I first became aware of Kristin Chenoweth several years ago, probably
via a performance in the Macy’s Day Parade or some similar vehicle, but
it wasn’t until she landed a co-starring role as Olive, the flashy but
sweet waitress who secretly pines for her pie-making boss in Pushing Daisies,
that I really became a fan. The Emmy she received for her work on the
sadly short-lived series was well-deserved. I especially loved the
moments when the show afforded her an opportunity to show off her
sensational singing voice.
Naturally, when I noticed that she
had put out a Christmas album, I queued it up at the library. While I
expected outstanding vocals on her part, I wasn’t sure what else I’d be
getting. I was pleased to find an album of real substance, with a solid
mix of the secular and sacred, the familiar and the little-known and an
interesting mix of instruments. This album has given me several songs to
keep a lookout for, along with an especially exquisite version of a
longtime favorite.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas - Kristin does a good job of conveying the underlying yearning in this sax-driven number. A nice way to start the album.
Christmas Island
- Her dramatic voice is ideally suited to this chipper reflection on
the imagined loveliness of a Hawaiian Christmas. A chorus that flits in
and out with “Mele Kalikimaka” helps set the mood.
The Christmas Waltz - A dreamy little number that really shows off Kristin’s pipes, in a nice understated sort of way.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
- This is my second-favorite traditional Christmas song, so I was
especially interested to hear Kristin’s take on it, and she sings it
beautifully, harmonizing gorgeously with herself to delicate
accompaniment that tinkles like gently falling snowflakes. An aside of Angels We Have Heard on High before the final verse accentuates the majesty of the moment nicely.
Sleigh Ride / Marshmallow World
- This rather campy medley of 40s throwbacks is the only duet on the
album, and she and John Pizzarelli sing together well and also engage in
a bit of amusing banter.
Sing - Kristin is joined by several children for this Sesame Street
classic. This wasn’t originally a Christmas song, but it’s appropriate
considering all of the joyful feelings that come from singing Christmas
carols, an activity that everyone ought to be free to enjoy equally
whatever their talent level. Besides, this version does include some
Christmas-specific lyrics. “Sing a Song / Make it last the whole year
long / Sing of joy for mankind / Sing for peace for all time.”
Silver Bells
- Kristin sings the often-overlooked intro, which is nice, though it’s
when she gets to the more familiar portion that the song really takes
off, with some nice, slightly honky-tonk piano and guitar helping her
along.
Come On Ring Those Bells - A nice follow-up to Silver Bells,
this lesser-known song incorporates bells throughout in a very
country-flavored tune. A lovely a cappella portion precedes an ode to
down-home family goodness and the true meaning of Christmas. I’d never
heard this song before, and it’s a definite keeper. “Come on, ring those
bells / Light the Christmas tree / Jesus is the king / Born for you and
me. / Come on, ring those bells / Everybody say, / ‘Jesus, we remember /
It’s your birthday.’”
What Child Is This? - Bagpipes
and harps lend a Celtic flavor to this haunting tune, which Kristin
sings beautifully. Its lullaby-ness is accentuated during the portion in
which she softly hums the tune.
Home on Christmas Day -
This wistful piano-driven reflection is an unfamiliar song about the
desire for family to be together on Christmas. It reminds me of
Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories
with its theme of wishing for a loved one to be home for Christmas and
its emphasis on angels. “Angels calling from up high / Will bring a
starry sky / To light the frosted ground below / So you will know your
way.”
Born on Christmas Day - With a title just one
word removed from the track before it, I’d never heard this song either,
though it seems to have been covered by several prominent singers.
Another piano-driven song, it focuses on the Nativity, and Kristin puts a
lot of heart into her rendition, really letting loose toward the end.
“This is the story, / The power and the glory. / Three wise men knelt to
pray, / a guiding star had led the way. / There He lay, born on
Christmas Day.”
Sleep Well Little Children / What a Wonderful World
- The accompaniment on this medley ranges from gentle music-box
instrumentals and Celtic pipes to rolling piano and melancholy strings.
Kristin’s tender vocals pull the whole thing together into a lovely
lullaby. “Sleep well, little children, / Pleasant dreams through the
night. / Tomorrow is Christmas, / All merry and bright…”
For
the most part, the first half of the album deals with traditional but
not religious aspects of the holiday, while the second half reflects on
Jesus in various ways. If Do You Hear What I Hear? had been
shifted down a few tracks it would be an almost perfect division. But
hearing that one fairly early on showed me where this album was heading,
demonstrating the heights of loveliness Kristin is capable of. That is
certainly my favorite of the familiar tracks, while the rollicking but
reverent Come On Ring Those Bells edges out the other two new-to-me songs. Given her frequent appearances on A Prairie Home Companion,
I shouldn’t be surprised that she has a taste for folksy, faith-driven
tunes of this sort, but it caught me off-guard anyway. I feel like I’ve
gotten deeper insights into her personality, and I like what I see. And
most especially, I like what I hear. A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas indeed.
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