Lauren Alaina to Sing ‘My Grown Up Christmas List’ for ‘CMA Country Christmas …

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

‘American Idol’ runner-up Lauren Alaina will perform ‘My Grown Up Christmas List’ during next month’s ‘CMA Country Christmas’ special, which airs on ABC. The show was taped last Thursday in Nashville, and a fan video captured the 17-year-old taking on the song that was first made famous in country circles by Amy Grant.

“I feel like Christmas came early for me this year,” Alaina says, “but if Santa Claus wants to bring me some makeup I don’t think I’ll argue with him.” The big man does indeed have a tough task in topping the ‘Georgia Peaches’ singer’s year that’s included reality show fame, a recording contract, a tour of the country and a fire engine red Ford Mustang.

Alaina steps away from the group to perform the Christmas classic. She looks radiant in a sleeveless black gown, and her rendition of the song shows real vocal maturity. Scotty McCreery, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, Keith Urbanand Faith Hill are among the other performers on the special. It will supposedly air again on Dec. 17.

Leigh Nash

Leigh Nash
Hymns & Sacred Songs (Kingsway)
Released November 2011
Kristin Garrett

Style: Acoustic/folk hymns; compare to Sandra McCracken, Stuart Townend, Sara Groves

Top Tracks: “O Heart Bereaved and Lonely,” “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”

Most pop fans know Leigh Nash as the darling vocalist for Sixpence None the Richer, whose hits “Kiss Me,” “There She Goes,” and “Breathe Your Name” have been heard on radio stations everywhere since the late 1990s. Nash’s artistry has taken her beyond Sixpence into solo work and other collaborations (with Amy Grant and Jars of Clay, among others). Now she releases her first solo project since 2006, Hymns and Sacred Songs.

Part of the difficulty in working with hymns lies in their familiarity, as their longstanding place in religious settings has made their context and depth all too forgettable. Nash selected songs for the album based on their poignant lyrics, and in collaboration with other artists, she creatively reworks melodies, arrangements, and sounds that push the listener to hear these powerful words in fresh ways. Covers of traditional favorites are sprinkled amongst new compositions (by such artists as Stuart Townend, Keith Getty, and Kate Gustafson), and old hymns are given fresh sounds and a new framework for their poetic stanzas (“Come Thou Fount,” “O Heart Bereaved and Lonely,” “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”).

Nash’s chosen hymns focus primarily on weariness, loneliness, and other human struggles while also praising Christ’s victory over them. The poetic verses of such acclaimed hymnists as Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley, and William T. Sleeper connect listeners with generations of believers who experienced similar challenges and trusted the same Lord.

A simple, subtle folk bent that will please Sixpence fans colors most of the arrangements, which are primarily acoustic with light percussion. Occasionally, some of the more recent releases adopt a contemporary praise/pop sound with soaring, repetitive choruses, but vibrant lyrical and thematic content keeps them from becoming completely beholden to the genre. What truly fleshes out this collection, though, is Nash’s ethereal voice; the re-orchestration adds depth, but her vocal sweetness and charm flavor it beautifully.

Hopefully Hymns and Sacred Songs will encourage listeners to reconsider traditional hymns and the practice of hymn composition today. Contemporary praise choruses—which often utilize short stanzas, oversimplified themes, and drawn-out phrases—could learn from Nash and company, whose rich scriptural context, beautiful lyrical expression, and intricate arrangements occupy an important place in Christian tradition and make for an aesthetically valuable, spiritually nurturing work of art.

Copyright © 2011 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Leigh Nash
Hymns & Sacred Songs (Kingsway)
Released November 2011
Kristin Garrett

Amy Grant and Vince Gill to Begin ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ Tour

Legendary husband and wife singers, Amy Grant and Vince Gill are embarking on their sixth Christmas tour, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” starting on Dec. 7 in Baltimore, MD.

• Music

“Christmas audiences are special,” said Grant in a press release. “They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix of anticipation and reverence. It’s a thrilling experience for both of us.” Gil agrees with his wife and aid, “These holiday tours have become our favorites.”

The Christmas tour will feature a two hour program taking the audience through the entire Christmas story.

Amy Grant is a six-time Grammy award winner selling over 30 million albums spanning her almost 30 year career.

The singer also has six No. 1 hits and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Vince Gill is one of country music’s biggest stars. He has won 17 CMA awards and “Song of the Year” four times; the most in CMA history.

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In addition to this, he has won 20 Grammy awards and sold over 26 million records

Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

Grant has four Christmas albums, A Christmas Album (1983), Home for Christmas (1992), and A Christmas to Remember (1999), and The Christmas Collection (2008).

Gill has released three Christmas albums, Let There Be Peace On Earth (1993), Breath Of Heaven (1998) and ‘Tis The Season (2000).

The Twelve Days of Christmas tour dates:
December 7 Baltimore, MD Lyric Opera House
December 8 Norfolk, VA Constant Convocation Center
December 9 Richmond, VA Richmond Landmark Theater
December 10 Augusta, GA Bell Auditorium
December 11 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theater
December 12 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center
December 15 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
December 16 Evansville, IN The Centre
December 17 Muncie, IN Emens Auditorium – Ball State
December 19 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
December 20-21 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

‘Weird Al,’ Amy Grant And Your Secret Musical Loves

Guest(s)

“Weird Al” Yankovich is famous for writing parody songs. He’s written parody versions of mainstream music hits since the 1980s, releasing 13 original albums. His latest album “Apocalypse” came out this summer.

Amy Grant has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including multiple Platinum and Gold albums. She’s won six Grammy awards for best contemporary album, best gospel performance, and best southern, country, or bluegrass gospel album — as well as Grammy nominations for everything from record of the year to children spoken word.

Michael McQuilken is a New York City–based theater maker, composer, musician and performer. He also invents and builds strange musical devices.

Vince Gill, Amy Grant schedule Christmas tour dates

Oklahoma native Vince Gill and his wife, Amy Grant, are embarking on their sixth Christmas tour this year.

There are 12 nights listed on “The Twelve Days of Christmas – Amy Grant Vince Gill” tour. The event kicks off on Dec. 7 with a stop in Maryland and ends with a two-night stint at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

The pair’s publicist confirmed that there will be no Oklahoma dates on this tour.

“Christmas audiences are special,” said Grant in a press statement. “They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix of anticipation and reverence. It’s a thrilling experience for both of us.”

“These holiday tours have become our favorites,” Gill said.

In their two-hour program, the Grammy-winning husband-and-wife team will present cherished standards, as well as newer seasonal fare.

Find all of the tour dates at tulsaworld.com/granttour

Grant will roll through Tulsa on a separate, Christian music tour with Michael W. Smith, 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Mabee Center, 7777 S. Lewis Ave. Tickets for that show are $25 and up, plus fees, available at tulsaworld.com/mabee, the venue box office and by calling 918-495-6000.

Original Print Headline: Vince Gill sets Christmas tour

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