’ with ‘Peace on Earth’ – based on the duet version made famous by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. They also choose to reprise this number at the end, with a solo by that ol’ Pogues reprobate Shane MacGowan; it comes off a bit like Tom Waits guesting on a Three Tenors recording, but it’s a lot of fun.

Here’s something a little different. Ontario-based country musician Tara Lyn Hart wants to do something special for her hubby, and would appreciate our help. The Juno-nominated singer is releasing an as-yet-untitled Christmas EP  to raise funds for Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary – where her husband Perry is pursuing his Masters of Divinity.

Selections include ‘Perfect Holiday,’ ‘I Will Praise You,’ ‘The Very First Christmas Gift,’  ‘Winter Wonderland’ and the touching ‘Christmas Alleluia.’ On ‘What Child is This?’ she is accompanied by her eight year old son Ashton.

If you are looking for an album to cozy up to a warm fire with someone you love, you will want to pick up the laid back and jazzy Very Merry Christmas from soulful newcomer Dave Barnes . The only covers found here are favourites like ‘The Christmas Song,’ ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas,’ Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’ and Harry Connick’s ‘I Pray on Christmas.’

Barnes shows his songwriting skills on the rest, including the touching ‘Family Tree,’ the acoustic ‘Mary & Joseph’ and the playful duet on ‘Christmas Tonight’ with guest vocalist Hillary Scott – which will remind many of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside.’

Don’t let the poor CD cover graphics fool you. The Grammy winning vocal group Take 6 have delivered the goods on their third Christmas album, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Hard to believe that it’s been 11 years since their last effort.

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But it’s worth the wait, as their vocal talents are still spellbinding on a cappella arrangements of classics like ‘White Christmas,’ ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ and ‘Sleigh Ride.’ But their fun take on the ‘Grinch’ song, and an astonishing wordless version of ‘Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy’ are the highlights of this set.

Christian  pop/country duo 33 Miles are back, with their first Christmas album. Believe  has that perfect balance of classics like ‘O Holy Night,’ ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Away in a Manger,’ with newly penned songs like ‘Finally Christmas,’ ‘I Could Not Come to You’ and ‘I Believe Christmas.’ Those who have enjoyed the radio-friendly pop of vocal groups like Avalon and 4Him will definitely want to take a listen to 33 Miles.

Arguably one of Christian music’s most amazing voices, Crystal Lewis offers up her first CD in more than four years. Her second Christmas album, Home for the Holidays  is a heartwarming collection of holiday classics. Although it’s disappointing not to hear any new songs here, she presents a few surprises – such as her easy listening jazz arrangements of favourites like ‘We Three Kings,’ ‘Mary Did You Know’ and ‘O Come All Ye Faithful.’

Books

This one looks promising. “The 80-mile journey of a common carpenter and a simple peasant girl is one of the most powerful stories in history,” according to the publisher’s description for Donna VanLiere ’s The Christmas Journey  (St. Martin’s Press, 2010).

The blurb goes on to say: “As books go out of print and stories fade from memory, the journey of Joseph and Mary and her delivery inside a common barn continues to bless and inspire hope in people around the world.”

This retelling of The Story is accompanied by almost 30 watercolors by Michael Storrings. VanLiere is the author of New York Times bestsellers The Christmas Hope and Angels of Morgan Hill .

A more scholarly approach to the season is offered by Donald Heinz in Christmas: Festival of Incarnation (Fortress Press, 2010).

The author “unearths the social practices and broader cultural history of Christmas, even as he traces the original and evolving incarnational theology that occasionally still shines through in our celebrations.”

The book, presented as a “pilgrimage through lived religion,” encompasses everything from early Christian concepts to  the ‘Santa Claus culture’ of contemporary society, exploring art, literature, music and folklore along the way.

Heinz “asks whether retrieving Christmas can enable deeper appreciation of the reality of incarnation.”

It’s amazing what you can find online sometimes. A Classic Christmas  (HarperCollins, 2009) is described by its worldly publisher as “an invitation for you to celebrate the good news that a baby is born, that a saviour has come to the world.” There’s hope for the secular realm, it seems!

This illustrated collection features writings from a remarkable range of sources, including: Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Andersen, C.S. Lewis, Pope John Paul II, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mark Twain, Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Billy Graham and Frederick Buechner. The publisher promises “cherished traditions and folklore – all woven together with sacred text from God’s Word.”

From Richard Paul Evans, bestselling author of The Christmas Box and The Christmas List, comes Promise Me  (Simon & Schuster, 2010). It is touted by the publisher as a story of “the transcendent power of love.”

It tells the story of a troubled woman who meets a mysterious man with an extraordinary secret. Booklist describes the book as a “magical . . . inventive, heartwarming tale,” adding: “The unexpected twist propels the novel forward, making the book impossible to put down.”

– David Dawes & Kevin Pollard

December 2010