A few impressions, after living with it for a couple of days…(if you haven't seen it yet, don't read if you want to be surprised)
Just a personal thing, I tend to like the hymns more than the carols, and the combination of a hymn and Méav singing it is magic. I've yet to be able to watch her sing my all-time favorite hymn (What Child is This) without choking up a little. Her "Silent Night" with the choir holding lit candles behind her is also mind-blowing. So incredibly awesome to see her with the group again. Like Lisa K, it just seems when Méav is singing, no matter what's going on in life, everything is going to be OK.
Susan always looks nice, but she's particularly stunning in this show. The dresses they chose for her suit her perfectly. And I absolutely love her "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" with the gospel choir. Breathtaking. Wouldn't be surprised if that became a signature song of hers. I can totally hear Chloe doing it too, but Susan nailed it. The concert I saw in March was my first time seeing Susan perform, so it's good to be able to have this performance on disc and get to know her better. As per usual with "newer" members (although she's been with the group awhile now, this is the first DVD), I enjoy her performances more every time I see them.
I would have liked to see more Mairéad. Her "Carol of the Bells" is terrific as an instrumental, with her usual energy and virtuosity. I would have liked to see at least one more solo, and have her featured more during the other numbers. You can never have too much fairy fiddler, in my opinion.
I must admit that before I heard L'il Lambe sing "Auld Lang Syne," I never really cared for it all that much. But her emotional treatment of the song totally turned it around for me - I think it's one of the highlights of the show. Love the way she reacts to what people in the audience are doing while she's singing. She'll turn and look and see somebody, and flash a toothy smile without missing a note. Her lilt is perfect for this song. Just beautiful, and David's understated arrangement is perfect.
A few other highlights were "O Tannenbaum" in three languages (especially Lisa's German) - and "The Light of Christmas Morn". I'm embarrassed to say I'm not very familiar with this song, but I love it. I would have thought I'd heard all the Christmas songs there were to hear, but this one took me by surprise. Kind of like "Christmas Pipes" did in the first Christmas special. While "It's Beginning to Look at Lot…" isn't a favorite song, I do like the staging with the red dresses and the snow - it's the song that has a little bit of the playful feel that "Let It Snow" had. And finally, I thought "Joy to the World" was the perfect choice for the finale, a joyful and triumphant tune that the girls and choir deliver beautifully. And I do like the bonus material, too - just something a little different (I could listen to those ladies
talk, as well as
sing, all day…sigh.)
Nice to see Chloe's dad playing with the orchestra, and a couple of familiar faces in the choir. And of course, our own Kirstie "representing" for the forum.