Avalon

Joy — A Christmas Collection
Sparrow Records

The wait is over. “Joy,”the much-anticipated Christmas album from Avalon, has arrived, and listeners will not be disappointed. Christian music’s hottest group has assembled a wonderful collection of Christmas tunes sung in typical Avalon fashion.

The album begins with the upbeat anthem “Joy (to theWorld)” This blend of a traditional melody with a contemporary sound sets the tone for the rest of the album. As far as traditional holiday classics, the album includes “The Angels Medley”: (“The First Noel,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”), “Winter Wonderland,” “The Christmas Song,” and “Manger Medley”: (O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Away in a Manger,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Silent Night”). The album also includes several newer Christmas songs that have gained recent popularity.

Songs like “Don’t Save It All for Christmas Day” and “Jesus Born on This Day” have been recorded by other artists, but have a distinctly Avalon sound on this album.

“Joy” is sure to be one of the best seasonal albums of the year. Avalon continues to share the message of Christ through their music in a way that very few people can.