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Our Review

Joy to the World is an impressive instrumental album of incomparable piano music; this release's "twin" offering Deck the Halls (see our review), is similarly superb. Valarie Alexandra Valois is an absolutely amazing pianist; she pours more passion into a single bar than most players expend in an entire recital!

To tell you the truth, when you first see the album cover (which is identical to her other release's cover, except for the album name scrolled across the upper left-hand corner), you might be dubious. The front features Valois, who is undisputedly a beautiful woman with expressive eyes and a secret smile, but the cover is relatively dark, rather somber, and done in black-and-white (except for the tiniest bit of holly on the Deck the Halls cover). It's just not the sort of presentation one might expect when picking up a breathtaking collection of spirited Christmas tunes. Still, covers can deceive, and that's the case here.

The biggest difference between Valois' Joy to the World and her other album is sheer length. This release comes in with 14 tracks at just over 32 minutes; her other holiday album Deck the Halls is more than twice as long. Interestingly, "I Wonder as I Wander" actually appears twice on Joy to the World as both the first and last cuts, but the two treatments and arrangements are quite distinctive. One such arrangement does crop up again on Valois' other release, Deck the Halls.

So sit back and enjoy. The musicianship is flawless, and Valois' technique will pulse over you in waves. These tracks cover some of the best ancient carols out there (including "Carol of the Bells," "'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime," and "I Wonder as I Wander"). What a treat!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

Valarie Alexandra Valois, Piano
Helen Moritz, Recording Engineer
Mel Crouch, Piano Technician

Valarie Alexandra Valois

Joy to the World

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Track List