Christmas CDs blend old and new

THIS GIFTED Chilliwack singer presents a very personal take on the season - featuring some excellent original compositions and well-chosen standards. Highlights include 'Lead On,' a song about the Magi, with a superb violin solo; and 'I've Come to See the Messiah,' featuring lovely female harmony. My favourite cut is 'Gift of Life' ­ a very touching piece which effectively combines both quiet and stormy passages. The album officially finishes with a refreshing take on one of the church's greatest hits (500 years on the charts!), 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel.' At album's end, hang on awhile for the 'ghost track' ­ which cleverly combines disjointed portions of seasonal standards into a surreal mish-mash. Berg's singing is earnest and confident throughout; and there are excellent contributions from Carolyn Arends, Chris Janz and Spencer Capier. Contact: SeaLionRob.com - David F. Dawes

My mother used to tell me how great Mario Lanza was, how much she enjoyed listening to him when she was younger. Despite her commendations, however, I was never motivated to seek him out. Now that I hear his Christmas album, recorded from 1950 to 1952, I can understand his appeal. He has a grand tenor voice, but also the ability to handle popular songs of all types with enthusiasm; his Latin good looks were clearly an asset, too. Of the 22 songs on the CD, the majority are well known Christmas carols. But a powerful version of 'The Lord's Prayer' comes near the beginning, while some Broadway musical numbers ('Without a Song,' 'Through the Years' and even 'You'll Never Walk Alone') appear toward the end. The album is a good introduction to Lanza, and would also make an ideal gift for anyone who remembers him in his heyday. - Flyn Ritchie

Although Arends has been writing a new Christmas song for her church every year for nearly a decade, she has only now released her first Yuletide CD. This is my favourite new Christmas album, with lush vocal arrangements and a variety of both original and traditional songs. Well-produced renditions of favourites like 'Angels We Have Heard on High,' 'Come Thou Long Expected Jesus' and my personal favourite, 'Go Tell It on the Mountain,' balance out nine original songs. With stellar production by Roy Salmond, Pat Glover and husband Marc Arends, Arends' songs have a depth beyond the well-penned lyrics. Highlights include 'Is Bethleham Too Far Away?' 'My First Christmas' and 'Do Not Be Afraid.' CarolynArends.com - Kevin Pollard

Christmas music obviously suits Quartette; I See a Star is their second seasonal recording. Sylvia Tyson, Caitlin Hanford, Cindy Church and Gwen Swick constitute something of a 'super-group,' at least within the bounds of folk/country music in Canada. Their appealing vocal harmonies work well on the four traditional carols and 10 original songs. Several of the new songs ('I See a Star,' 'Message from Mary' and 'Three Wise Men') deal with the biblical story, while the others relate to the pleasures of the season. The recording tastefully blends traditional works (sung reverently) with newer works (sung with joy). 'All Through the Night' is worth the cost of the album alone, while 'I See a Star' (written by Church with the talented Susan Crowe) deserves to become part of the popular Christmas repertoire. FR

This CD tastefully combines tributes to both Christmas and Hanukkah, from a Messianic Jewish perspective - which is no mean feat. Goetz' vocals verge on overly sentimental at times, and some of the orchestral arrangements are a bit too lush; but the overall effect of the CD is quite touching, and edifying. In addition to some seasonal favourites, there are fine originals such as 'Shepherd's Song.' 'Little Lamb' is a sweet take on one of William Blake's loveliest 'songs of innocence'; 'Christmas Star' has an affecting vocal by Goetz' daughter, Misha; and 'Arise, Shine!' is quite uplifting. On 'Prince of Peace,' Goetz movingly portrays his orthodox Jewish grandfather's study of the Torah, using this as a springboard to present the singer's messianic interpretations of the same scriptures. The highlight is 'Maoz Tzur / Hark the Herald Angels Sing' - beautifully blending a traditional Hanukkah song with the beloved carol. GalileeOfTheNations.com - DFD

