Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

From the outset the tone of this CD is meditative and conjures up an image of late-night introspection around an open fire. There is a wonderful breathing space in Kevin's playing, with none of the over-complication that so often characterises Christmas music, neither the excess of "virtuoso" playing that can sometimes dominate guitarists' music. The arrangements are musically creative and the recording quality is excellent - you can almost imagine Kevin is right there sitting between your speakers as the notes hang like droplets in the stillness. There is a curious shift in the stereo field about two thirds of the way through "Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming" which I'm not sure should be there and "Auld Lang Syne" seems a little out of place to my mind. But other than that there are no weak points at all here. "Away In A Manger" seamlessly combines two of the traditional tunes, the arrangement of "Good King Wenceslas" is beautifully interesting, "What Child Is This?" is Greensleeves with a delicate dash of Spanish flair. Unless you really dislike the acoustic guitar I would thoroughly recommend this CD as a reflective reminder of the Christmas story.