Just Say Nowell

If you're looking for something just a little bit different this Christmas, something traditional yet unusual, there's no better place to begin than the remarkable catalog of Nowell Sing We Clear, a quartet organized and led by the duo of John Roberts and Tony Barrand. And you could hardly do better than to start with this album in particular, a generous collection of traditional British Christmas songs performed with gusto and accompanied by concertina, accordion, and fiddle. Actually, while most of the tunes are British, two of them are American: the sturdy 18th century New England part song "London" and a wonderful Appalachian version of "The Blessings of Mary." The entire album is a joy, but particularly noteworthy are an unusual setting of "The First Nowell" (as sung by the Watersons to the traditional tune "Young Banker") and a strange, modal version of "The Holly and the Ivy." Very highly recommended.