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Foundering and feeling as though my adjectival flow has been cut off, I still have all these reviews to do (right away). Fortunately, I could just sit back and enjoy Zola Van's piano. Of course, I couldn't enjoy myself for long without trying to understand and over-analyze what it is that hooked me. Fortunately, I can enjoy and analyze at virtually the same time.

What I liked first was the powerful, suspenseful style of play, swirling with emotion, her embellishing style exuding a natural grandeur. I also liked the way her arrangements seemed to get to the heart of these Christmas melodies without being too precious. In fact, her realization seemed to be much more about integrating Christmas into her musical vision than about trying to be a part of the sweet, tinkling chorus we'll be hearing soon enough. And it should be noted that she applied her style to a relatively unusual selection of carols, so there were significant segments where I could enjoy Christmas music without it being something I've heard over and over.

I found her treatments to be both relaxing and moving. And mind you, this--with the stereo on the fritz and my boombox at Lost Pines with my wife on a training mission--was first heard on the tinkly little computer speakers. I soon had to graduate it to the DVD player in the den to get the full surround, but its power is evident whatever the volume or acoustics.

I like this one a lot.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2003)

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From a letter addressed October 7, 2003 -

"Carol: A Christmas Journey features lesser-known carols, along with some that are well-known and loved. The carols are timeless in their message and beauty. Carol: A Christmas Journey is a journey across hundreds of years into the hearts and minds of the people who created the carols and whose message still touches us today." --Zola Van

From the liner notes -

"Selecting the music for this project was difficult only because there is such a wealth of beautiful music from which to choose. I have given each carol its own special musical treatment, paying careful attention to its message, hoping each may stand as its own sparkling treasure. While they are presented in original form as four-part twenty bar hymns with many repeated verses and choral refrains, the challenge was to adorn them without altering them melodically and harmonically." --Zola Van

Zola Van

Carol: A Chrismas Journey

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