Salvation Army - Celebrating Christmas With The Salvation Army 2010
STYLE: Brass Band RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 105836-17680 LABEL: Salvationist Publishing & Supp SPS275 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £9.99
Reviewed by Tom Lennie
The Salvation Army's annual celebration of Christmas each November at London's prestigious Albert Hall, is, for many Salvationists, when the festive season truly begins. With a dual focus on the family of Jesus and 125 years of The Salvation Army's Family Training Service, the resulting recording from the event is essentially a highly traditional affair - just as many Salvationists would want it, I guess. So we get an albeit very adept brass band playing instrumentals like "The Carollers" (just like you hear them in the local town square the Saturday before Christmas though played with more professionalism by the International Staff Band); congregational carols like "Away In A Manger" and "O little Town Of Bethlehem", several Bible readings by famous actors (Hannah Gordon, Annette Crosbie and two leading stars from Upstairs Downstairs) - just like you hear on the Songs Of Praise Christmas Special - and a few vocal solos, as with Kerry Sampson on "All Is Well" and Alex Ward on "Mary Did You Know?". It's all very nice and Christmassy, if you like that sort of thing, but I'm not sure it differs in any way from last year's Christmas CD.
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Product Description
Live from the Royal Albert Hall, presented by Robin Cousins, featuring readings from Jenny Agutter, Nathaniel Parker and June Whitfield and carols and seasonal music from The International Staff Band, The International Staff Songsters, Youth Choir, Philip Cobb, Kerry Sampson and Nicholas Lester.