Christmas has changed a lot in America since 1957’s A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra was released. The holiday has certainly become a much more consumeristic affair, filled with month-long advertisements and shopping sprees, and by and large the holiday has effectively become a secular celebration. There’s no hiding the fact that religion’s popularity is waning in America with each passing generation, and the celebration of Christmas reflects that. I don’t really have a strong opinion on these trends being a non-practicing Episcopalian who hasn’t been to Church in over a decade. However, I did grow up in the Church (I served as an Acolyte which basically involved showing up to Church an hour early once per month to help prepare the service and then take part in the service by helping the priest serve communion and read the Gospel). My grandparents were all also incredibly religious, playing a huge role in their congregation and never missing a Sunday without going to Church.
One of my most memorable moments from my Church-going days was Christmas Eve at St. Andrew’s Church in Saratoga. At the end of the service they would hand out candles, cut out all the house lights, and each pew filled with people would light their candle all the way down the line until everyone had a burning candle in their hands. We would then sing “Silent Night” in unison, 400 folks strong, with a small organ accompaniment in the background. Those moments were quite frankly a religious experience (pun intended?) and some of the most powerful things I remember from the holidays during my childhood– every time I hear that song I get goosebumps as the wave of nostalgia washes over me, and the same exact thing happened when I heard “Silent Night” from A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra came on. It’s a wonderful rendition that really captures the magic of being in Church with a bunch of other people singing in unison– there is a power in those moments that is undeniable and really needs to be experienced to be fully understood. The album in particular manages to capture that Church-like feel amidst Sinatra’s iconic slight baritone washing over his backing choir and subtle musical arrangements. This whole album feels like Christmas Eve in all the best ways.
Standout Songs: “Silent Night”, “The Christmas Song”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
