Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: ANDREWS,JULIE
Title: CHRISTMAS WITH JULIE ANDREWS
Street Release Date: 09/07/1999
Domestic
Genre: XMAS VOCAL

Track Listing

1. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
2. In the Bleack Midwinter
3. Holy Boy
4. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
5. See Amid the Winter's Snow
6. O Little Town of Bethlehem
7. What Child Is This?
8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
9. Rocking
10. Away in a Manger
11. I Wonder as I Wander
12. Patapan
13. Secret of Christmas
14. Silent Night, Holy Night

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2818 in Music
• Brand: ANDREWS,JULIE
• Released on: 1999-08-31
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
Julie Andrews's clear and highly articulated vocal manner is both a blessing and a bit of a distraction on this 14-song reissue of her 1982 holiday album. Set against orchestral refinements and a genuinely inspired choice of less popular material, including "In the Bleak Midwinter," "The Holy Boy," "See Amid the Winter Snow," and others, Andrews creates a dazzling Christmas mood full of somewhat concocted sentiment. Christmas with Julie Andrews boasts big production numbers that are long on satisfaction and arch theatricality. Her pitch is remarkable, but one wonders if she's ever sung with any grit. For fans--and they number millions of children and adults who have grown up with her singing in films and soundtracks such as The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and Victor Victoria--this timely collection will indeed be a cherished gift. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews

Keep your "grit"; give me beauty and clarity for Christmas!
I don't mean to be cynical, but the editorial review on this CD was a hoot. Does the editorial reviewer actually listen to Miss Andrews singing Christmas carols for GRIT?! He sounds like one of those folks who simply can't accept that vocal beauty and clarity are perfectly appropriate and preferrable in many musical genres--including musicals, which now seem to be full of people who can belt out a tune, but can't actually sing it with any sensitivity. This is a lovely CD; try also her Greatest Christmas Songs and her Christmas Treasure, even more beautiful if possible--taken from the early Firestone LP's.

The glorious voice of Julie Andrews singing Christmas songs
I tend to think that Julie Andrews would be the ideal person to stand up and sing Christmas carols at a church service on Christmas Eve, and I suspect that "Christmas With Julie Andrews" is a large part of the reason why. There is a combination of power and grace that makes "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" sound like they should be should be filling up a great cathedral like Westminster Abbey, and you do not doubt for a second that Andrews could do it. This makes it all the more impressive when she tones down the power but retains the grace in songs like "Away in the Manger," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "Silent Night, Holy Night." As with her other holiday albums, this 1982 release presents not only these favorites, but a strong mix of lesser-known traditional songs including "In the Black Midwinter," "The Holy Boy," and "Patapan." For me the treat is "I Wonder as I Wander," a song that I associate with Mary Travers singing on the Peter, Paul & Mary's 1988 "Holiday Celebration Album." The differences in the voices are striking, but both interpretations are beautiful. Granted, these are not exactly the sort of Christmas albums where you feel compelled to sing along, but if you really want your seasonal spirits to soar then the glorious voice of Julie Andrews is most likely to get you up among the rafters.

Exquisite!
This is an exceptionally beautiful Christmas album. Julie gives some of her best performaces ever on these haunting songs. It surrounds you in incredible Christmas and winter scenes. The material and arrangements are tops. If you love Christmas make this CD a priority.