A Christmas Cornucopia [CD]

I love all kinds of Christmas music and from the beginning of December, I listen to Christmas albums all the time. Apart from the classic ones, I try to get at least one slightly different each year. Naturally as soon as I heard that Annie Lennox was doing a Christmas album I immediately ordered it. This emotional Christmas album with the unique voice of Annie Lenox, and a significant African influence, did not disappoint me at all.

Focusing on children and the hope a new birth brings, with the heart breaking beautiful traditional "Coventry Carol" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem", this album is the very meaning of Christmas. Apart from the well known Christmas songs, the album includes Lenox's new song "Universal Child" inspired by her work in Africa and the suffering of children that she witnessed.

Lenox performs in her own way, classic Christmas songs like "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen", "The First Noel", "The Holly and the Ivy", and "Silent Night". However what I loved most about this album is that it includes less known Christmas songs, and it was such a lovely surprise to get them in this collection. Songs like the traditional French "Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant", and the very old and beautiful "See, Amid The Winter's Snow" are songs we don't come across often and it was great to have in this album.

In addition to all those rare songs, the album includes one of the most beautiful songs; the somewhat sad and loving, "In the Bleak Midwinter", written as a poem by Christina Rosseti. Somehow, I had never heard this song before and learning about it, was my first Christmas present this year.

Have a Very Happy Christmas!!!

This album has truly captured the essence of what this time of year is all about and Annie has done it in style. The production, the vocals,the choirs and the choice of songs has gone far beyond what I was expecting and I am delighted with the result.

When I heard back in August that Annie was planning to record an album full of Christmas Carols I was admittedly very skeptical. After all there are so many artists out there who do this each year ...go and record an album of festive songs except they come away with an end product full of lacklustre results.

Like 'Medusa' from 1995 this albums sounds as is if Annie had written these tradtional songs herself. How she has the ability to make the hairs on your neck stand up just listening to these songs is sensational. 'Lullay, Lullay' is truly haunting and yet so beautiful. 'The First Noel' is majestic and yet timid starting off with just a piano and soprano backing vocals from Annie. This is then followed by the most beautiful encore of Annie and the choirs reciting 'Noel, Noel born is the King of Israel' until the song ends. Absolutely stunning.

'As Joseph Was A Walking' starts off in a rather unusual but yet cheeky manner which builds to the most majestic bridge forming another beautiful Cathedral like encore of Annie singing an almost operatic 'Hallelujah, Hallelujah' which just builds and builds with each line gaining more power and beauty, The ending of this song of Annie with the Choir is absolutely stunning. You just don't want this too end...sooooooo beautiful.

'Silent Night' is another gorgeous number filled with tenderness, beauty and seasonal passion. The song starts almost like a lullaby with Annie and the piano in the 1st verse rising to to a choir and full orchestra in the second verse.
Absolutely wonderful, Annie!

This album for me has been the most perfect Christmas album I have ever encountered and will treasure for many many years to come.

If you take a look at some of the song titles on this album (Silent Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen etc) you could be forgiven for thinking 'I know what to expect here!' Well, frankly, you would be wrong. Annie Lennox has come such a long way since her days with The Tourists. She has blossomed into a solo recording star of the magnitude of Kate Bush who, has developed a style of her own that is every bit as unique as Kate is Kate.

'A Christmas Cornucopia' is a totally different festive album. It is festive but in a traditional way and it really works as an album listen - something that can very rarely be said for albums of this type. The longer the album goes on, the more Annie draws you inside. Her vocal performances are unusually to the fore on this album and that may unnerve some of her long term fans but musically this is as intimate as any artist ever gets with her audience. The piano playing on this record creates the kind of atmosphere only normally created at 'after gig parties' and Annie's voice has a richness and fullness about it that warms the insides as if a glass of the very best mulled wine.

A couple of the tracks are rather risky - 'IL Est Ne Le Divin Enfant' being the best example of this. Sung in French (I assume) to those that do not speak the language it is at first a confusing diversion and its strange musical arrangement gives the impression at times that Annie may be singing a little out of key. With repeated listens however, its very strangeness becomes its charm. It is, in fact, the perfect diversion to thrust the listener from his or her comfortable rut and lead into what follows. This is the true art of an artist at work. To make a collection of great songs is hard but to create an album that sounds every bit an album AS WELL as a collection of great songs is supremely difficult.

Highlights for me are 'The First Noel', 'In The Bleak Midwinter' the single - 'Universal Child' and the stunning opener, 'Angels From The Realms'. I don't want to go into too much detail about any of them here because I really want you to experience the joy of this album for yourself...

Summing up then..

If you want sleigh bells on every second of every track on a Christmas album then give this album a miss. If on the other hand you want to spend the best part of an hour with Annie Lennox this Christmas then this album is for you. Yes, there are choirs, yes, there are layered backing vocals and a few vocal effects along the way and no, this album is not as obviously Christmassy as one might expect but you will have to go a long way to listen to a better Christmas album this year.

Buy this.