{"id":25033,"date":"2016-12-18T10:00:10","date_gmt":"2016-12-18T10:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=25033"},"modified":"2016-12-18T09:28:58","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T09:28:58","slug":"essential-advent-calendar-katie-melua-o-holy-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2016\/12\/essential-advent-calendar-katie-melua-o-holy-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential Advent Calendar: Katie Melua – ‘O Holy Night\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We’re getting to the tail end of our Essential Advent Calendar and opening the 18th\u00a0door we find Katie Melua, and her gorgeous version of ‘O Holy Night’.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Katie Melua releases the video to \u2018O Holy Night\u2019, the closing song from her new album \u2018In Winter\u2019. Delicate, restrained and utterly enchanting, on this distinctive recording Katie\u2019s crystal voice and plucked acoustic guitar are joined by the haunting yet heart-warming harmonies of the Gori Women\u2019s Choir.<\/p>\n

\u2018O Holy Night\u2019 has particular significance for Katie. Having moved from Georgia to Belfast aged 9, she clearly recalls holding the sheet music at her first school carol concert and being struck by the potency of the voices as they lifted and soared around the church – \u201cthat was one of the moments where my love for, and amazement at, the power of songs started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie and the Gori Women\u2019s Choir performed an exclusive live session for BBC Radio 2 on Jo Whiley\u2019s show on Wednesday December 7th<\/sup> 2016 – http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/b0848fc8#t=1h07m19s<\/a><\/p>\n

Warmly arranged and beautifully executed, \u2018In Winter\u2019 is a unique collection of songs centred round the theme of winter.<\/strong> Ranging from original works inspired by Katie\u2019s childhood in Georgia, to new interpretations of traditional carols, choral works and folk songs, and performed by Katie and the choir in English, Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Georgian, the album features the arrangements of world-renowned choral arranger Bob Chilcott and is co-produced by Katie herself. In addition to \u2018O Holy Night\u2019 Katie weaves in a pristine cover of Joni Mitchell\u2019s \u2018River\u2019, a spellbinding \u2018All Night Vigil – Nunc Dimittis\u2019 (Rachmaninov), and the stunningly beautiful \u2018The Little Swallow\u2019 to deliver a remarkable record which has been widely acclaimed.<\/p>\n

Katie, her band, and the 24-piece Gori Women\u2019s Choir have just completed a European tour in which they performed \u2018In Winter\u2019 in its entirety as well as a selection of classic songs from Katie\u2019s catalogue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018In Winter\u2019, Katie\u2019s seventh studio album, was\u00a0released on October 14, and is now available to buy.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Katie