Music Review: A Christmas Story by Point of Grace

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great originals and fun arrangements of classic songs
Cons: None of their other Christmas discs are this good
The Bottom Line:
Quickly favorite
And new songs are really good
You'll enjoy for years




A CD That Will Put You "Not that Far from Bethlehem"

Any time an artist I enjoy comes out with a Christmas CD, it is an automatic buy for me. Point of Grace's A Christmas Story was one such purchase, and I haven't stopped listening to it since I bought it in 1999.

Point of Grace is a Christian group made up of four women. They are known for their pop sound and tight harmonies. They changes things up a little for this release. They have more orchestra then normal here, and on the whole I'd say this CD is just a tad slower then normal, but their harmonies are still here. They combine new arrangements of classic songs with some original songs for a CD I can't wait to hear every year.

Five of the fourteen tracks are original to this disc. My favorites are the two that close out the disc. "One King" focuses on the wise men's journey to bring gifts to Baby Jesus. What I love about it is the minor key and slightly Israel feel to it. It's a fun mid tempo track.

"Not that Far from Bethlehem" is a pretty ballad that is the perfect close. It's contemplative and reminds us that the events of that first Christmas 2000 years ago should be affecting how we live today.

Michael Tait guests on "Light of the World." In fact, he really sings the song as a solo with the ladies of the group performing background harmonies. It starts slow, but picks up speed after the first verse. It's a jazzy Christmas song praising God for the gift of His son.

"Emmanuel God with Us" reminds us that we are to minister to those in need. "When Love Came Down" opens the disc ("Joy to the World" is just a 30 second instrumental intro) with a celebration of the season.

While I enjoy these original songs (and with my collection, I need original songs to help Christmas CD's stand out), I also absolutely love their original take on some classics. Don't get me wrong, some of these songs are very traditional. "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow/Sleigh Ride" is a fairly standard arrangement of the two songs. It's got a full orchestra and the ladies tight harmonies really made the song soar.

But it's some of the other songs that make this disc special. For example, this disc has one of my favorite versions ever of "O Holy Night." What makes it so special? Each of the ladies takes a turn singing one line of the song. However, they overlap each other slightly. After the first four lines, they join together to sing in perfect harmony. They are accompanied by a harp with an orchestra in the background. The result is absolutely breathtaking.

Equally impressive is "Carol of the Bells/What Child is This?" As you'd expect, the song starts out with bells before the orchestra comes in and they start singing. The song is fast, yet they never miss a word of the song. Then they wrap lyrics from "Carol of the Bells" around "What Child is This?"

And if you are looking for pure fun, look no further then "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" and "Jingle Bell Rock." Both songs are upbeat and full out fun. "Santa Claus" has a jazzy feel to it, and I guarantee you haven't heard it sung quite like this before. They've got some lyrics I don't remember hearing anywhere else. At times it feels almost like a run away train, but it never truly gets out of control. "Jingle Bell Rock" is a more traditional pop/rock approach, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

If you are a fan of Point of Grace, you need this CD in your collection. And if you enjoy Christmas music no matter who does it, give A Christmas Story a chance. You'll be surprise just how much you enjoy it.

CD Length: 52:10

Tracks:

1. Joy to the World

2. When Love Came Down

3. Angels We Have Heard on High

4. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow/Sleigh Ride

5. Carol of the Bells/What Child is This?

6. O Holy Night

7. How Great Our Joy

8. Emmanuel God with Us/O Come, O Come Emmanuel

9. Light of the World

10. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

11. Jingle Bell Rock

12. Coventry Carol

13. One King

14. Not that Far from Bethlehem