Susan Boyle devoted 2013 to Christmas projects, including a starring role in the Christmas Candle film, so it's no great surprise that she delivered a seasonal record with Home for Christmas; that was the design from the beginning.
Boyle had delivered a Christmas album before -- her 2010 sophomore set Gift was a holiday album -- but Home for Christmas doesn't bother with such niceties as elusive titles or songs that are barely seasonal (Gift contained covers of Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Neil Finn, none of whom have written a Christmas tune).
This is a straight-up Christmas album, anchored by "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the kinds of standards that are song often, sometimes reinterpreted, but, in Boyle's hands, are sung precisely how you'd expect: gentle and exact, without a note out of place.
Anybody who has followed the reality show contestant from the start of her career will not be surprised, nor will they be dissatisfied: she delivers the goods without fuss or flair, and the concentration on holiday tunes does make this a stronger Christmas album than its predecessor, as there is never a moment when it strays from its cheerful, comforting, seasonal aesthetic.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O Come, All Ye FaithfulTraditional | Susan Boyle, Elvis Presley | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 2 | The Lord's PrayerAlbert Hay Malotte, Traditional | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| 3 | Little Drummer BoyKatherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:35 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 4 | I'll Be Home for ChristmasKim Gannon, Walter Kent, Buck Ram | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:08 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 5 | When a Child Is BornFred Jay, Zacar | Susan Boyle, Johnny Mathis | Play | 03:17 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 6 | The Christmas SongMel Tormé, Robert Wells | Susan Boyle | Play | 02:36 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 7 | I Believe in Father ChristmasGreg Lake, Sergey Prokofiev, Peter Sinfield | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:29 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 8 | Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasRalph Blane, Hugh Martin | Susan Boyle | Play | 02:50 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 9 | Hark! The Herald Angels SingTraditional | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 10 | The Christmas WaltzSammy Cahn, Jule Styne | Susan Boyle | Play | 02:35 | 5 MB | 11 MB |
| 11 | In the Bleak MidwinterTraditional | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:31 | 8 MB | 16 MB |
| 12 | Miracle HymnLuke Atencio, Candace Lee | Susan Boyle | Play | 02:57 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 38 mins | 88 MB | |||||
| 38 mins | 211 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dishan Abrahams | Bass |
| 2 | Steve Anderson | Arranger, Bass Programming, Drum Programming, Drums, Keyboard Programming, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Programming |
| 3 | Graham Archer | Engineer |
| 4 | Luke Atencio | Composer |
| 5 | Steven Blake | Highland Bagpipe |
| 6 | Ralph Blane | Composer |
| 7 | Susan Boyle | Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 8 | Kevin Burleigh | Engineer |
| 9 | Ray Burmiston | Photography |
| 10 | Sammy Cahn | Composer |
| 11 | Canadian Bill | Inspiration |
| 12 | Carmel Thomas Youth Singers | Choir/Chorus |
| 13 | Katherine K. Davis | Composer |
| 14 | Kim Gannon | Composer |
| 15 | Chris Hill | Double Bass |
| 16 | Ginger Holladay | Vocals (Background) |
| 17 | The Imperials | Vocals (Background) |
| 18 | Jake Jackson | Engineer, Mixing |
| 19 | Felton Jarvis | Vocal Producer |
| 20 | Fred Jay | Composer |
| 21 | Charlie Kenny | Drums |
| 22 | Sean Kenny | Engineer |
| 23 | Walter Kent | Composer |
| 24 | Millie Kirkham | Vocals (Background) |
| 25 | Greg Lake | Composer |
| 26 | Amory Leader | Producer |
| 27 | Candace Lee | Composer |
| 28 | Adam Looker | Assistant |
| 29 | Andrew Lucas | Choir Director, Director |
| 30 | Lorne MacDougall | Highland Bagpipe |
| 31 | Avril Mackintosh | Engineer, Pro-Tools |
| 32 | Albert Hay Malotte | Composer |
| 33 | Hugh Martin | Composer |
| 34 | Cliff Masterson | Arranger, Bass Programming, Conductor, Drum Programming, Drums, Keyboard Programming, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Producer, Programming |
| 35 | Johnny Mathis | Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 36 | Michael McGolderick | Uillean Pipes |
| 37 | Charlie McKerron | Fiddle |
| 38 | Vlado Meller | Mastering |
| 39 | Fred Molin | Engineer |
| 40 | Jim Neilson | Assistant |
| 41 | James Nisbet | Guitar |
| 42 | Henry Onorati | Composer |
| 43 | The Overtones | Featured Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| 44 | Andrew Panton | Vocal Coach |
| 45 | Christopher J. Porter | Design, Layout |
| 46 | Elvis Presley | Arranger, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 47 | Sergey Prokofiev | Composer |
| 48 | Buck Ram | Composer |
| 49 | Temple Riser | Vocals (Background) |
| 50 | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Strings |
| 51 | RSVP Voices | Choir/Chorus |
| 52 | Donald Shaw | Accordion, Engineer |
| 53 | Harry Simeone | Composer |
| 54 | Peter Sinfield | Composer |
| 55 | St. Albans Cathedral Boys' Choir | Choir/Chorus |
| 56 | Mitch Stevens | Vocals (Background) |
| 57 | Jule Styne | Composer |
| 58 | Gary Thomas | Engineer |
| 59 | Mel Tormé | Composer |
| 60 | Traditional | Composer |
| 61 | Tom Trapp | Arranger |
| 62 | Robert Wells | Composer |
| 63 | Jeremy Wheatley | Mixing |
| 64 | Zacar | Composer |
| 65 | Zone 1 Brass | Brass |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |