Sandi Patty The Gift Goes On

Sandi Patty’s The Gift Goes On a Rousing Good Time

By Kristin Battestella

1983’s The Gift Goes On was the first of nearly a dozen holiday albums and compilations from the contemporary Christian singer then known as Sandi Patti, and it’s a reverent, rousing session for the season, indeed.

Worship the King opens The Gift Goes On in sweeping fashion yet carries an easy eighties beat, pleasant melody, inspiring choir, catchy rhythms, and spiritual lyrics that sound both carol-esque and viable for year round praise. The big notes continue for the Worship the Gift Medley of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear/Away in a Manger/What Child is This and Little Town of Bethlehem but the mix stays soft and lullaby tender thanks to breezy and effortless transitions across the carols as the somber orchestration builds. Patty has certainly given these tunes full-length treatments elsewhere – many which appear on the Yuletide Joy compilation – but there’s enough of each familiar refrain in this warm and graceful sing a long session.

The titular The Gift Goes On is arranged in a fun calypso style with a slightly dated eighties panache, but there’s also a swanky maturity to balance the youthful backing choir. For such an operatically capable singer, Patty also knows when to keep her vocals and music casual in an intimate, gentle mode – as in the short Christmas Was Meant for Children track. This quiet, nostalgic two and a half minutes of reflection adds a personal family time to The Gift Goes On before the Old World flavoring of Jesu Bambino/O Holy Night. A touch of O Come All Ye Faithful refrains accent these less heard and triumphantly delivered carols. Although not as big a showstopper as found on her O Holy Night release, the rousing choir and varied arrangement lead to some excellent crescendos, and Sandi takes the house down as only few people can.

The Worship the King Reprise Medley of Celebrate the Gift: Rejoice/ For Unto Us A Child is Born is a bit of a mouthful of a track listing I know, but this combination takes the catchy of the first tune and adds a little Handel’s Messiah – just in case we weren’t already trying to sing along like we are all so spectacular. Underlining choruses from Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Joy to the World choir refrains add layers of concert and performance to The Gift Goes On. One couldn’t possibly do all this calypso to classical all in one night so here’s the quick show version in snappy, holding that high note glory. I Wonder as I Wander, by contrast, adds a somber melody and slows down the lingering breaths with seemingly medieval accents before O Magnify the Lord provides more reverence. The shortest track on The Gift Goes On, these 2 minutes seem more palpable pop in fashion compared to the older carols and classical sources. However, it may also be too similar to Worship the King, almost to the point that it sounds like the next verse. Fortunately, this is still another catchy, hand clapping gospel session that can play on regardless of season.

The set’s two longest tracks conclude The Gift Goes On, and due to some low volume, old CD mono, or poor mixing, it’s tough to understand Bethlehem Morning at first. Thankfully, the soft notes and high octaves come together with big lyrics rising and lifting up the first Christmas story in parallel to His delivered fulfillment. At five minutes, this one may seem redundant because we already had some exceptional, stirring numbers on The Gift Goes On, but this remains touching and heart tugging even if some listeners may find the notes too bombastic. Also five minutes, the bittersweet Merry Christmas with Love/Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas finale is perhaps an odd choice to finish The Gift Goes On with an expected December melancholy pop. The album is after all an unabashedly Christian and uplifting half hour otherwise. However, this is a pleasant, hushed end and a fittingly warm fare thee well.

 

The Gift Goes On is certainly not for solely secular Christmas celebrants or general seasonal audiences considering its mix of short and unfamiliar religious steep or long and long-winded carols. (I also realize not everyone was as addicted to Patty’s 1983 More Than Wonderful record – yes record – as I was.) It’s unusual as well that with such a capable voice, many big difficult carols are absent from this surprisingly short 35 minute session. Nonetheless, this is a fine holiday debut from Sandi – and we’ve had plenty more Christmas music from her since to complete this spiritual family friendly playlist perfect for a night of baking or tree trimming.

O Holy Night!

