A Christmas Cornucopia

Gospels and carols fit Annie Lennox’ legendary alt perfectly

The winter is just about to arrive in most towns of the northern hemisphere, it is cold, snowing at some places, raining at others which means that catholic Christmas is on its way. In fact, one month only is left until it, and it is high time for the artists to release their traditional Christmas collections. One of the first to record this kind of album is the splendid Annie Lennox. The record is called A Christmas Cornucopia and is the first suchlike collection of in the singer’s entire discography. Of course the artist has not released a lot of album as a solo artist, and the duo Eurythmics stylistics was somewhat different from what Lennox chose afterwards, but each of her works was so utterly successful and her hits still remain many people’s favorites even today. Annie has definitely some new pop compositions in store for her next studio release but this time she pays tribute to traditions. Moreover, it turns out that gospels and carols fit the singer’s legendary alt perfectly, and the album A Christmas Cornucopia becomes a true refinement of her discography and will definitely play the role of one of the most important Christmas collections this year.

Traditional songs and an original composition on A Christmas Cornucopia

The piano and the orchestra are accompanying Annie Lennox throughout the album A Christmas Cornucopia creating the most beautiful harmonies imaginable. The choir and faultless arrangements underline all the richness of her voice which has become even more hypnotizing and velvet-like with the years. The album’s twelve tracks are listened to at one breath offering one surprise after another. It opens with a bit solemn Christmas hymn Angels From The Realms Of Glory written by James Montgomery back in the almost two centuries ago. A very emotional traditional number God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen conquers with the volume of drums in the arrangement and modulations in the singer’s voice, whereas the peaceful song See Amid The Winter's Snow envelopes the listener into soft warm piano chords and the gentle voice. The composition performed in perfect French I'l Est Ne Le Divin Enfant begins with the choir’s part and a flute and gradually grows into an amazing monumental number. The bass line on The First Noel combines harmoniously with soft keyboards and mellow tubes, and the acoustic guitat and active percussion on Lullay Lullay (Coventry Carol) create a completely different, almost mystic atmosphere. Another highlight is As Joseph Was A Walking (The Cherry Tree Carol): faultless high notes, fold dance elements, piano modulations and impressive choir singing create a really triumphant effect. The Christmas album would not be complete without the marvelous solemn composition Silent Night refined with canon, and the album closer is a splendid original composition Universal Child confirming Annie Lennox’ greatest talent of not only a flawless vocalist but of a gifted songwriter, too.

An incomparable manner of performance

Beautiful melodies, deep thoughts, bible stories, the orchestra, all of these factors undoubtedly have an effect each time whenever a good vocalist records an album of the Christmas theme. Yet only few artists are able to feel these pieces to the extent Annie Lennox has felt them. You are going to become more serious listening to A Christmas Cornucopia whether you want it or not because the emotions on this album are extremely strong and extremely sincere. There is not one song on it which does not produce the desire effect. From beginning to end A Christmas Cornucopia is an album filled with the sacredness of the religious holiday but it never obliges anybody to be religious. The simple fact is that these eternal themes are really close to the singer whose own birthday happens to be right on Christmas – she is turning fifty-sex on December, 25. Thus, the disc A Christmas Cornucopia is actually a very personal work, but due to Annie Lennox incomparable manner of performance every thought in it is going to reach millions of people not necessarily believers but those striving for self-improvement and for love in the word’s widest meaning.