by Nine-time Grammy award winner Natalie Cole will join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir celebrate an unforgettable Christmas with the new release, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. The 14-track set was recorded live at the Choirâs annual Christmas concert in December 2009. Cole adds her brand to the songs first made famous by her father, Nat King Cole, including Alfred Burtâs âCaroling, Carolingâ and the ever-popular âChristmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).â Cole also showcases her expressive range in the tender medieval carol, âThe Holly and the Ivy,â David Fosterâs recent popular hit, âGrown-Up Christmas List,â and the title track, âItâs the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.â âThe Most Wonderful Time of the Yearâ is Coleâs first release since the 60-year-old singer received a life saving kidney transplant on May 19, 2009. Tragically, the very day she had the operation, her sister Cookie passed away. âThis year has been a very emotional year for me, so to close it out working with these wonderful people is just such a feeling of goodness,â Cole said at the press conference before the concert. Choir arrangements include many time-honored classics, including âO Holy Night,â âFor Unto Us a Child Is Born,â and âHark! The Herald Angels Sing.â Also featured are several international holiday tunes, including the popular French carol âDance and Sing (Il Est Né)â and a medley of traditional holiday carols from Europe and the Caribbean. The 90-minute concert is also available on DVD. The famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir, also known as Americaâs Choir, has been recording longer than any U.S. recording artist, marking 100 years of recording in 2010. Their Christmas concerts are seen by 80,000 concertgoers and aired nationally on PBS.
