On October 14, 2008 Sony BMG Masterworks released Kristin Chenoweth's new Christmas CD A LOVELY WAY TO SPEND CHRISTMAS.
The holiday release has met with positive reviews and successful sales, so much so that the album has reached #9 on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart.
For her third album, Chenoweth covers a wide range of Christmas songs from "Christmas Island," popularized by The Andrews Sisters to Kristin's personal favorite "Come On Ring Those Bells."Recorded at Capitol Recording Studio's legendary Studios A and B where Sinatra, Judy Garland and Nat King Cole all etched their Christmas standards, A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas is an eclectic combination of full orchestral arrangements, along with big band, a bit of tropical island flavor, pop and country.
In addition to well-known Christmas classics such as "Silver Bells" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas," Chenoweth reinterprets Louis Armstrong's modern standard "What A Wonderful World" and children's favorite "Sing," (originally written for Sesame Street's loveable Big Bird) into a Christmas songs with the help of acclaimed producer Robbie Buchanan (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow) and Executive Producer Jay Landers (Streisand, Midler, Manilow, Celine Dion and Josh Groban).
The album also features new compositions of "Home On Christmas Day," co-written by Grammy Award winning producer Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion) and Jay Landers and "Born On Christmas Day," with lyrics by Grammy winning pop/soul singing legend Peabo Bryson.
On choosing to record a Christmas album Chenoweth says, "From the minute I signed with Sony Classical eight years ago, I wanted to record a Christmas album. I grew up listening to Barbra Streisand's Christmas album, and that was such an inspiration to me. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I am blessed and excited to be able to do my own Christmas album."
Kristin is featured and can be seen in the current motion picture comedy Four Christmases directed by Seth Gordon and starring alongside Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. Kristin can also be heard as the voice of the fairy, Rosetta, in Walt Disney Picture's Tinkerbell and she just wrapped filming the independent film, Into Temptation, directed by Sundance filmmaker Patrick Coyle opposite Jeremy Sisto.
Track Listing:
1 I'll Be Home For Christmas
2 Christmas Island
3 The Christmas Waltz
4 Do You Hear What I Hear?
5 Marshmallow Ride / Sleigh Ride
6 Sing
7 Silver Bells
8 Come On Ring Those Bells
9 What Child Is This?
10 Home On Christmas Day
11 Born On Christmas Day
12 Sleep Well Little Children / What A Wonderful World SOURCE Sony BMG Masterworks
Photos by BRIAN BOWEN SMITH
