Sufjan Stevens to release 5 disc Songs For Christmas
For the past five years in December, Sufjan Stevens has sat down to record a Christmas EP. Having only missed one year, 2004, Sufjan has put together an "odd and idiosyncratic catalog", as Steven's Asthmatic Kitty puts it. Leaking each year among music bloggers, the Christmas albums float around the web to be cherished by the hardy fans. Asthmatic Kitty describes the instruments used on the albums: banjo, oboe, Casiotone, wood flute, a buzzy guitar, hand claps, sleigh bells, Hammond organ, some tree tinsel, and the sleigh bells.
While Sufjan Stevens is enjoying the exuberance over Avalanche, Asthmatic Kitty has announced that Sufjan Stevens will be releasing a five disc Christmas set called Songs for Christmas, on November 21. Because Illinois and Avalanche were both recorded and completed in 2005, this will give us a glimpse of how Sufjan has grown musically.
The five albums will be individually packaged, complete with stickers. Asthmatic Kitty states it will also include "liner notes and short stories by Sufjan Stevens, an original Christmas essay by Rick Moody, an animated music video and comic strip by Tom Eaton, and a Christmas Songbook with lyric sheets and chord charts–so you can sing along too."
The tracklists are as follows:
Noel: Songs for Christmas, Vol. I (recorded December 2001)
1. Silent Night
2. O Come O Come Emmanuel
3. We’re Goin’ To the Country! *
4. Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming
5. It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad! *
6. Holy Holy, etc.
7. Amazing Grace
Hark!: Songs for Christmas, Vol. II (recorded December 2002)
1. Angels We Have Heard on High
2. Put the Lights on the Tree *
3. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
4. I Saw Three Ships
5. Only at Christmas Time *
6. Once in Royal David’s City
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!
8. What Child Is This Anyway?
9. Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
Ding! Dong!: Songs for Christmas, Vol. III (recorded December 2003)
1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
2. Come on! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance! *
3. We Three Kings
4. O Holy Night
5. That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! *
6. Ding! Dong! *
7. All the King’s Horns *
8. The Friendly Beasts
Joy: Songs for Christmas, Vol. IV (recorded December 2005)
1. The Little Drummer Boy
2. Away In A Manger
3. Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time! *
4. The First Noel
5. Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!) *
6. The Incarnation *
7. Joy To The World
Peace: Songs for Christmas, Vol. V (recorded June 2006)
1. Once in Royal David’s City
2. Get Behind Me, Santa! *
3. Jingle Bells
4. Christmas in July *
5. Lo! How A Rose E’er Blooming
6. Jupiter Winter *
7. Sister Winter *
8. O Come O Come Emmanuel
9. Star of Wonder *
10. Holy, Holy, Holy
11. The Winter Solstice *
* denotes original songs by Sufjan Stevens © 2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
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