This stellar collection features piano/vocal/guitar arrangements of all the songs from Karen and Richard Carpenter's million-selling 1978 Christmas album. Includes 36 of the season's best: Ave Maria - Carol of the Bells - Christ Is Born - The Christmas Song - The Christmas Waltz - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Home for the Holidays - I'll Be Home for Christmas - It Came upon a Midnight Clear - It's Christmas Time - Little Altar Boy - Merry Christmas, Darling - O Holy Night - Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town - Silent Night - Sleigh Ride - and more!

Songlist: Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard On High, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, O Holy Night, Carol Of The Bells, Ave Maria, It Came Upon The Midnight Clear, It's Christmas Time, The First Noel, An Old Fashioned Christmas, Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies, Good King Wenceslas, In Dulce Jubilo, Little Jesus, Overture Miniature, Valse Des Fleurs, Christ Is Born, Gesù Bambino (The Infant Jesus), March Of The Toys, Silver Bells, The Christmas Song, The Christmas Waltz, Sleigh Ride, Frosty The Snow Man, Happy Holiday, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, I'll Be Home For Christmas, and more

Two venerable and ancient Christian musical traditions-the Byzantine and the Slavic-come together on this CD, along with traditional Orthodox carols from Ukraine, Lebanon, and... America. The musical richness of the Eastern Orthodox Christmas services has inspired a number of modern-day Orthodox composers to create new compositions and arrangements, 35 of which are recorded here for the first time, entirely in English.

Songlist: Troparion-Entrance Of The Theotokos, Kontakion-Entrance Of The Theotokos, Stichera Lord, I Call, Stichera Aposticha, Canon Odes 1, 3, 6, Hymn To Theotokos, Stichera At The Praises, Stichera At The Aposticha, Troparion-Prefeast Of The Nativity Christ, Kontakion, God Is With Us, Troparion, Kontakion, Glory Be To God On High, Praise The Name Of The Lord, From My Mouth, Stichera After The Matins Gospel, Canon Ode 1, Canon Ode 3, Kontakion / oikos, Canon Ode 8, 9, Exposteilarion, Third Antiphon, Troparion, Kontakion, Communion Hymn, Wondrous News Is Given, Joy Is All Around Us, Angel Choirs In Heaven, Sing Earth And Heaven, God's Son Is Born This Night, and more

Drawing upon the rich treasury of 19th and 20th century liturgical hymns and carols of the nativity feast, this unique collection of Orthodox music from Russia and the Urkraine includes several first recordings of music by composers who were suppressed by the Soviet government. At the end of the 19th-century, Alexander Kastalsky founded the world-famous Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing. Bolshevik persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church forced the closing of the school and the disbanding of the choir. Georgiy Izvekov, a priest and well-respected composer of liturgical music, was arrested in 1931 for 'anti-Soviet activities' and was executed by firing squad. Important choral composers in the Ukraine met with similar fates - for example, Vasyl Barvinskyi was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment by the Soviet government. Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in this gloriously atmospheric collection of Christmas music, which begins with the tolling of the bells of St Alexander's cathedral in Tallinn, Estonia.

Songlist: Our Father, Rejoice, O Virgin, Verses Before The Six Psalms No.2, Shepards Of Bethlehem, Oh, What A Wonder, Today The Virgin Gives Birth, Verses Before The Six Psalms No. 1, The Angels Exclaimed, A New Joy, Bells Rang Early In Jerusalem, When Augustus Ruled Alone Upon The Earth, A Song Of Good Cheer, Throughout The World, The Legend, Christ Is Born, God Is With US, Blessed is The Man

Kolyadky (carols) and Shchedrivky (New Year's songs) are one of the oldest genres of Ukrainian folk music, dating back to the pre-Christian era. With the coming of Christianity in 988, pagan songs were replaced with Christian carols and hymns, and these delightful (all accompanied) songs reflect sectarian life and express wishes for good health, wealth and happiness. The all-woman Vesnivka Choir was established in 1965 by conductor/director Halyna Kondracki and has won many awards. The Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir was founded in 2001 by Kondraki in affiliation with Vesnivka. 15 tunes, from "Christ is Born" and "Heaven and earth rejoice" to "The beautiful guelder-rose" and "The Carol." Wonderful solos on "The stars shone from heaven" and "A son is born." This beautiful music, from another culture and another time, is all new to us, but that only increases our appreciation for and enjoyment of it!

Songlist: Christ Is Born, Let Us Rejoice, The Stars Shone From Heaven, Heaven And Earth Rejoice, A Son Is Born, Wondrous Tidings, The Carolers, Schedrivka, Christ Sat Down To Supper , The Peacocks The Guelder - Rose Meadow, Malanka, The Beautiful Guelder - Rose, In The Master's Household, The Carol