c. 2003 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) From the Blind Boys of Alabama’s soul to Andy Griffith’s country to Relient K’s rock, musical artists are putting their particular twist on this year’s Christmas music.

Christian artists are featured on a number of recordings this holiday season, offering Christmas tunes that vary from the contemporary to the traditional and from vocal to instrumental.

The Blind Boys of Alabama team up with numerous artists for mostly recognizable tunes of the season on their “Go Tell It on the Mountain” CD. Tom Waits offers guest vocals on their rhythmic arrangement of the title track. Aaron Neville joins them for an a cappella version of “Joy to The World” with rich harmonies. That peaceful rendition is followed by the group’s more upbeat and drum-accented arrangement of “Born in Bethlehem” featuring Mavis Staples and George Clinton’s contribution to their bluesy arrangement of “Away in a Manger.”

Griffith mixes narration with some of the more well-known Christmas melodies in his album, “The Christmas Guest: Stories and Songs of Christmas.” The title story tells of a shop owner who had a vision of a coming visit from God but didn’t realize the arrivals of a beggar, an old woman and a lost child at his door each had a divine quality.

That and other stories _ including his recitation of the Gospel of Luke’s telling of Jesus’ birth _ are interspersed with his guitar-accented version of “Joy to the World” and his gentle arrangement of “Away in the Manger” that is combined with the lullaby “Golden Slumber.”

Relient K opens its “Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand” with a fast-paced, rocking version of “Angels We Have Heard on High.” The drum-heavy beat continues in “Deck the Halls” and “12 Days of Christmas” and even the “Handel’s Messiah” track featuring their version of the “Hallelujah” Chorus. But the group quiets down for its combination track of “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger” with a simpler piano accompaniment.

The CD _ which features originals including “Santa Clause is Thumbing to Town” and “I Hate Christmas Parties” _ is packaged with the band’s album “Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right … But Three Do.”

For those who like compilations’ delivery of many artists per CD, two recordings to consider are “T.D. Jakes Presents Follow the Star” and “Integrity’s iWorship _ A Total Christmas Worship Experience.”

Jakes’ CD features the Pentecostal preacher’s narration and piano playing and contemporary and traditional tracks from a range of artists. Mary Mary performs the contemporary “Gift of Love” that de-emphasizes the gifts under the tree while El Trio de Hoy puts a Latin beat to “Silent Night.” The CD closes out with a stirring “3 Wise Men Medley” featuring Cook, Dixon & Young (formerly known as Three Mo Tenors).

iWorship’s two-CD package features a substantial array of instrumental and vocal selections. Harps accent “Good Christian Men Rejoice” for the instrumental opening of the first disc and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir closes out the package’s last track with a medley ending with the worshipful “Jesus the Son of God.” In between are such artists as SONICFLOOd, contemporizing “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and the Colorado Mass Choir, performing a “Joy to the World” medley.

Other artists’ offerings include CDs by The Katinas, Rivertribe and Steven Curtis Chapman.

The Katinas’ four-track CD, “Christmas” is packaged with their album “Roots.” Their smooth harmonies accent the traditional “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow” as well as their more contemporary adaptation of “Mary, Did You Know.”

Rivertribe, an Australian ensemble featuring violin, African drums and Native American flutes, offers its unique instrumental versions of “Silent Night” and “First Noel” and other traditional carols on its CD simply titled “Christmas.”

Chapman’s “Christmas is All in the Heart,” is available only in Hallmark Gold Crown stores and features the artist using two instruments _ his voice and his guitar. His clear tones highlight his comfortable arrangements of such favorites as “Winter Wonderland, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and a medley including “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night.”

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