No one can sing classic Christmas hymn like Carrie Underwood.
Back in 2020, she released a beautiful Christmas album called My Gift, which was her first Christmas album and seventh studio album overall. Produced by Greg Wells, the record features guest appearances from John Legend on “Hallelujah,” and Underwood’s oldest son Isaiah appears on a sweet rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.”
And she turned it into a live performance special called My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie Underwood, which first debuted on HBO Max the same year she put out the album, and features performances from John Legend on “Hallelujah,” Carrie’s oldest son Isaiah with some behind-the-scenes footage of them recording “Little Drummer Boy,” as well and solo performances by Carrie of songs like “Favorite Time of Year.”
Carrie previously opened up about how special it was to get to sing with Isaiah on the album, and that part of the special is just precious:
“‘Little Drummer Boy’ is a central song in ‘My Gift.’ That’s where the title of the album came from, and it’s one of my favorite Christmas songs. I started thinking about what would make it extra special, so I have a very special duet partner.
He loves to sing, and that is so his personality. He’ll make crafts, or he’ll do things for you, and he’s like, ‘Didn’t I do a good job? Didn’t I do my best? Are you proud of me?’ And it’s the sweetest thing. And I just thought his sweet little voice would sound perfect.
If nothing else, I will have this for the rest of my life. I think it’s the perfect piece of the puzzle for this whole album.”
I can only imagine how special it is to her now as her kids get older, and when Isiah gets to be an adult and reflects on his special Christmas memories, I’m sure this will be at the top of his list too.
The album itself is mixed with Christmas standards as well as several originals, it’s one of the best country Christmas albums out there, and I say that as someone who usually passes on Christmas music.
And there’s just something about the way Carrie does a hymn, and kind of hymn, whether it’s a Christmas song or otherwise, that I can never get enough of… I still keep her gospel album My Savior on repeat.
So you know her live performance of “O Come All Ye Faithful” is spectacular, which is of course a Christmas carol that has been attributed to various authors, including John Francis Wade, John Reading, King John IV of Portugal, and anonymous Cistercian monks, though the earliest printed version is in a book published by Wade.
The original four verses of the hymn were extended to a total of eight, and these have been translated into many languages. English Catholic priest Frederick Oakeley translated the hymn into English as in 1841, and that’s when it became popularized in English-speaking countries.
Carrie released the live performance video for her special today on YouTube, and it’s simply exquisite. She looks like an angel in a big white dress, and as per usual, her voice is just unbelievable. It’s one of the best renditions of this song I’ve ever heard, and it is part of that longer special, so if you’re looking for something family-friendly with a focus on the real reason for the season, Carrie’s is incredible.
You can watch the full video here:
“O Come All Ye Faithful”
