City On A Hill: It's Christmas Time

Title: It's Christmas Time
Category: Praise & Worship
Artist/Group: City On A Hill
Rating: 4 / 5

It's Christmas Time Silent Night Holy Emmanuel Babe in the Straw Child of Love Bethlehem Town Manger Throne Away In A Manger Do You Hear What I Hear? In the Bleak Midwinter O Holy Night

City on a Hill is a relatively new project which began in 2000 with the goal of uniting Christian artists of different genres to compile real and sincere worship albums. The first two records, City on a Hill- Songs of Worship and City on a Hill- Alleluia, were great successes, not only winning awards, but also gaining a lot of recognition in the Christian music community.

This leads us to their newest release, City on a Hill- It’s Christmas Time. This compilation is already receiving a lot of hype, and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet! Before I get into the meat of this review, I would like to preface that by letting you know that I am not a big fan of City on a Hill. They possess incredible artistic skills, and meaningful lyrics, but their trademark melodic and mellow music doesn’t draw me in.

Just another note, the producers of City on a Hill put their compilations together in a very unique way- they plan it like that from the beginning. For example, the Wow compilations are put together after the artists have recorded their songs- like a greatest hits of the year album. City on a Hill brings the artists together and the songs are arranged and recorded specifically for the project. It really is a very cool thing, and their albums reflect it. There are very smooth transitions between songs, and everything just seems to flow as you listen to it, lyrically and musically. And, it makes a difference if you listen on random mode, verses the order that the producers arranged them, a sign that a lot of thought and planning was put into these projects.

The Christmas album is no different, and begins with ringing bells, which occasionally echo in the title song, “It’s Christmas Time,” and are heard at the conclusion of the album. Most of these songs are original songs, written by the artists who sing them, and the rest are our good old carols, if you can recognize them. “Silent Night,” re-arranged by Sixpence None the Richer, is one of my favorites on the project. Classic Sixpence style, on a classic Christmas hymn. “Away in a Manger,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” and “O holy night,” are also mixed in with heartfelt singing and interesting arrangements.

The album, itself, is not a joyful album. If you listen to the words on songs like, ”Child of Love,” by Sara Groves, speak from the perspective of Mary as she holds her new child, knowing that He will suffer and die for us. Then Jars of Clay comes in on the next track to sing “Bethlehem Town,” “O Mary rest your head, and try not to think of the ending…You birthed death, to give us life”. A lot of the songs examine the suffering Christ went through for our sins- a very painful, but real part of our faith.

There is a lot of emotion and a sense of intimacy throughout the album. It may not be something you pick up just listening to it on the car ride home. If you have it, or plan on buying it, I highly recommend just spending some time listening to the lyrics and how heartfelt they are sung.

My favorite track is the title track, “It’s Christmas Time.” It is a very cleverly done collaboration of all the artists who sang for this project. It about as up-beat as the album gets (I generally prefer faster, powerful songs). The song also weaves in the chorus of “Angels we have Heard on High,” to add to the Christmas feel of celebration and awe. The only part that I would change is the Sixpence vocalist repeating and repeating, “It’s Christmas Time…” throughout the song. It gets to be pretty annoying.

So, in conclusion, a very well constructed album with heartfelt, intimate lyrics all held together by smooth, melodic vocals and instrumentals. If you enjoyed previous albums by City on a Hill, I would recommend getting this one. If you are looking for some Christmas music, try something else.

p.s.- track 11, “In the Bleak of Winter,” by Paul Tri Colman, has a guitar lick that strangely sounds like the Beatles song, “Norwegian Wood.”

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