The Albion Christmas Band

This is The Albion Christmas Band’s first album since 2011, though they have played regularly during that period and are currently on a national tour. Featuring Simon Nicol, Kelli While, Simon Care and Ashley Hutchings, it’s as live performers that they are probably better known anyway, also the members aren’t exactly idle with Fairport Convention and various solo projects vying for time.

The album is a bit of a hotchpotch of spoken word, classic and obscure carols plus seasonal songs. There’s a carefree abandon about the track-sequencing so it does jar occasionally however that’s a pretty minor and rather technical quibble as when it comes down to it, this is a very good album.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of The Christmas Albion Band is that they will experiment and so we have The Webley Twizzle – a Morris tune – that segues perfectly in and out of The Pogues’ Fairy-tale of New York and then there’s the unexpected American Country bounce of Ghost Story.

That sense of curiosity is also evident with them performing more obscure carols such as In Bethlehem City, or Hampshire Mummers Christmas Carol. While the aforementioned are vocal ensemble pieces, it’s Kellie While’s vocals throughout the album that linger, especially on that old chestnut Silent Night, and There’s a Light Shining Over Bethlehem, though the rest of the band get a look in at the end of the latter.

Elsewhere we are back in the USA with Thea Gilmore’s beautiful December in New York, and wassailing on the Gower Wassail. Ashley Hutchings’s movingly performs Mike Harding’s Christmas, 1914, and fittingly marks the WW1 commemorations.

There are plenty of Christmas albums about, everyone has had a go, including the current Nobel Laureate for literature! And they tend to stick to a well-worn formula and uninspiring choices of songs. However, if you fancy something different, a little more challenging but still respecting the traditions of Christmas and the season, then Magic Touch is for you.