Tony Cummings muses on the Californian breathing new life into the traditional carols, PHIL WICKHAM

Phil Wickham

When in the 1980s the Christian music record industry established an album release pattern whereby the most popular CCM artists would release occasional Christmas albums. And so it came to pass that the Amy Grants, Steven Curtis Chapmans and Michael W Smiths of a vibrant record market would release Yuletide albums. In truth, many were of dubious quality, clogged with unimaginative arrangements of well-worn carols or, worse, Santa songs and sentimental tributes to families gathering in log fire-heated homes.

Today, the Christian music world is very different from the golden years of CCM. Worship leaders and songwriters are the big sellers and streaming has become the major way the church-going public access their new songs. But the Christmas album release schedules remain. Thankfully the sentimental songs and tacky production values HAVE disappeared. Demonstrating this are some gems on the Cross Rhythms 2025 Christmas playlist. Stephen McWhirter's "O Holy Night" from his 'Christmas Worship Songs' set and Rhett Walker's "Give Me Jesus" from his 'Christmas Mixtape' EP show that the creative standards for Christian Christmas music have never been higher. And, to my ears, the best Yuletide radio hit is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Phil Wickham.

Cross Rhythms have a decades-long connection with Phil. When in 1992 he made his first appearance in Britain at the West Country's Creation Festival we were probably the first media organisation, outside of California, to recognise the worship leader's talents and down the decades he has been a regular on the Cross Rhythms playlist.

Phil's musical and spiritual roots go deep into Californian soil. Both his parents were members of '70s Jesus music bands The Way and Parable. As a teenager Phil was leading worship and when he began recording, his independent releases led him to being signed to the Nashville CCM companies. They released 'Phil Wickham' in 2006, 'Cannons' in 2007 and 'Heaven & Earth' in 2009. His Yuletide set 'Songs For Christmas' was released as a digital download available on his website in 2010. Then in 2013 Wickham released the album 'The Ascension' with its featured single "This Is Amazing Grace". The album peaked at 39 on the Billboard 200 album chart. His next release, 2016's 'Living Hope', became Phil's first album to make number one on Billboard's Christian Music chart while the same year Phil released the 'Christmas' album. As well as carol evergreens like "Hark The Herald Angels Sing", "Joy To The World" and "Away In A Manger" the project featured a fine original song "Face Of God" which Wickham co-wrote with Shane Everett and Shane Bernard of the Shane & Shane duo.

In 2021 the worship leader released the 'Hymn Of Heaven' set which went on to win a Dove Award as Worship Album Of The Year the following year. The year after that Fair Trade Services streamed a Wickham original "Manger Throne" which some critics might name as the best new Christmas song written for decades.

In 2024 Phil released his 'Hallelujah! It's Christmas' album and as well as such carol evergreens as "Silent Night, Holy Night" and "Deck The Halls" and fine original songs such as the title track and "Manger Throne" had a version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" which began to catch the attention of radioland. With songwriter Jonathan Smith, Wickham had added a new melodic coda, sung by members of the CBU Choir, to the traditional carol which gave it a new appeal.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" has a fascinating, and ancient, history. An early version of the carol can be found in an anonymous manuscript dating from the 1650s, English solicitor and antiquarian William Sandys included it in his 1833 publication Christmas Carols Ancient And Modern and by the 20th century it was appearing in countless hymn books and festive song sheets. Now Smith's and Wickham's sparkling adaptation has brought these "tidings of comfort and joy" to a merry new audience of gentlemen and ladies.