Christmas Celebration is a compilation album by Mannheim Steamroller. It is the group's seventh Christmas album overall. The album was released in 2004 on CD and DVD-Audio by American Gramaphone to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the group's first Christmas album.

Christmas Celebration
Compilation album by
ReleasedOctober 12, 2004
Recorded1984–2004
GenreChristmas
Length65:08
LabelAmerican Gramaphone
ProducerChip Davis
Mannheim Steamroller chronology
Halloween: Monster Mix
(2004)
Christmas Celebration
(2004)
Romantic Themes
(2005)
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums chronology
Christmas Extraordinaire
(2001)
Christmas Celebration
(2004)
Christmas Song
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

The album features eighteen Christmas songs in progressive rock and Renaissance styles, and includes a new track, "Celebration." A vocal version of "Traditions of Christmas," previously released only on a sampler CD included with the book Christmas: A Night Like No Other, is also included. The remaining songs are new mixes of previously released songs.

An edition of the album available exclusively at Target stores featured two extra songs: "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Messengers of Christmas."

Featured keyboard artist and Steamroller co-founder Jackson Berkey makes his final appearance on a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album.[citation needed]

Track listing

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Writing credits adapted from liner notes except as indicated.[1]

Standard edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicOriginal albumLength
1."Celebration" Chip DavisPreviously unreleased2:37
2."Christmas Lullaby" DavisChristmas in the Aire4:09
3."Deck the Halls" Traditional (Welsh ayre)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas3:37
4."Veni Veni (O Come O Come Emanuel)" (featuring the Cambridge Singers)TraditionalTraditional (12th century French)A Fresh Aire Christmas4:21
5."Away in a Manger" James R. MurrayChristmas Extraordinaire3:22
6."Hallelujah" (from The Messiah) George F. HandelChristmas Extraordinaire4:43
7."O Tannenbaum" (featuring Johnny Mathis and the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club)Ernst AnschützTraditional (German)Christmas Extraordinaire3:01
8."Wassail, Wassail" Traditional (English carol)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas2:25
9."Carol of the Birds" Traditional (Bas-Quercy)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas2:07
10."God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" (Renaissance version) Traditional (English carol)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas1:42
11."God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (rock version) Traditional (English carol)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas4:31
12."Greensleeves" Traditional (16th century English)A Fresh Aire Christmas3:29
13."Traditions of Christmas" (featuring LynnDee Mueller)DavisDavisChristmas: A Night Like No Other[a]3:40
14."Good King Wenceslas"TraditionalTraditional (English carol)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas3:32
15."Carol of the Bells"Peter WilhouskyMykola Leontovych[b]A Fresh Aire Christmas3:53
16."Auld Lang Syne"Robert BurnsTraditional (Scottish ayre)Christmas Extraordinaire3:40
17."Fum, Fum, Fum" Traditional (Spanish carol)Christmas Extraordinaire4:54
18."Stille Nacht (Silent Night)" Franz GruberMannheim Steamroller Christmas5:25
Target edition bonus tracks
No.TitleMusicOriginal albumLength
19."The Holly and the Ivy"Traditional (French melody)A Fresh Aire Christmas3:03
20."Messengers of Christmas"Davis[2]Previously unreleased[c]3:30
  1. ^ Original recording from A Fresh Aire Christmas.
  2. ^ Neither Wilhousky nor Leontovych is credited on the album, which simply describes the song as "19th century Ukrainian."
  3. ^ Originally released with narration on The Christmas Angel; later re-released in this form on Christmasville.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Christmas Celebration (booklet). Mannheim Steamroller. American Gramaphone. AG2020-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Christmasville (booklet). Mannheim Steamroller. American Gramaphone. AG1231-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)