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WoW Christmas
Various Artists (Warner)
New–to–Traditional %: 04/96

This two-disc collection has been in development for a few years now. Despite what it says on the packaging, the project actually features 31 holiday favorites performed by your favorite Christian artists. Unlike WoW Hits and WoW Worship, there's no measurable way to determine the "best Christmas songs." Instead, this is simply a subjective collection of the best Christmas performances over the last ten years, the oldest probably being Kathy Mattea's rendition of "Mary, Did You Know?" The producers smartly included such requisite classics as Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven" and 4Him's "A Strange Way to Save the World." The other previously released tracks are a grab bag of goodies by artists you expect to be on this project (i.e. anyone who's ever released a Christmas album) – you just don't know which songs will be chosen. For example, I half expected to see Michael W. Smith's "Gloria" included, but the producers instead chose his rendition of "Emmanuel" from Christmastime, which admittedly has had a larger impact. They also chose such gems as Point of Grace's wonderfully gentle "O Holy Night," Kirk Franklin's pretty "The Night that Christ Was Born," Avalon's jazzy "Winter Wonderland," and Rebecca St. James' excellent modern cover of "Sweet Little Jesus Boy." I'm impressed with the inclusion of Jennifer Knapp's "Sing Mary Sing" from her The Way I Am project. If this diverse collection of old favorites isn't enough to entice you, the inclusion of several rarities and new tracks specially recorded for this project will for sure. You'll find new tracks from current holiday releases by Plus One, Nicole C. Mullen, and Toby Mac. Additionally, there's a stirring duet between Mark Schultz and Nichole Nordeman on "Silent Night," a slick pop/rock version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Third Day, a warm and simple cover of "What Child Is This?" by Mercy Me, a rocking rendition of "Little Drummer Boy" by Audio Adrenaline, and a beautiful jazz club rendition of Charlie Brown's "Christmas Time Is Here" by Sixpence None the Richer, just to name a few. It's doubtful you'll like every one of the 31 tracks presented on WoW Christmas, but you're certain to enjoy a number of them. This collection is so good, they easily could release a second installment next year with several exclusions from this project (Chris Rice and Relient K for example), as well as different arrangements of the same songs presented here … and it'd probably be just as enjoyable.

City on a Hill: It's Christmas Time
Various Artists (Essential)
New–to–Traditional %: 38/62

After forging two of the greatest worship albums of all time, producer Steve Hindalong (The Choir) carries his City on a Hill series into the Christmas season. Fellow Choir boy Derri Daugherty replaces co-producer Marc Byrd for It's Christmas Time, though he's always been present in the City on a Hill series to varying capacities. This particular City on a Hill boasts a larger roster of artists than either of its predecessors and features most of the artists who have appeared on the previous projects. The artists generally perform in a style true to their sound, and Steve keeps it all consistent with the modern acoustic style of the series. The album opens with church bells ringing the hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." Terry Scott Taylor gives a modern folk performance reminiscent of his time with Lost Dogs on "Holy Emmanuel," Sixpence None the Richer sounds typically heavenly with their straightforward cover of "Silent Night," and Caedmon's Call performs "Babe in the Straw" almost as well as Leigh Nash did on the One Silent Night album. Sara Groves takes the role of Mary singing to her newborn baby in "Child of Love," which contrasts the frailty of the infant Jesus with his destiny as Savior of mankind. Jars of Clay handles a similar theme with much poetry and thoughtfulness in their self-penned "Bethlehem Town." Third Day's Mac Powell suggested the band record Julie Miller's hymn-like "Manger Throne," written ten years ago; she and Derri join Third Day in performing the song, which segues into a horn accompanied arrangement of "Away in a Manger." The album is rounded out by a semi-acoustic R&B rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Out of Eden, a stirring performance of "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Paul Colman, and a fine duet by Michael Tait and Leigh Nash of "O Holy Night." There are small signs City on a Hill is becoming a little formulaic, which makes the album's pace and sound a little predictable – which isn't necessarily a bad thing. With its abstract telling of the Christmas story according to Luke chapter 2, this is certainly the most intriguing of the year's new Christmas music offerings.

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