The CD I have been waiting for over 19 days finally arrived today, and I realised that I had never written a proper review of my absolute favourite Christmas album. Today, I am putting that right. If you are interested in reading this review, you are probably more interested in my personal thoughts than in a repetition of the promotional material (which, to be fair, is entirely truthful), so I will go straight to the music.
Silent Night, first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818, was born when a broken church organ forced the priest Joseph Mohr to find an alternative. With lyrics by Joseph Mohr and music by Franz Xaver Gruber, the carol was first performed at Christmas Mass with guitar accompaniment. When I heard the guitar played by Edeltraud Appl in Benjamin Appl’s The Christmas Album, it immediately caught my attention. This rendition feels like one of the closest interpretations to the original version of Silent Night.
The fact that the guitar and voice are performed by mother and son beautifully conveys the key message of the album. In video clips discussing this recording, Benjamin explains that Christmas is a time to search for peace, to forgive, and to reconnect—especially with family.
At its core, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. He came to bridge heaven and earth, enabling reconciliation between God and humanity. From this foundation, the meaning of Christmas extends naturally to relationships between human beings.
Benjamin’s Christmas traditions with his family in Regensburg, as well as his childhood with the Regensburger Domspatzen—which laid the foundation for his artistic life—help keep him grounded while he spends much of his time travelling the world sharing music. All of this is reflected, particularly movingly, in Silent Night.
As a Bach and Mendelssohn fan, I was overjoyed to hear “Großer Herr, o starker König” from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. I doubt I will be able to listen to another interpretation of this aria after this one, as well as the soothing “Ja, es sollen wohl Berge weichen” from Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
I also greatly appreciate the traditional Bavarian Christmas song Es wird scho glei dumpa, accompanied by the zither. While Benjamin stays close to his roots and traditions, the album is also unmistakably international: from the heart-melting melodies of John Rutter, to the luminous Swedish Jul, jul, strålande jul, the French Carol of the Birds, and the American classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
In addition to well-loved carols such as Adeste Fideles and O du fröhliche, the album includes newer works that sound fresh and delightful. My new favourite is Sehet den Stern by Hans Berger. Each time I listen, I discover new details. If you happen to hear this Christmas album, I hope you will come to love it as much as I do.