A Medieval Christmas

If you're tired of pre-packaged pop albums that turn beloved carols into ear candy, you may enjoy Kemper Crabb's MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS. I became a fan of Crabb's on the basis of one great album: THE VIGIL, one of the most creative Christian albums ever. In fact, one original KC song from that album appears here as well. MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS has some of the same feel, but it's a lot rougher on the edges due to the live performance aspect. After a while, all these songs start blending together because there's not much variety in the vocal or instrumental performances; in fact, some of the group vocals sound decidedly under-rehearsed. And the smattering of applause at the end of many cuts is distracting for background holiday listening. But because it's so different, I still recommend MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS despite its flaws. The band consists primarily of hand drums, guitar, cello, and recorder with 3 or 4 singers. Crabb's voice as always is very listenable and well-suited for the material. You'll feel like a band of wandering minstrels stopped by to serenade you with some very ancient songs of Christ's Nativity.

I've enjoyed the music of Kemper Crabb ever since he released his phenomenal "Christian Folk-Rock" album, "Warrior" (with his unfortunately short lived band ArkAngel) in the early 1980's. "Warrior" is sadly long out of print -- no doubt due to the Christian music industry's inability to recognize and promote truly creative works, opting instead for the vapid, insipid "gospel goop" that it usually churns out for the eager church-going masses. Even though I am no longer a Christian, I have continued to enjoy "Warrior" (keeping my cherished vinyl copy in pristine condition) and have long wanted more from this artist. How happy I was to discover this collection of songs on iTunes! I have already listened to it numerous times and can honestly say it is one of the best collection of holiday tunes that I own (and I have over 100 holiday albums in my collection). Some songs are unbelieveably joyful (including, surprisingly, the usually somber "What Child Is This?"), while others are passionate expressions of the artist's deep love for the christ-spirit (especially the final track, "Doulos"). Magnificent!

Just saw this group perform live, and it was an amazing experience! Great arrangements and a good ensemble of instruments.

This album is probably one of my favorite Xmas collections of all time. Kerper and Co really draw out an authentic and beautiful expression of music that is close to its ancient form. It is inspiring, uplifting, and enlightening. Incidentally, they make for an amazing wedding service.