(PR) Natalie Cole and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir celebrate an unforgettable Christmas with the new album and DVD release, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.In this 14-track album, the talents of nine-time Grammy award winner and pop-music sensation Natalie Cole combine with the Grammy award-winning Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. It was recorded live at the Choir's annual Christmas concert in December 2009.
Cole adds her signature touch to the songs first made famous by her father, Nat King Cole, including Alfred Burt's "Caroling, Caroling" and the ever-popular "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)." Cole also showcases her expressive range in the tender medieval carol, "The Holly and the Ivy," David Foster's recent popular hit, "Grown-Up Christmas List," and the title track, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."
The performance with the Choir capped off an emotional year for Cole. On May 19, 2009, the 60-year-old singer received a kidney transplant that saved her life. Tragically, the very day she had the operation, her sister Cookie passed away.
"This 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," Cole said at the press conference before the concert.
Choir arrangements include many time-honored classics, including "O Holy Night," "For Unto Us a Child Is Born," and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Also featured are several international holiday tunes, including the popular French carol "Dance and Sing (Il Est Né)" and a medley of traditional holiday carols from Europe and the Caribbean.
The 90-minute concert is also available on DVD, under the same title, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. It includes a moving narration by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough about Christmas Eve 1941 and the importance of two Christmas favorites, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
