The rather lengthily named
Christmas Adagios: Holiday Classics to Touch Your Heart and Soul features a diverse array of Christmas instrumentals, spanning
Richard Stoltzman's contemporary readings of "O Holy Night," "He Shall Feed His Flock," and "O Come Immanuel" to
the Boston Pops' lush, traditional-sounding interpretations of "White Christmas" and "Children's Prayer."
The Canadian Brass bring a stately grace to "We Three Kings," "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming," and "Away in a Manger," while
Steve Erquiaga's solo acoustic guitar rendition of "The Christmas Song" and
Nightnoise's flute and fiddle-driven "Sussex Carol" have a more intimate, contemporary feel. Performances from
James Galway and
the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra round out this collection, which unites classical, new age, Celtic, and jazz elements into a sophisticated, gently festive album. ~ Heather Phares