| | |  | Featuring Kristin | Home » » A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | Kristin Chenoweth is a Hollywood star in the holiday sky to show you a 'Lovely Way to Spend Christmas' with her 2008 Christmas album. Kristin Chenoweth effortlessly transitions between stage, television and film with the captivating grace that only she can project. In 2008 she is starring as Olive Snook in the highly anticipated return of the ABC series Pushing Daisies. She is also known to her television fans as Annabeth Schott on The West Wing. As one of most in-demand Broadway actresses, she originated the role of Glinda in the Tony Awardr- winning musical Wicked, and won the Tony Awardr for Best Actress in a musical for her performance in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| October 14, 2008 | | Studio:
| Sony | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 67 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | I'll Be Home For Christmas | | 2. | Christmas Island | | 3. | The Christmas Waltz | | 4. | Do You Hear What I Hear? | | 5. | Sleigh Ride / Marshmallow World with John Pizzarelli | | 6. | Sing | | 7. | Silver Bells | | 8. | Come On Ring Those Bells | | 9. | What Child Is This? | | 10. | Home On Christmas Day | | 11. | Born On Christmas Day | | 12. | Sleep Well Little Children / What A Wonderful World | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 67 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 67 found the following review helpful:
 A Lovely Way to Start Your Christmas SeasonOct 14, 2008
By Danielle
Kristin Chenoweth has put out her first Christmas CD and it is absolutely beautiful. It's full of Christmas classics that everyone knows and a few lesser known Christmas songs. She sings the songs in the traditional way and some have a country twang to it.
1. I'll be home for Christmas- 5/5 One of my all-time favorite Christmas classics. Kristin does the song well.
2. Christmas Island- 3/5 A song I hadn't heard of before. It's got a Hawaiian sound to it. It's an okay song but not one of my favorites on the cd.
3. The Christmas Waltz-5/5 Kristin's voice sounds gorgeous on this song. It's a softer version than other versions of this song that I've heard before.
4. Do you hear what I hear?- 5/5 Another one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. I love Kristin's version of it. I love how her voice echoes during the "Do you hear what I hear" part. It's sounds lovely and has a twinkly sound that is throughout the song (I'm not sure what instrument makes that sound.
5. Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow world- 4/5 I prefer the beginning of this song. It's an okay duet wth John Pizzarelli but it's not one of my favorites.
6. Sing- 4/5 It's another song where the beginning of the song is my favorite part.
7. Silver Bells- 5/5 This is my all-time favorite Christmas song. Kristin presents a version with an intro that I haven't heard before. It then goes into a version that has a country twang to it. But it's still one of my favorites on the album.
8. Come on ring those bells- 5/5 This is a full-blown country song. It kind of reminds me of a Dolly Parton song. I like it though.
9. What Child is this?- 5/5 This is my favorite Christmas song right after Silver Bells. I adore Kristin's version of this song. It starts with a Celtic sound and goes into Kristin singing softly. I think it's gorgeous sounded and one of the best versions I've heard of this song.
10. Home on Christmas Day-5/5 I hadn't heard this song before but I like it. For most of the song, it's just Kristin singing with a piano but then it goes into an orchestra sound.
11. Born on Christmas Day-4/5 Another soft song. It's a nice song but I'm not sure it will be played as much as some of the other songs on the album for me.
12.Sleep well little children/What a wonderful world- 5/5 A beautiful way to end the album. I love how she put the two songs together. It works really well. It's a great lullaby sounding song.
So if you're a fan of Kristin from "Wicked" or "Pushing Daisies" or just enjoy Christmas music, I think this would be a great addition to your Christmas music collection.
32 of 35 found the following review helpful:
Pure Christmas MagicOct 21, 2008
By Mark Baker
As much as I love Christmas music, there are very few CD's that grab me from the moment I first start listening to them. But that was the case with this CD. From the very first note of "I'll Be Home for Christmas," I was drawn into a world of snow and twinkling lights and presents. Kristin's voice made me want to snuggle up by a fire, and its still 80's degrees here in Southern California.
The CD ranges in style from jazz on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (with a lovely sax solo), to big band on "Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World" and "Christmas Island" and even a hint of country on "Silver Bells."
Speaking of country, she goes full blown country on "Come On, Ring Those Bells." I have another version of this song I consider my favorite Christmas song, so that choice was a bit of a disappointment. Even this song won me over after a few more listens, however.
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" is amazing. The music starts quietly with just bells as Kristin sings the first verse. As the song progresses, the orchestra builds. Kristin even echoes herself at times.
"Home on Christmas Day" is at once sad and beautiful. It's a song to the loved ones no longer in her life letting them know they will always have a home in her heart at Christmas.
I've never heard the normally upbeat "Christmas Waltz" performed this slowly before, but I fell in love with it half way through.
I'm not normally a fan of artists recording songs that aren't normally Christmas on Christmas releases, but even that works here. "Sing" incorporates a Christmas themed second verse while "What a Wonderful World" is combined with Christmas lullaby "Sleep Well Little Children."
