Aled Jones' long-overdue Christmas album.
UCJ: 22 November 2004
Last updated: 25 November 2008
The question should be asked: why has this taken so long? From being the choirboy catapulted to fame with Walking In The Air in 1985 (an association, no matter what else he does, that he'll be forever stuck with), Christmas and Aled Jones have gone hand in hand.
Tracklisting
- O Come, O Come Emmanuel
- Silent Night (with Hayley Westenra)
- Candlelight Carol
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- Coventry Carol
- The Little Road To Bethlehem
- God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
- In The Bleak Mid-Winter
- Still, Still, Still
- O Little Town Of Bethlehem
- The Angel Gabriel
- Whence Is That Goodly Fragrance?
- O Holy Night
- Hark The Herald Angels Sing
- Do You Hear What I Hear?
The Christmas Album comes a full 15 years after Aled's last Christmas CD (can you take a hint, Cliff?). As he says in his liner notes, "Things have thankfully come full circle. I was hoping to record a stylish and heartfelt collection of Christmas classics and I believe this is it!"
Aled's naturally in fine voice throughout, and is accompanied by the English Session Orchestra, the vocal group Libera and, on Silent Night, the New Zealand teen singing sensation Hayley Westenra.
Many listeners will see his versions of much-loved favourites such as Away In A Manger and O Come All Ye Faithful as definitive versions that will prove to be Christmas delights for many years to come. It's a shame, then, that he chose not to revisit the song that made his name all those years ago.
But it's not just familiar standards - Jones also throws some lesser known Christmas songs. The result is a strong collection that's destined to become, for many, a firm festive favourite.
Words: Joe Goodden
