Xmas Carols

Christmas with Conniff is Ray Conniff's first holiday record, and it remains one of his very best efforts in that genre. His light, pretty, signature touch is perfectly suited to Christmas music, and he and his singers make such carols and holiday songs as "Frosty the Snowman," "Here Comes Santa Claus," "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and "Silver Bells" irresistible easy listening. Perfect background music for any holiday event.

Stile Antico's 2015 release on Harmonia Mundi, A Wondrous Mystery, is a sublime collection of Renaissance choral music for Christmas, presented in a pleasant mix of familiar German carols and a mass, with tracks interspersed for the sake of variety. This makes sense in consideration of the group's broad audience, which may know such popular hymns as Michael Praetorius' Ein Kind geborn in Bethlehem and Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, or Johannes Eccard's Übers Gebirg Maria geht and Vom Himmel hoch, yet be somewhat at a loss with the motet and Missa Pastores quidnam vidistis by Jacobus Clemens non Papa, a composer beloved by early music specialists but not exactly a household name for lay listeners. However, the a cappella performances are consistently beautiful and soothing throughout, and the quietly joyous mood of the music fits the album's title perfectly. The 12-voice choir's blend is well-balanced and transparent, and the ambience of All Hallow's Church, Gospel Oak, London gives an ideal resonance for the group's small size and close miking.

Building on her well-represented holiday catalog, Christmas with Judy Collins is essentially a reissue of the folk artist's 2000 release All on a Wintry Night, padded with two additional songs. All 14 tracks from Wintry Night are featured here in their original sequence with the addition of a new single, the western-tinged "Angels in the Snow" leading off the album, and a stirring, largely a cappella version of "Amazing Grace" closing it out. Fans of Collins' rich, warm voice will enjoy some of the more stripped-down arrangements, which feature her singing to a simple piano accompaniment on lesser-known carols like "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "Cherry Tree Carol." On the other hand, the dated synthesizer sounds on tracks like "Come Rejoice" and "Good King Wenceslas" sound rather homogenous and the spoken intro over the faux-strings of "Away in a Manger" is far too heavy-handed to take seriously. Fortunately, the bulk of the album's 16 tracks favor the more minimalist arrangements keeping Collins' lovely voice at the forefront without much distraction.

60 festive songs starting with Bing Crosby's best-selling single of all time and including all of the popular music giants of the 50s and 60s. Traditional Christmas carols stand alongside specifically written songs for the holiday season, mostly in an easy listening style, although some rock and roll songs have also been added to top it off.

Classical music superstar Katherine Jenkins OBE presents a magical and unique Christmas musical from the iconic Royal Albert Hall, bringing joy and festive celebrations to audiences around the world this holiday season.

One must give the Moody Blues credit for tenacity and a single-pointed focus. For 37 years they've put forth a startlingly consistent series of themes: optimism, a kind of blind-faith spirituality that the universe is in good hands and that people are by and large decent and kind, and love songs that can be a bit twee, but nonetheless connect when one is in the emotional space to hear them…

Dionne Warwick & the Voices of Christmas is the 30th studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Kind Music and BMG Rights Management on October 18, 2019. Featuring cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, Warwick collaborated with a variety of duet partners on the songs, including Eric Paslay, Aloe Blacc, Michael McDonald, Wanya Morris and duo Chloe x Halle. It debuted and peaked at number 48 on the US Top Holiday Albums.

The Albion Christmas Band evolved from special seasonal shows by the last incarnation of The Albion Band. On a suggestion from Simon Care, a previous Albion band member himself, the band's original founder Ashley 'The Guv'nor' Hutchings brought together two other previous Albion Band members to create an autonomous band to present a guided tour through the Christmas customs of Britain. These popular concerts feature a mixture of seasonal carols, spoken word, humorous readings and dance. But they add a modern twist with some newly written songs. The combined talents of Simon Nicol (Fairport Convention), Kellie While (Albion Band), Simon Care (Edward 11), and 'The Guv'nor' himself, Ashley Hutchings, founder of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band.