Mannheim Steamfoller, A Fresh Aire Christmas

A Fresh Aire Christmas is a 1988 album by Mannheim Steamroller. The opening with trumpet heralding leads to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” which is the song that first introduced me to Mannheim Steamroller. “Veni Veni (O Come O Come Emmanuel)” begins in Latin in the style of a Gregorian chant. A keyboard and flute lay a foundation for higher voices and a more familiar choral sound, and the track exits with the Gregorian style. Nice. Next is “The Holly and the Ivy,” with flute, guitar, and strings. “Traditions of Christmas” is beautiful.

The best on the album and one of the best of all Christmas melodies is “Still, Still, Still.” For me, it is one of those close-your-eyes-and-enjoy-the beauty songs. And other equally beautiful versions can be found on YouTube. Sometimes I click through to enjoy several versions, in the same way that I enjoy “In the Bleak Midwinter.”

Less pleasing to my ear are these tracks:

The synthesized-to-acoustic “The Little Drummer Boy” confirms my preference for a more traditional version. A horn version of “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” simply doesn’t work for me.“In Dulci Jubilo,” from their Renaissance styling, reappears on this album, and I liked it better in its place with the Renaissance Christmas feast on their Christmas Live album.“Greensleeves” starts out with flute and guitar and swells to harpsichord (or some similar instrument) and strings to play through the entire melody. The string portion is the most lovely. Though I do I like harpsichord, here it sounds harsh against the strings.“Carol of the Bells,” says MS’s Chip Davis, has only about twenty seconds of music to work with, so he brings in variations of bells and styling—which is doesn’t work for me.“Cantique do Noël” seems drawn out and, by now, repetitive in style.

Two things have occurred to me during this exploration of a few Christmas albums: I should develop a playlist or at least a written list of the songs I enjoy the most. And most certainly I should create a folder or list in iTunes. Those in the first paragraph might be included; those in the second paragraph, probably not.

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories
7 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas Live
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas
2 Plus One—Christmas
3 Relient K— Let It Snow Baby . . . Let It Reindeer
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas in the Aire
8 Mannheim Steamroller—A Fresh Aire Christmas