North Point Christmas: Let There Be Light

North Point Ministries’ second holiday project takes a creative approach to Christmas music as it underscores both the joy of the season and the deeper spiritual messages behind it. Traditional and newly composed tunes are juxtaposed as a diverse group of worship leaders keep the mood celebratory and reverent. The original nativity songs “Dawn Is Breaking” (sung by Ryan Stuart with fire and dressed up with electronica beats and strings) and “Unto Us” (a melodic pop/rocker with a martial tempo spotlighting Paul Taylor Smith’s uplifting vocals) set the album's overall tone. Clarissa Gibson’s yearning rendition of “Emmanuel (O Come, O Come Emmanuel)” and Seth Condrey’s folk-tinged treatment of “O Holy Night” update these much-loved hymns. Tracks like Todd Fields’ gently rhythmic “What Child Is This?” and Chris Cauley’s soulful, piano-centered “Silent Night” are more familiar in their interpretations but no less appealing. On the more secular side are Amber Humphries’ slow-burning reading of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and Adam Kersh’s heart-tugging take on “The Christmas Song.”