Reviewed by Tony Cummings

David is one of those vocalists about which music lovers tend to have extreme opinions. There is a clique of southern gospel enthusiasts who believe him to be on of the greatest vocalists recording in Christendom. There are others who wince at his melodramatic emoting and find his approach to balladry distinctly cringeworthy. I tend to sit somewhere in the middle of these two positions though I did struggle with this album, containing as it does some distinctly over recorded carols ("Joy To The World", "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" etc) while his decision to record such ghastly items as "Santa Clause, Get Well Soon" is a clear dud. Still, "Tonight", penned by Gloria and Benjamin Gaither, is a pretty good original while, if you can get over the saccharine sentiments Celine Dion's "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" shows David to be a quality vocalist. Overall though, this is one best left to hardcore Gaither enthusiasts.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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A musical keepsake for years to come, this recording features the unparallelled tenor voice of David Phelps singing the songs of Christmas.

This recording artfully captures the excitement and glory of Christ’s birth with songs that truly capture the heart of the Christmas season.