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JFH Music Review




Rebecca St. James
Christmas



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 10 tracks: 43 minutes, 17 seconds
Street Date: October 1, 1997


Rebecca St. James had changed her style of music between her self-titled release and God in 1994 and 1996, respectively, going from upbeat pop to a more modern rock sound. This Australian artist had accomplished so much at such a young age during the 90s. Rebecca is a very talented singer that the world has embraced, changing typical songs like the "Veggie Tales" theme into something completely new and diverse. Listeners can appreciate here 1997 Christmas album greatly as it is also not your typical Christmas album.

Simply titled Christmas, the album begins with "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" which is a perfect opener. This song is one of the lesser-known Christmas tunes, with St. James' rendition sounding quite a bit different than the Kenny Rogers or Elvis versions from past. "Happy Christmas" is a John Lennon original that begins with a rhythmic bass before leading into Rebecca's signature vocals. The first two minutes of "O Come Emmanuel" that follow might give listeners the impression that they were in for a nice little ballad, until Rebecca repeatedly shouts "Shall come" as it develops with more rock instrumentation. "One Small Child" is very nicely done as the chorus moves along very quickly, especially for a song that is typically known for being more passive. "Silent Night" presents an almost Celtic flavor with some electric guitar thrown in for good measure as Rebecca softly hums the verses and sings the chorus for more of a lullaby feel.

When thinking of "O Holy Night," a techno dance song isn't in the front of your mind, and yet, when Rebecca makes it just that, it surprisingly works. This song is certainly one of the standout tracks as it becomes a very energetic Christmas classic. "What Child is This" is beautifully done and will likely be a favorite among Rebecca and Christmas listeners alike. "O Come Let Us Adore Him" could easily be mistaken for one of Rebecca's previous recordings from God if it weren't for the familiar chorus. Christmas closes with a very nice emotional ballad, "A Cradle Prayer." The song flows nicely with acoustic, piano, and violin orchestration. It's the perfect album conclusion.

When an artist releases a Christmas album, they tend to be of a very traditional style, which is good because it's more likely to be timeless year after year. Michael W. Smith, Kevin Max, and Amy Grant are just some of the few examples. However, it's nice to have an artist render their style of music into a Christmas album, and that's exactly what we have right here with Rebecca St. James' Christmas.

- Review date: 11/23/07, written by Wayne Myatt



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. Record Label: Forefront Records
. Album length: 10 tracks: 43 minutes, 17 seconds
. Street Date: October 1, 1997
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
  2. Happy Christmas
  3. O Come Emmanuel
  4. One Small Child
  5. Silent Night
  6. O Holy Night
  7. What Child Is This
  8. Jesu' Joy Of Man's Desiring
  9. O Come All Ye Faithful
  10. A Cradle Prayer
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This Friday, November 14, 2025
ALBUMS
Bethel Music We Must Respond (Deluxe) [Bethel]
Emery White Line Fever (Remastered) - Disc One (independent)
FYR FYTR Snow After Fire - EP (independent)
HolyName Three Bar Cross - EP (independent)
Jake and Mates Songs of Deliverance (independent)
JERICKO Ups and Downs - EP [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope Asaph's Arrows II EP [BEC]
VIC LUCAS The Journey (Deluxe Version) [Syntax]
Ronnie Martin Evergreen Melodie [Velvet Blue]
NF FEAR - EP [Capitol]
Blessing Offor To All A Good Night [Capitol CMG]
Rave Jesus I MET GOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR [Provident]
Kristian Stanfill Come to Jesus [sixstepsrecords]
We Are Messengers Rejoice! (A Celtic Christmas) [Curb]
The Young Escape Not Done Yet [BEC]

SINGLES
ADRIEL CRUZ & JAMIL Praying For My Enemies - Single [Syntax]
BILL B. My Lord - Single [Syntax]
Biscuits Drifting Off (Hayloft) - Single [Circle Back]
Holly Brand Tennessee Christmas (feat. Warren Peay) - Single [Integrity]
Leanna Crawford Still Waters (Strings & Choir Version) - Single [Provident]
Melvin Crispell III, Jason Clayborn Whatever It Is - Single [Tyscot]
CUTRIGHT, ZIPPY, & QEW Pick it Up - Single [Syntax]
DRENAE Like U Do - Single [Syntax]
Eighteen Mile What Mercy Means - Single [Mountain Home Music]
His Kingdom Suffers There's No Light In This House - Single [Charon Collective]
KNALADEUS, SELAH THE CORNER, & AYO SHAMIR Let it Be (ft. JOSEPH SD) - Single [Syntax]
LEXLY NIRVANA Perdoname - Single [Syntax]
Richard Lynch Why Me Lord - Single [MTS]
Jamie MacDonald My Family - Single [Capitol CMG]
NEEDTOBREATHE Where You Call Home - Single [Omnivore]
Hunter Plake Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Single [BEC]
Skillet O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Single [Hear It Loud]

Next Sunday, November 16, 2025
ALBUMS
Bir Witness 26.13 (independent)

Next Thursday, November 20, 2025
SINGLES
The Rocky Valentines Happy Thanksgiving - Double Single [Velvet Blue]

Next Friday, November 21, 2025
ALBUMS
Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, Ellie Holcomb I'll Be Home for Christmas - EP [Magnolia]
Joseph Habedank The Great Adventure: A Tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman [Daywind]
Andrew Marcus Christmas - EP (independent)
Stryper The Greatest Gift Of All [Frontiers]

SINGLES
Cliff & Antoinette Murray Happy Thanksgiving - Single [DREAM]
Good Weather Forecast Little Christmas - Single [DREAM]
Jake MacAdam, Mark & Sarah Tillman Christ Has Come - Single [Ocean House]
Life.Church Worship A Thousand Blessings - Single [Ocean House]
Seph Schlueter Cling To The Cross (feat. Matt Maher) - Single [sixsteps]

VINYL
Stryper The Greatest Gift Of All Vinyl [Girder]


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