Christmas to Remember

Audio CD

Trying to capture the magic of her now-traditional Christmas road show, Amy Grant offers the solid but not substantial A Christmas to Remember. Since 1993, Grant and friends, along with the Nashville Symphony, have taken their brand of musical holiday cheer on limited tours. Show staples such as "Gabriel's Oboe" and "Highland Cathedral" are documented here, but they sound flat. However, a few songs--the newly penned title track, the nostalgic "Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away," and the playful "Mr. Sandman"-redo "Mr. Santa"--live up to Grant's usual high standards. A moody, ethereal "Silent Night" and a subtle reworking of Michael W. Smith's "Agnus Dei" are also of interest. While A Christmas to Remember may not be one of Grant's finest moments, after three Christmas albums what's left to do? --Michael Lyttle