Reviewed by Tom Lennie

WOW's first Gospel Christmas collection (the first of many?), here are 30 seasonal songs from as many artists - covering the entire breadth of American gospel music. All the big gospel names feature here, CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Israel & New Breed, etc, etc. Loads of seasonal classics are also included; "O Holy Night", "Joy To The World", "The First Noel" and even "Away In A Manger". But so too are numerous new and original Christmas songs. And virtually all these songs tend to be Christ-focused (admittedly some are Christ-child focused) so thankfully there's no "Rudolph The Red-Nosed" or the equivalent in earshot. What's interesting is the sometimes adventurous interpretations that the musicians give to traditional classics - giving new arrangements to old songs. An unusual feature in the middle of this set is Dijon's take on Tomlin's "How Great Is Our God" though we must question the song's Yuletide credentials. Interesting, too, that very few tunes are given the full-throttle, high-energy delivery associated with black church. Nearly all flow in mid-paced subdued style.
Seven Squares
Tom Lennie

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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