A LIVING ROOM CHRISTMAS

     For their fourth album, North Bay, Ontario worship artists Sean and Aimee Dayton set their sights on Christmas.  Of A LIVING ROOM CHRISTMAS (2011) they write: "We tried to keep the recording as organic as possible...and essentially, it's a live acoustic recording (imperfections and all).  It's the kind of album you listen to at the end of a hectic day...by the fireplace...with a warm cup of hot chocolate in your hand."  The artwork for the project is simple, yet picturesque.
     'Do you Hear what I Hear?' written by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne in 1962 has an air of excitement to it: "Said the king to the people everywhere/Listen to what I say/Pray for peace, people everywhere!/Listen to what I say/The Child, the Child sleeping in the night/He will bring us goodness and light (2X)."  Many will be familiar with Perry Como's version of this song.  'The First Noel' is pretty and performed in a slightly more upbeat fashion than usual.  It reflects the miraculous events that took place the night Christ was born:  "The first Noel, the angel did say/Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay/In fields where they lay keeping their sheep/On a cold winter's night that was so deep/Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel/Born is the King of Israel."  The song features Paul Baloche, writer of 'Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord' and co-writer of 'Above All'.  'Angels we have heard on High' is performed in a less powerful and quieter rendition than usual.  Nonetheless, it is a song of celebration: "Angels we have heard on high/Sweetly singing o'er the plains/And the mountains in reply/Echoing their joyous strains/Glo-ria in excelsis Deo/Glo-ria in excelsis Deo."  'O Come O Come Emmanuel' is a song of expectancy: "O come, O come Emmanuel/And ransom captive Israel/That mourns in lonely exile here/Until the Son of God appear/Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel." 
     'O Holy Night' has been covered by everyone from Jackie Evancho to John Schlitt.  It details some of the results of Christ's birth: "Truly He taught us to love one another/His law is love and His Gospel is peace/Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother/And in His name all oppression shall cease/Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we/Let all within us praise His holy name/Christ is the Lord/O praise His name forever!/Noel, Noel, O night, O night divine."  'White Christmas' is up next.  Written by Irving Berlin, the version of it by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single ever.  It includes these friendly lyrics of well wishing: "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas/With every Christmas card I write/May your days be merry and bright/And may all your Christmases be white."  'Winter Wonderland' has a playful spirit to it and was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith: "In the meadow we can build a snowman/Then pretend that he is Parson Brown/He'll say 'Are you married?'/We'll say 'No man! But you can do the job when you're in town'/Later on we'll conspire/As we dream by the fire/To face unafraid/The plans that we made/Walkin' in a winter wonderland."  'Silent Night' reflects on Christ's divinity and features Brian Doerksen, author of 'Refiner's Fire' and 'Come Now is the Time to Worship': "Silent night, holy night/Son of God, love's pure light/Radiant beams from Thy holy face/With the dawn of redeeming grace/Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth/Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth." 
     Along with 'The First Noel', 'Be Still and Know', written by Steven Curtis Chapman in 1999, is one of my favourites on the album.  It is a song of invitation: "Be still and know that He is God/Be still and know He is our Father/Come rest your head upon His chest/Listen to the rhythms of his unfailing heart of love/Beating for His little ones/Calling each of us to come/Be still, be still."  'Joy to the World' written by Isaac Watts, Lowell Mason, and Handel, speaks of how nature itself will praise God: "Joy to the world!/The Savior reigns/Let men their songs employ/While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains/Repeat the sounding joy (2X)/Repeat, repeat the sounding joy."  The album concludes with 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas'.  Judy Garland sang it in 1944's 'Meet me in St. Louis'.  It shares these warm thoughts: "Through the years we all will be together/If the Lord allows/Hang a shining star upon the highest bough/And have yourself a merry little Christmas now."
     A LIVING ROOM CHRISTMAS was produced and mixed by Douglas Romanow, who is also responsible for Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Hammond and Accordion.  Fiddle is played by Larry Franklin, and banjo and dobro by Ilya Toshinsky.  Sean and Aimee Dayton's voices nicely complement each other.  I recommend this gentle, mellow holiday offering to fans of folk music, Buddy and Julie Miller, Bethany Dillon and Fernando Ortega.  For more info visit http://www.seandayton.com/.  I'm rating this project 84%.  Listen for the Dayton's daughter Mackenzie wishing you a "Merry Christmas."