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I just finished my review of the Annie Moses Band's fine Christmas Bright & Beautiful (reviewed here), and now I am listening to the band's 2008 holiday adventure, This Glorious Christmas. The Annie Moses Band is a remarkable group of musicians, mostly named Wolaver. The superb strings action is still there, but this offering breaks new ground. Vocals! Whereas Christmas Bright & Beautiful is an instrumental release, This Glorious Christmas includes vocals sprinkled throughout--and includes a few more Wolavers, to boot! In addition, this 2008 release is longer (47 minutes) and throws in a free bonus DVD that includes more tunes and information about the band.

The vocals give this CD more of a pop feel than its predecessor. The lead vocalist is lovely Annie Wolaver; her lilting soprano is bright and gentle, somewhat reminiscent of what one might expect on a Celtic release. On O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, the floating vocal harmonies add an ethereal quality to gutsy, jazzy instrumentation. The album also includes three Wolaver originals. Of these, my favorite is When the Christmas Baby Cries, a dramatic and intensely lovely piece with great lyrics. Annie Wolaver's singing here is spot-on. Magnificent!

Of course, in addition to the well-executed vocals, the Annie Moses Band delivers its patented strings perfection; there's some mighty fine fiddlin' going on. In terms of song selection, the instrumentals do overlap slightly with the prior album (Christmas Bright & Beautiful), although the performances may be somewhat different.

The album ends with a Wolaver original. Annie sings a sultry Red, White and Blue Christmas; she misses her soldier hero, who's away for the holidays.

The Annie Moses Band delivers a fine performance on This Glorious Christmas. And a bonus DVD, too? How sweet is that!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)

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From the liner notes:

Annie Wolaver: Lead Vocals and Violin 1
Alex Wolaver: Viola and Background Vocals
Benjamin Wolaver: Cello
Camill Wolaver: Harp and Background Vocals
Gretchen Wolaver: Violin 2, Mandolin, Background Vocals
Jeremiah Wolaver: Guitars
Robin Wolaver: Background Vocals
Bill Wolaver: Piano and Keyboards
Mario Sangermano: Bass
Javier Santiago: Drums and Percussion

Additional Musicians:
Craig Nelson
Pete Huttlinger
Mike Bauer
Tom Hemby
Jeff Taylor


Produced by Alex Wolaver
Executive Producer: Robin Wolaver
Music arranged by Bill Wolaver


From the artist's Website:

About the album: *This Glorious Christmas*, a studio album from the Annie Moses Band. Free Bonus DVD Included.


About the band: The Annie Moses Band is unlike any ensemble in America today.

This seems like a rather bold assertion. But the more you break it down, the truer it rings.

First, this is a family outfit, whose members include parents Bill (composer/arranger/pianist) and Robin (lyricist/vocalist) Wolaver and their children: Annie, Alex, Benjamin, Gretchen, Camille, and Jeremiah, in ages ranging from twenty-four down to ten.

Second, their background is in classical music. The older siblings trained in the Pre-College Program at the renowned Juilliard School of Music; the youngest are well on their way to similar distinction. All have studied with renowned instructors; most have earned performance awards that testify to the depth of their artistry.

Together, as the Annie Moses Band, they combine all their attributes: love for one another, prodigious talent, as well as a creative curiosity that goes beyond the classics, beyond even music, and into the great questions of life.

Plus - not coincidentally - because each specializes in specific instruments, they fit together neatly as a unit. ***

Named for the kids' great-grandmother, the band is poised to broaden its impact...

Annie Moses Band

This Glorious Christmas

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Track List