Sandi Patty Shines in O Holy Night

By Kristin Battestella

Those that listen to Christian music certainly know who Sandi Patty is. The booming soprano was the beloved of the Contemporary Christian music for most of the eighties, until personal scandals disappointed many fans and almost brought an end to her career. For those that turned away or audiences not interested in Christian music, I urge you to reconsider with Patty’s 1996 Christmas release O Holy Night!

Angels We Have Heard On High starts the album off in big fashion. Sandi Patty, however, doesn’t blow out the beautiful orchestra or choir behind her. Sure she doesn’t need anything else but her opera trained voice to carry an excellent tune, but the coming together of vocals and music adds heavenly reverence worthy of this hymn’s title.

Not many can properly handle Carol Of The Bells. It can be a very dark song and too chant like if done wrong. Thankfully, you can actually understand Patty’s lyrics without sacrificing the tough range this tune requires. The orchestra takes on the proper booms and crescendos, giving the feel of a real Carnegie performance.

Next is a Home For The Holidays / I’ll Be Home For Christmas medley, followed by another combo of White Christmas and Winter Wonderland. These secular staples are lovely among themselves, but Home for the Holidays is too slow. Why restrict one of our generation’s great voices when there are plenty of holiday tunes most folks can’t sing? I’ll Be Home For Christmas is also slowed down so Patty can hold a note or two, but it should really be on its own.

White Christmas is too marshmallow for my taste. It has unnecessary fluffy echoes and ooos and aahhs. Let Irving Berlin’s lyrics speak for themselves. Thankfully, the medley moves quickly to Winter Wonderland. Here we have the proper tempo and a chance to be a bit louder and have some fun.

If you need only one reason to purchase this album O Holy Night is it. On this title track Sandi Patty finds herself in the high company of Kate Smith and Luciano Pavarotti. Not many people can make the range that this beautiful carol asks. Patty’s rendition has all the highs and lows and over the top backing in perfect companionship. If this song doesn’t stir your Christmas spirit nothing will. I wish it was longer, and it should be the big finale, not lost in the middle.

After such a show stopper, Patty slows again with I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day. I expected this to be the childlike refrain from ‘I Saw Three Ships’ but instead it’s the 19^th century lyrics from a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem. Very powerful both musically and lyrically, but Patty is tough to understand here. Look up the words online and read the history after your listen for complete holiday reverence.

Fortunately, we do get a bit of fun with My Favorite Things. Again Patty proves her worth by equaling-if not surpassing- Julie Andrews. The mix of Nutcracker music from the orchestra is a lovely holiday touch, too.

Silver Bells is again a bit uneven in tempo, and Patty takes some liberty with the arrangement to make room for her voice. Normally you can sing along to this one, but here you can only listen. But it’s a really great listen!

I have the Nat King Cole Christmas record, so anyone else’s rendition of The Christmas Song seems wrong to me. No matter how lovely Patty is, it’s not Nat! Also, after such a show stopper with O Holy Night, why are we doing such lightweight songs? Naturally it’s not easy to work the vocals Patty can reach, but you keep waiting for her to breakout. I shouldn’t complain. It’s still an absolutely wonderful rendition, with the simplest music to compliment these essential lyrics.

Child Of Peace was an original song from Patty for this album. The choir is perfect behind her, and the lyrics are packed with religious reverence. More people should get to know this song. Simple yet lovely.

Star of Bethlehem is meant to be the big finale, but for all its original lyrical beauty, it just sounds like another contemporary Christian tune from Patty. Where are the rest of the big carols? It’s also the longest individual song presented, and a bit obvious in its politics. Horrible to say, but Sandi Patty doesn’t need to make a statement with lyrics. She could sing the phone book and make it sound good. The big notes are here, but going out with a Christmas staple would have been a better conclusion to the album.

I don’t like much contemporary Christian music myself, and regardless of what you think of Sandi Patty personally (she got divorced, big deal!), her voice cannot be denied. I had several Sandi Patti records and tapes growing up, including this cassette. I was fortunate enough to find a used copy of the CD reissue right after my tape got chewed. The original release and a reissue appear out of print, but if you can find a copy, Sandi Patti’s O Holy Night! is a powerful addition to your Christmas music collection.