Reviewed by Andy Cooper

Fernando is now well known (and loved) for taking old tunes and refreshing them with uncluttered acoustic arrangements. Now it's the turn of Christmas songs (and instrumentals). From the first note of Charles Wesley's "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus", peace and calm is delivered to the listener in a remarkable manner. This is Christmas uncluttered! Next a solo cello offers a haunting introduction to the old Catalonian "Carol Of The Birds". A fluid and more familiar "Joy To The World" flows on. Ortega's voice has sincere and honest qualities, yet it is his piano that really sings, as in the stunningly simple instrumental of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" and the virtuosic "Bring A Torch". A beautiful self-penned song, "Jesus King Of Angels" rounds off the recording, which as a whole follows the Christmas story chronologically. However, this CD is too good to be reserved for just one month of the year: play it whenever you need a portion of peace and serenity to surround you.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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