New
CDs Offer Sounds of the Season
Reviewed by Laurie Williams Sowby
It wouldn’t
be Christmas without music, and LDS artists contribute their share.
Here’s a sampling of the latest; most are available through LDS
retail outlets.
Christmas Dreams (Covenant) offers lively, fresh arrangements of traditional
tunes featuring pianist Marshall McDonald, who creatively incorporates
other instruments as well. Much of this one has a reverent tone,
as with the piano-cello "Away in a Manger." New songs
include "Christmas This Way," written by McDonald and
his sister Rebecca, and orchestrated music from his film score
for Christmas Oranges. An innovative arrangement combines
"Carol of the Bells" with "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen,"
and "Ring Out, Wild Bells." A pleasant blend of traditional
and new will keep the listener listening — and appreciating the
musical gifts of Marshall McDonald.
Click to Buy
Octapella Christmas is an exceptional album by seven (not eight) exceptionally
talented guys. They put a twist on the traditional with their
own vocal percussion, tight harmonies, and delightful arrangements
of holiday standards. "Once in Royal David’s City" and
"O Holy Night" are given reverent treatment, but their
upbeat pop tunes such as "Mary’s Boy Child," "Sleigh
Ride," and a just plain fun "Joy to the World"
will gain instant admirers. Octapella especially appeals to listeners
who appreciate harmony and rhythm. (They also get the prize for
the most extensive liner photos.)
Click to Buy
Christmas Wish (Tulip Tunes) is Lauri Carrigan’s seasonal offering. She
has a pleasing voice and a mostly jazz style as she sings "Where
Are You, Christmas?" "I’ll Be Home for Christmas"
and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." There’s
a jazzy duet of "Winter Wonderland" with Alex Boye and
her own song, "Make Room for Him." With James Marsden,
she wrote "Christmas Tree, You and Me," a song about
a loved one far from home, and she sings it here. The skimpy liner
notes don’t make it clear whose arrangements are used, but the
words to the two new songs are included.
The Gift (Tydal Wave Records) features Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band
in some different arrangements that follow bluegrass and laid-back
country styles. The title cut’s an original by Shupe, who also
sings lead vocals on the Latin-flavored "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed
Reindeer." Even familiar words like "Far, Far Away"find
themselves in new settings with this band. There’s an unusual
banjo version of "The Christmas Song;" a percussion-laden
"Little Drummer Boy;" and a violin, vocal and percussion
arrangement of "What Child is This?" Bluegrass
devotees will also enjoy the Rubber Band’s all-out "Merry
Christmas Mayhem."
Click to Buy
Mary’s Lullaby (Shadow Mountain) is just what you’d expect
of an album with a sleeping newborn pictured on the cover. Light,
airy women’s voices and a couple of nice tenors gently sing "Christmas
Songs for Bedtime." "Still, Still, Still" is sung
in German by Amy Gileadi. Mikel Azpiroz on piano makes "O
Little Town of Bethlehem" sound like a music box. Others
singing traditional carols include Becky Williams, Marcus Bentley,
Sarah Sample, Mindy Gledhill, Paul Jackson, Cherie Call, Ryan
Tanner, and Debra Fotheringham. This is perfect background music
for the youngest listeners.
Click to Buy
The Joy of Christmas (Covenant) is reflected in David Glen Hatch’s piano artistry
with the likes of "Carol of the Bells," a full-bodied,
orchestral "I Saw Three Ships," and an exuberant, jazzed-up
"Fum, Fum, Fum." He offers an ethereal "We three
Kings" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and his own
excellent adaptation of Liszt’s "Good Christian Men, Rejoice."
But there are a few miscues in this album, too, notably an off-key
toy piano on "Silent Night" and the use of singers whose
presence (although they're not bad) doesn't fit with the
piano album.
LDS Christmas Collection (Reach Productions) — This eclectic CD is really a
sampler of 20 individual holiday albums, and it’s a good way to
decide which artists’ CDs you want to own. Among the nicest selections
are Kurt Bestor’s classic "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,"
Nancy Hanson’s country-style "All Wrapped Up," Cherie
Call’s "The First Noel," and Donny Osmond’s "Mary,
Did You Know?" Enoch Train offers a very non-traditional
rendition of "Ding Dong Merrily on High" with folk instruments
and a children’s choir, and Jon Schmidt entertains with his take
on "Sussex Carol." Also featured here are pianist David
Tolk; a cappella groups Eclipse, Voice Male and Octapella; Ryan
Shupe and the Rubber Band; vocalists Alex Boye, James Conlee,
Brett Raymond, Peter Breinholt, and Jessie Clark Funk; guitarists
Greg Simpson and Michael Dowdle; and pianists Paul Cardall and
Matt Bachrach. Have a listen, then decide.
