Reviews

REVIEWS

Christmas, by Jaci Velasquez. Word Records, CD £13.99.
Jesus - Christmas Worship Down Under, Hillsong Music Australia (Word), CD £13.99.
Christmas - Just Remember, by Fred Hammond. Verity Records (Word), CD £14.99.
Light Of The World, by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, M2 Communications (Word), CD £13.99.

I would guess that few readers have much of an appetite for the sugary diet of carols, songs and Christmas hits which we hear piped through high street stores and shopping malls from October onwards every year. But when Christmas does finally arrive, it’s nice to listen to something from Christian artists that’s more in keeping with the celebration of Christ’s birth.

I had high hopes of Christmas by Jaci Velasquez, but sadly the CCM starlet appears to have swallowed the Tinseltown approach to the festive season hook, line and sinker.
Just three versions of traditional carols (O Come, O Come Emmanuel, The First Noel and O Little Town) and a couple of new overtly-spiritual Christmas songs (Season Of Love and Chris Eaton’s The Angel Song), but bucketloads of sentimental seasonal schmaltz – White Christmas, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Let It Snow, Chestnuts Roasting and even a duet with Alvin & the Chipmunks. Isn’t Jaci young enough to know better?

The Hillsongs team, based in Sydney, Australia, have a worldwide reputation for fresh and vibrant worship, but I’m not convinced that they’ve quite adopted the right approach for their first Christmas album. A live recording, even if it needed to be made in April, might have had rather more spirit than this studio production.

Silent Night and O Come All Ye Faithful seem a little too slick and polished, and the soulful gospel grooves for Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Away In A Manger don’t quite come off – too much reliance on programmed backing perhaps. They make much better work of their own material – Jesus, What A Beautiful Name from Tanya Riches, Darlene Zschech’s Hallelujah and Glory To God, the rousing finale by Reuben Morgan. Surely that is where Hillsongs’ real strength lies.

For a real gospel-flavoured Christmas celebration, go to the experts. Fred Hammond has long been a leading light in the urban gospel genre, so no surprises for what you’ll find on Christmas – Just Remember. He’s backed throughout by the Radical for Christ choir, nearly all the songs fall outside the usual Christmas selections, and even their makeover of Go Tell It On The Mountain bears little resemblance to the traditional version.

Like the title cut, opener His Name Is Jesus has a strong emphasis on reminding listeners of just what we’re celebrating, A Strange Way To Save The World reflects on Jesus’ birth from Joseph’s perspective, Suddenly offers a message of hope, and I defy anyone not to tap their feet when finale He Is The Reason comes along.

Grammy Award winners the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir approach the festivities with characteristic fervour on Light Of The World. A lavish production this may be, with expansive choral arrangements and orchestration, but putting across the Christmas message through the songs remains the paramount consideration. And whilst some secular seasonal favourites are referenced, sentimentality never completely takes over.

A Christmas Carol Medley provides a

chance for singing along, and the Worship Medley prompts listeners to make their own response to Christ’s incarnation. The lilting Peace On Earth is a real joy to listen to, the title track builds from a gentle solo piece to a huge choral number, and quoting Isaiah’s prophecy Glory To God does much the same – its jubilant chorus perhaps gives a taste of the angelic host heard by the shepherds.

Given the choice, I’d plump for one of the gospel albums.

Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities with the charity InterAct

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		REVIEWS Christmas, by Jaci Velasquez. Word Records, CD £13.99. Jesus - Christmas Worship Down Under, Hillsong Music Australia (Word), CD £13.99. Christmas - Just Remember, by Fred Hammond. Verity Records (Word), CD £14.99. Light Of The World, by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, M2 Communications (Word), CD £13.99. I would guess that few readers have much of an appetite for the sugary diet of carols, songs and Christmas hits which we hear piped through high street stores and shopping malls from October onwards every year. But when Christmas does finally arrive, it’s nice to listen to something from Christian artists that’s more in keeping with the celebration of Christ’s birth. I had high hopes of Christmas by Jaci Velasquez, but sadly the CCM starlet appears to have swallowed the Tinseltown approach to the festive season hook, line and sinker. Just three versions of traditional carols (O Come, O Come Emmanuel, The First Noel and O Little Town) and a couple of new overtly-spiritual Christmas songs (Season Of Love and Chris Eaton’s The Angel Song), but bucketloads of sentimental seasonal schmaltz – White Christmas, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Let It Snow, Chestnuts Roasting and even a duet with Alvin & the Chipmunks. Isn’t Jaci young enough to know better? The Hillsongs team, based in Sydney, Australia, have a worldwide reputation for fresh and vibrant worship, but I’m not convinced that they’ve quite adopted the right approach for their first Christmas album. A live recording, even if it needed to be made in April, might have had rather more spirit than this studio production. Silent Night and O Come All Ye Faithful seem a little too slick and polished, and the soulful gospel grooves for Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Away In A Manger don’t quite come off – too much reliance on programmed backing perhaps. They make much better work of their own material – Jesus, What A Beautiful Name from Tanya Riches, Darlene Zschech’s Hallelujah and Glory To God, the rousing finale by Reuben Morgan. Surely that is where Hillsongs’ real strength lies. For a real gospel-flavoured Christmas celebration, go to the experts. Fred Hammond has long been a leading light in the urban gospel genre, so no surprises for what you’ll find on Christmas – Just Remember. He’s backed throughout by the Radical for Christ choir, nearly all the songs fall outside the usual Christmas selections, and even their makeover of Go Tell It On The Mountain bears little resemblance to the traditional version. Like the title cut, opener His Name Is Jesus has a strong emphasis on reminding listeners of just what we’re celebrating, A Strange Way To Save The World reflects on Jesus’ birth from Joseph’s perspective, Suddenly offers a message of hope, and I defy anyone not to tap their feet when finale He Is The Reason comes along. Grammy Award winners the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir approach the festivities with characteristic fervour on Light Of The World. A lavish production this may be, with expansive choral arrangements and orchestration, but putting across the Christmas message through the songs remains the paramount consideration. And whilst some secular seasonal favourites are referenced, sentimentality never completely takes over. A Christmas Carol Medley provides a chance for singing along, and the Worship Medley prompts listeners to make their own response to Christ’s incarnation. The lilting Peace On Earth is a real joy to listen to, the title track builds from a gentle solo piece to a huge choral number, and quoting Isaiah’s prophecy Glory To God does much the same – its jubilant chorus perhaps gives a taste of the angelic host heard by the shepherds. Given the choice, I’d plump for one of the gospel albums. Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities with the charity InterAct © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.