The rather lengthily named Christmas Adagios: Holiday Classics to Touch Your Heart and Soul features a diverse array of Christmas instrumentals, spanning Richard Stoltzman's contemporary readings of "O Holy Night," "He Shall Feed His Flock," and "O Come Immanuel" to the Boston Pops' lush, traditional-sounding interpretations of "White Christmas" and "Children's Prayer." The Canadian Brass bring a stately grace to "We Three Kings," "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming," and "Away in a Manger," while Steve Erquiaga's solo acoustic guitar rendition of "The Christmas Song" and Nightnoise's flute and fiddle-driven "Sussex Carol" have a more intimate, contemporary feel. Performances from James Galway and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra round out this collection, which unites classical, new age, Celtic, and jazz elements into a sophisticated, gently festive album. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