I know this is a disc I will pull out often over the coming years whenever I need to get into the Christmas mood. I have no qualms calling it a masterpiece already. I am sure it will stand the test of time.
12 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Chenoweth delivers a classic!Nov 07, 2008
By Ruth Anderson
"Book Reviewer"
A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is Kristin Chenoweth's third full-length studio album (following 2005's As I Am and 2001's Let Yourself Go). While she's been one of my favorite vocalists since her debut, her second disc fell a bit short. Let Yourself Go is a classic concept album - it flows perfectly, the entire disc a throwback to the 1930s big band sound, seamlessly blending classics with new songs. As I Am by comparison was more hit-or-miss. While Kristin's voice shines (most notably on my favorite, "Taylor, the Latte Boy"), the album lacks a cohesive style, running the gamut from country to Broadway to pop. Thankfully, A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is a classic Christmas album from the first track to the last. The song selections and arrangements perfectly frame Chenoweth's soaring, sparkling voice. She covers many of the classics here, like her rich, emotional delivery of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and the classically influenced "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "What Child Is This?". There's also lesser-known gems like "The Christmas Waltz" and "Christmas Island." The latter is the only "novelty" song on the album, but Kristin makes the song her own and turns it nto a showcase for the spunky and comic side of her personality. "Sing," "Silver Bells," and "Come On Ring Those Bells" have the pop-country feel that Chenoweth introduced on her second album, recalling her Oklahoma roots. "Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World" is a fun, jazzy duet with John Pizzarelli - his laid-back vocal is a great counterpoint to Kristin's high energy delivery. The disc closes with the stunning, perfectly paired "Sleep Well Little Children/What a Wonderful World" where the richness and depth of Kristin's voice is on full display. A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is an instant holiday classic. Kristin's crystalline voice is so good here I'll be hard pressed not to listen to this album year-round.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Christmas From A Crystal VoiceDec 02, 2010
By troyalcala
I truly am a fan of both Kristin Chenowith and Christmas Music. This is why I am giving it three stars with great reluctance. Not because the songs were all terrible but because Kristin's voice could have been given a more festive repertiore. With that voice, the possibilities were endless, unfortunately it fell short for me. Here is how I rate each song:
I'll Be Home For Christmas. 4/5. Beautiful rendition. The arrangement gives a chill factor similar to love songs of old. At some point in the song, she sounds a little jazzy which I felt was not necessary, nevertheless she delivered it with poignancy and sincerity.
Christmas Island. 3/5. It sounded like a barbershop quartet. If this song was in another album or isolated from the rest of the songs, it would have worked. However, there is nothing Christmas with coconuts and canoes.
The Christmas Waltz. 5/5. The best song in this album. While I was wrapping gifts it made me stop and listen. The music box intro was somewhat in a minor key reminding me of Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas. Then the lush arrangements steered it towards a magical experience. By the end of the song you begin to imagine a music box with waltzing dancers beginning to halt.
Do You Hear What I Hear. 5/5. Theatrical that you could actually imagine Glinda gliding and singing the song. If there were a Christmas Play, it could have been Kristin perfomring as an angel. Somewhere in the middle there was a counterpoint to Angels We Have Heard On High, which further sold me to the song.
Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World. 4/5. A fresh take on Sleigh Ride with a counterpoint of Marshamallow World. This is in the tradition of 70s Christmas Specials, like seeing Gene Kelly and Julie Andrews doing a comedy skit through song. Endearing.
Sing. 4/5. For some strange reason, this Christmas Album reminds me of the Carpenters' Christmas Portrait. First off, The Christmas Waltz and Sleep Well Little Children was not famous before the Carpenters made their rendition. With Sing, I can't help but feel that the producers were inspired by the work of the famous 70s duo, which is certainly not the wrong direction to take.
Silver Bells. 3/5. I never really like this song in the first place. Kristin though executes it well, I felt that it was uneventful and is just passable.
Come On Ring Those Bells. 1/5. I first heard this song in our church programme when I was 13. Did not like it then, did not like it now. For me this was just terrible, even for Kristin.
What Child Is This. 3/5. This traditional carol is a dreaded piece for choirs, the minor key makes it sound so sad even though the lyrics tell of hope. Kristin just manages to make the song work with her classical sounding coloratura.
Home On Christmas Day. 2/5. Forgettable.
Born On Christmas Day. 2/5. Forgettable.
Sleep Well Little Children/What A Wonderful World. 5/5. Just when you thought the album was going downhill with two forgettable performances, it makes a brilliant closing with this number. Strangely enough, the chords for Sleep Well is actually just Wonderful World, but it worked so well that it seems that both songs were made to really counterpoint. A wonderful closing.
Hope this provides an objective review. Have a blessed holiday listening to one of the most outstanding voices in our time.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Where is the OOMPHFeb 16, 2010
By Mark Mannisto
"Mista' Mark"
I am a big fan of Chenoweth. I think she is a lot of fun. Her CD, however, lacks the OOMPH and special feeling that is related to Christmas. Seeing that I am a fan of hers its pains me so much to say this. There are far more better Christmas CDs out there. There is really nothing on here to make it a GEM!
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