Cornucopia with voices violence

Every year throws the record industry with Christmas albums around that you just can not take cover. But when a woman from the format of an Annie Lennox released a CD that opens without Reindeer & Santa, then you can quiet times eyes and ears wide open.

The appearance is initially a bit daunting: Annie Lennox angelic and fairytale in the style of old Oblate pictures, framed by verschnörkeltem Kitsch. The deeper meaning arises only if one knows that the Christmas cornucopia - as the translation of the title "A Christmas Cornucopia" - a mythological symbol of happiness is and is presented with flowers and fruits. Accordingly, the booklet with all lyrics is designed very elaborately nostalgic.

In acoustic focus of the work, of course, is Annie's fantastic voice, which can be seen at first sound. Accompanied by piano and strings it brings everything out of it, puts powerful accents and floating along with the African Children's Choir to new heights.

The songs are mostly Christian hymns, but so differently arranged that they do not immediately think of the service or the Christmas Eve Mass. In conjunction with percussions and flutes sound diffuses towards world music, such as "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". The French song "Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant" is simply magical and "The First Noel" almost a classic pop ballad. "The Holly and the Ivy" sounds like the soundtrack to a fairytale and "Silent Night" is sung by Annie Lennox a revelation.

The highlight waits at the very end on the patient listener, for "Universal Child" is not just at Christmas time an ode to humanity, so vividly in text and voice that even an atheist can come to tears. This great song is the only one of Lennox-written, while the others are traditionals.

It remains at the end of the beautiful realization that Christmas albums do not necessarily offer undemanding entertainment music, but present real art beyond kitsch and RTL Chart-Show.