This is a unique one. It starts with native chanting and moves on to feature drums and other aboriginal-sounding instrumentation behind some very easy-listening instrumental versions of favourite Christmas carols. The front cover, which features the Three Wise Men dressed as native warriors on horseback, is very much oriented to the market for native music - which has become quite substantial. The songs are renamed as well: 'Star Dancers' ('The First Noel'), 'Ancient Whisper' ('Silent Night') and so on. Much of the music is instrumental, though native American singing appears from time to time. This one grew on me. It struck me initially as aboriginal elevator music; but in the end, I felt it conveyed a real sense of native spirituality informed by the story of Jesus' birth. FR

If you've enjoyed the acoustic folk/pop sound of Hill's early 1990s music, or her more recent worship style, you may want to have a listen to her debut Christmas album Real Christmas, on which she offers up her deep alto voice to familiar favourites like 'Angels We Have Heard on High,' 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel' and 'Silent Night.' One of the highlights is her new duet reunion with Phil Keaggy on 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,' originally recorded on the multi-artist Our Christmas project released in 1991. If you are looking for a folk/country album of traditional carols, these organic arrangements by Kim Hill are the perfect gift. KimHillMusic.com - KP

This CD could have been called simply Christmas Classics; but it's put out by a Catholic label for, one presumes, a primarily Catholic audience. At any rate, the 22 carols are, almost without exception, favourites right across the church and beyond. The Cathedral Singers, based in the Chicago area and conducted by Richard Proulx, do a very good job with a wide range of material from the African American spiritual 'Go Tell it on the Mountain' to a variety of European carols. To the extent that there is a Catholic flavour, it is due to several songs with a particular focus on Mary. One Hispanic-American folk song from New Mexico, 'A la Ru,' includes these lines: "Oh, sleep now, holy baby, with your head against my breast / Meanwhile the pain of sorrow is soothed and put to rest." 'The Virgin's Slumber Song' and 'Sleep, Holy Babe' from Germany, and 'Gabriel's Message' from the Basque region of Spain, have similar themes. FR

The 'Absolute' multi-artist series ­ which features a second tier of artists that did not quite make the 'WOW' series cut ­ has now released an album of 25 holiday favourites. What makes this release worth your dollar is the balance of classic songs ­ like 'O Holy Night' (Barlow Girl), 'What Child is This?' (Tree63), 'Oh Little Town of Bethlehem' (Out of Eden), 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' (Kim Hill) ­ alongside 11 original songs, including 'Christ is Come' (Big Daddy Weave) and 'Sing Mary Sing' (Jennifer Knapp). The eclectic group of artists makes the album unevenly paced at times; but high marks are deserved for not just throwing together an album of familiar covers and previously released material. AbsoluteFavoriteMusic.com - KP

Vestal Goodman's voice is something of an acquired taste; her voice strikes me as a sort of sanctified Ethel Merman sound - but I like it. She and her husband Howard were part of the Happy Goodwins, stalwarts of the Southern Gospel scene who played everywhere from tent revival meetings to large concerts, and were key figures in Gaither Homecoming videos. Despite her beehive hairdo, she attained a kind of hipness in the last few years. When Howard died late in 2002, Vestal said: "You don't retire from a calling." She carried on until her own death late last year. The Gift of Love was her final recording, and celebrates the sentimental side of Christmas, along with its spiritual core. She writes that all her Christmas memories are special, "yet the greatest gift was given that Holy night in a manger when God sent the greatest gift of all to the world: Jesus." The CD includes traditional carols and holiday favourites. - FR

They're old, they've been around forever and they specialize in a traditional musical form. But The Blind Boys of Alabama are definitely not stuck in a rut. They started performing on the gospel circuit while at the Talladega Institute for the Blind back in the 1930s and are still going strong, always innovating. In the late 1980s, they even performed a Greek tragedy on Broadway. In this Christmas recording the Blind Boys share 11 carols with an impressive variety of artists, some rather unexpected. Tom Waits joins them on 'Go Tell it on the Mountain,' while Chrissie Hynde and Richard Thompson turn up on 'In the Bleak Midwinter,' for example. They choose their partners well, and end the album alone on 'Silent Night.' This is beautiful music, original yet faithful to the traditions of carol singing. - FR