Christmas albums can often sound tedious, retreading old ground, sticking to well known favourites that all too often end up being a chore to listen to. Jesseye Norman, although not straying far from the classics, makes sure not to fall into such a trap.

Her deep, warm and inviting voice makes every featured carol sound fresh and exciting, no matter how many times you listen, with a superb orchestral and choral back-up. An album that truly captures the spirit of Christmas, that will no doubt remain a festive favourite for many years to come.

Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but refused to be limited to that voice type. She was a commanding presence on operatic, concert and recital stages, associated with roles including Beethoven's Leonore, Wagner's Sieglinde and Kundry, Cassandre and Didon by Berlioz and Bartók's Judith. The New York Times music critic Edward Rothstein described her voice as a "grand mansion of sound", and wrote that "it has enormous dimensions, reaching backward and upward. It opens onto unexpected vistas. It contains sunlit rooms, narrow passageways, cavernous halls."