This is officially, a 14-tune, "Best of the Whiffenpoofs Christmas Songs" CD. The song selection ranges from the 1963 'Poofs' harmonic rendition of "Coventry Carol" and the 1964 group's melodic "Le Sommeil de L'enfant Jesus" to 1992's "Jingle Bell Rock," and 1994's "Up on the Housetop." Then we have the 1998 group's "Christmas Song," 2001's rendition of James Taylor's "New Hymn," and the group's trademark "The Whiffenpoof Song." These various versions of the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the US treat us to a range of emotions about Christmas, lonely (2004's poignant "Lonely Christmas Eve") hungry (the 1990 group's "Home Cookin'") to traditional and sacred (1998's "Christmas Song," 2003's "Ave Maria" and "O Holy Night" and 2003's "Ave Maria"). Admittedly, though, a few have no obvious connection to Christmas whatsoever, like 2000's "Walking in the Air," 2001's "Time After Time," and 2004's Bohemian Marching Song "Aj Lucka Lucka, Siroka". But we won't split hairs‹the 'Poofs are known for their sense of humor, and the singing is beautiful!

Listen to The Christmas Song in RealAudio.