THE KNIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS | LIMELIGHT MAGAZINE

The Twelve Days of Christmas Music

Clive Paget selects a dozen new Christmas albums to make the yuletide gay.

‘Tis the season, as they say, and record labels have been putting out a flurry of albums to celebrate Christmas, from the conventional to the occasionally oddball. While everyone has their favourites to pop on while roasting the turkey, there’s always room for something new, so here goes with my own personal Twelve Days of Christmas Music: a dozen recent releases to grace your festivities. And for those who prefer to stream their music, scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find a Spotify playlist that’s guaranteed to make the yuletide gay. So, off we go in reverse order…

6: The Knights Before Christmas Guest artists, The Knights

Into the top six, and here’s one from Brooklyn-based ensemble The Knights, who have a reputation for programming outside the box. Their Christmas album is no exception. With guest artists including pipa virtuoso Wu Man, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and folk trio I’m With Her, there’s plenty of variety and the arrangements are all highly original – often spicy, if very, very occasionally a trifle cheesy. Still, there are many real pleasures, such as a novel take on Do you hear what I hear? with the vocal line on pipa and a lovely arrangement underneath for strings and percussion apparently inspired by Lou Harrison’s use of non-Western instruments. Roth Costanzo is sweet in Fauré’s Pie Jesu, the villancico Hacia belén va una burra rín-rín, sung by jazz singer-songwriter Magos Herrera, is pure pleasure, and there’s a charming folk-inflected version of The little drummer boy. From Bartók to blues, there’s a bit of something for everyone in an eclectic program that actually manages to hang together really well.