Adult Contemporary

Michael W. Smith

Reunion Records

CBN.com – Over the years, people have come to respect Michael W. Smith as a man of many gifts. He’s written and recorded pop music that has infused America’s cultural climate with hope. He’s a gifted worship leader that has drawn other believers closer to God through his songs. However, there’s no denying that one of his greatest gifts is simply as a composer. That passion for creating new music abounds on It’s A Wonderful Christmas, a powerful collection of songs that reverberate with Smith’s heartfelt connection to that most special season.

“It’s my favorite time of year,” says Smith, who admits his family has been known to start pulling out their favorite Christmas albums in September. “We play a lot of music. My kids pull out the records early and we don’t quit playing them until January.”

It’s a Wonderful Christmas is Smith’s 20th album, and just the latest creative tour-de-force in an impressive career that began with the release of the West Virginia native’s debut album in 1983. Since then he’s won more than 40 Dove Awards, three GRAMMYs, an American Music Award and numerous other accolades. He’s sold more than 15 million records, accumulating 16 gold records and five platinum certifications. Smith was recently honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences during their prestigious GRAMMY honors ceremony.

It’s a Wonderful Christmas features the winning singer-songwriter joining forces with four amazing choirs and a 67-piece orchestra at London’s famed Abbey Road studios. As the strings soar and the bells ring, you can almost feel winter’s nip in the air and smell the fragrance of pine trees as Smith’s music puts you in that holiday mood.

“Christmas time without an orchestra is not Christmas to me,” says Smith, who has already recorded two previous Christmas albums. “There are a lot of people who like rock ‘n roll type Christmas records but I grew up with Doris Day, Barbra Streisand and Leonard Bernstein; all those records have orchestras and when I think about Christmas, I think about that music.”

In preparing for this new Christmas effort, Smith wanted to create an album with the lush arrangements and powerful orchestral sounds that he heard listening to his favorite Christmas records as a child. He began putting together a list of his favorite tunes, but in a burst of inspiration soon found he’d written more than enough new material to fill the album. The only cover tune is the timeless standard “What Child is This?” which sounds both familiar yet fresh thanks to Smitty’s deft musical reinvention.

The bulk of the album features Smith’s original compositions. Like his musical hero John Williams (composer of film scores for Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park), Smith’s work has an epic, cinematic quality that stirs emotions in the listener. It’s the kind of music that is not simply heard; it’s felt. “It’s so big and symphonic,” says Smith, who himself has scored two films, including “The Second Chance” in which he also starred. “It feels like you’re going to get to the end of the record and you’ll want to see the movie. It sounds like a soundtrack.”

In recording It’s A Wonderful Christmas, Smith enlisted David Hamilton’s expertise with arrangements. Hamilton worked with Smith on his highly acclaimed instrumental album, “Freedom,” and has also toured with Smith. “The first time I worked with David was when we did the Christmas tour,” says Smith. “That’s how I started working with David and when I decided to do the Freedom album, I asked David to do the orchestrations on that record.”

Smith reveled in the opportunity to record with a 67-piece orchestra at Abbey Road. “The arrangements were intricate. The room is grand and the players were unbelievable,” he enthuses. “It’s incredible to hear music come to life.”

Always a prolific composer, Smith features two trilogies on the record. The “Emmanuel Trilogy” is among the highlights of the album as Smith’s spine-tingling melodies fuse with the power of the musicians to take the listener to a place where the miracle of the Christmas story comes to life.

Another of the album’s highlights is “Christmas Angels,” which finds Smith collaborating with Jonas Myrin, a young artist he met in the United Kingdom. “It’s painting a picture of Christmas angels,” explains Smith. “The message of Christmas is God is with us. Working on the song with Jonas was pretty easy. He caught the spirit of what I was going after.”

On It’s A Wonderful Christmas Smith also collaborates with old friends like Wes King. “Someone has to come out with new Christmas songs,” Smith says with a smile. So he rose to the challenge, creating an album that is an engaging blend of instrumentals and vocal performances. “When I started thinking about a Merry Christmas record, I got really excited,” he says. “I just put on my orchestra hat and all of sudden I started writing these things. I have 10 other songs that didn’t make the record. I just kept writing. We just picked what we thought would be the 10 or 11 best.”

“Song for a King” is among Smith’s favorite moments on the record. “’Song For The King’ is a song I wrote from a prayer,” Smith relates. “There’s something captivating about it. David came up with a great idea: ‘Why don’t we have you play it and have the violin play around you and then on the second time, let him take the solo?’ It works. The violin just translates the feeling in the song.”

It’s A Wonderful Christmas features some of the most poignant, heartfelt vocal performances of Smith’s career as he celebrates the birth of Christ in these moving songs. In addition to Smith’s vocals, listeners will also hear four different choirs, among them a 100-voice choir and also a 16-member London boy’s choir directed by John Tobin. Another treat on the album is a charming duet with American Idol
star, Mandisa.

Each instrument, each voice, each and every well-played note all add up to a collection of songs that help the listener celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. “I think this record will bring great comfort,” says Smith, who will once again embark on a Christmas tour this holiday season. “I think this record is a bit of a healing record for some reason. I just sense that. There’s something really special about it.”

In listening to the record, it’s easy to tell it was a labor of love. The inventive arrangements and soaring symphonic pieces showcase another side of Smith’s musical talent. “It’s authentic. It’s me. It’s who I am,” says Smith. “I’m not just a pop musician. I make symphonic records and worship albums. When it comes to what I’m supposed to be doing, I always go with my gut.”

Translate Page