Search - Kristin Chenoweth :: A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas

A Lovely Way to Start Your Christmas Season

Danielle | Illinois | 10/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kristin Chenoweth has put out her first Christmas CD and it is absolutely beautiful. It's full of Christmas classics that everyone knows and a few lesser known Christmas songs. She sings the songs in the traditional way and some have a country twang to it.



1. I'll be home for Christmas- 5/5 One of my all-time favorite Christmas classics. Kristin does the song well.



2. Christmas Island- 3/5 A song I hadn't heard of before. It's got a Hawaiian sound to it. It's an okay song but not one of my favorites on the cd.



3. The Christmas Waltz-5/5 Kristin's voice sounds gorgeous on this song. It's a softer version than other versions of this song that I've heard before.



4. Do you hear what I hear?- 5/5 Another one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. I love Kristin's version of it. I love how her voice echoes during the "Do you hear what I hear" part. It's sounds lovely and has a twinkly sound that is throughout the song (I'm not sure what instrument makes that sound.



5. Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow world- 4/5 I prefer the beginning of this song. It's an okay duet wth John Pizzarelli but it's not one of my favorites.



6. Sing- 4/5 It's another song where the beginning of the song is my favorite part.



7. Silver Bells- 5/5 This is my all-time favorite Christmas song. Kristin presents a version with an intro that I haven't heard before. It then goes into a version that has a country twang to it. But it's still one of my favorites on the album.



8. Come on ring those bells- 5/5 This is a full-blown country song. It kind of reminds me of a Dolly Parton song. I like it though.



9. What Child is this?- 5/5 This is my favorite Christmas song right after Silver Bells. I adore Kristin's version of this song. It starts with a Celtic sound and goes into Kristin singing softly. I think it's gorgeous sounded and one of the best versions I've heard of this song.



10. Home on Christmas Day-5/5 I hadn't heard this song before but I like it. For most of the song, it's just Kristin singing with a piano but then it goes into an orchestra sound.



11. Born on Christmas Day-4/5 Another soft song. It's a nice song but I'm not sure it will be played as much as some of the other songs on the album for me.



12.Sleep well little children/What a wonderful world- 5/5 A beautiful way to end the album. I love how she put the two songs together. It works really well. It's a great lullaby sounding song.





So if you're a fan of Kristin from "Wicked" or "Pushing Daisies" or just enjoy Christmas music, I think this would be a great addition to your Christmas music collection."

Pure Christmas Magic

Mark Baker | Santa Clarita, CA United States | 10/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As much as I love Christmas music, there are very few CD's that grab me from the moment I first start listening to them. But that was the case with this CD. From the very first note of "I'll Be Home for Christmas," I was drawn into a world of snow and twinkling lights and presents. Kristin's voice made me want to snuggle up by a fire, and its still 80's degrees here in Southern California.



The CD ranges in style from jazz on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (with a lovely sax solo), to big band on "Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World" and "Christmas Island" and even a hint of country on "Silver Bells."



Speaking of country, she goes full blown country on "Come On, Ring Those Bells." I have another version of this song I consider my favorite Christmas song, so that choice was a bit of a disappointment. Even this song won me over after a few more listens, however.



"Do You Hear What I Hear?" is amazing. The music starts quietly with just bells as Kristin sings the first verse. As the song progresses, the orchestra builds. Kristin even echoes herself at times.



"Home on Christmas Day" is at once sad and beautiful. It's a song to the loved ones no longer in her life letting them know they will always have a home in her heart at Christmas.



I've never heard the normally upbeat "Christmas Waltz" performed this slowly before, but I fell in love with it half way through.



I'm not normally a fan of artists recording songs that aren't normally Christmas on Christmas releases, but even that works here. "Sing" incorporates a Christmas themed second verse while "What a Wonderful World" is combined with Christmas lullaby "Sleep Well Little Children."



I know this is a disc I will pull out often over the coming years whenever I need to get into the Christmas mood. I have no qualms calling it a masterpiece already. I am sure it will stand the test of time."

Chenoweth delivers a classic!

Ruth Anderson | 11/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is Kristin Chenoweth's third full-length studio album (following 2005's As I Am and 2001's Let Yourself Go). While she's been one of my favorite vocalists since her debut, her second disc fell a bit short. Let Yourself Go is a classic concept album - it flows perfectly, the entire disc a throwback to the 1930s big band sound, seamlessly blending classics with new songs. As I Am by comparison was more hit-or-miss. While Kristin's voice shines (most notably on my favorite, "Taylor, the Latte Boy"), the album lacks a cohesive style, running the gamut from country to Broadway to pop. Thankfully, A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is a classic Christmas album from the first track to the last. The song selections and arrangements perfectly frame Chenoweth's soaring, sparkling voice. She covers many of the classics here, like her rich, emotional delivery of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and the classically influenced "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "What Child Is This?". There's also lesser-known gems like "The Christmas Waltz" and "Christmas Island." The latter is the only "novelty" song on the album, but Kristin makes the song her own and turns it nto a showcase for the spunky and comic side of her personality. "Sing," "Silver Bells," and "Come On Ring Those Bells" have the pop-country feel that Chenoweth introduced on her second album, recalling her Oklahoma roots. "Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World" is a fun, jazzy duet with John Pizzarelli - his laid-back vocal is a great counterpoint to Kristin's high energy delivery. The disc closes with the stunning, perfectly paired "Sleep Well Little Children/What a Wonderful World" where the richness and depth of Kristin's voice is on full display. A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is an instant holiday classic. Kristin's crystalline voice is so good here I'll be hard pressed not to listen to this album year-round."