Someday at Christmas is American singer Jackie Evancho's second full-length Christmas album, and her seventh album overall. It contains 12 tracks and was produced by Nick Patrick for Sony Masterworks' Portrait label.[1] The album was released on October 28, 2016 and consists of nine previously released tracks, including collaborations with Plácido Domingo, Peter Hollens and Vittorio Grigolo, and three new tracks, "Someday at Christmas" and two versions of "The Little Drummer Boy", one with Il Volo.[2]
| Someday at Christmas | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 28, 2016 | |||
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| Length | 45:31 | |||
| Label | Portrait | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Jackie Evancho chronology | ||||
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The title track, "Someday at Christmas", has an anti-war and civil rights theme. It was written by Ron Miller and Bryan Wells and first released as a single by Stevie Wonder in 1966.[3] It reached #24 on the Billboard Christmas singles chart that year. It then became the title track to Wonder's 1967 album, Someday at Christmas, which also shares two other tracks this album: "The Little Drummer Boy" and "The Christmas Song".[4]
The album peaked at No. 93 on the Billboard 200,[5] No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart[6] and No. 3 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart.[7]
Promotion edit
Evancho performed the title track on the Memphis, Tennessee, morning show Local Memphis Live on November 3, 2016.[8] Shortly before the release of the album, she appeared on the cover of the Fall 2016 issue of Inspiring Lives Magazine. The issue contains an interview, "Jackie Evancho: An Opera Angel and a Pop Star".[9] She also performed some of the songs from the album in her 2016 holiday concerts.[10]
Evancho performed "Little Drummer Boy", together with Il Volo, on NBC's Today Show in New York City on December 14, 2016,[11] and the title track on Fox's Good Day Chicago the following day.[12] She sang "Someday at Christmas" on NBC's America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular on December 19, 2016[13] and on Harry on December 20.[14]
Reception edit
The album peaked at No. 93 on the Billboard 200,[5] No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart[6] and No. 3 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart.[7] Someday at Christmas was the No. 27 best-selling classical album of Billboard's 2016 year (which ends after November).[15] It remained on the Classical Albums chart for 14 weeks.[16]
A review in Cedar Rapids, Iowa's The Gazette called the album "a shimmering showcase for [Evancho's] incredible vocal range and interests. ... [The] duets in this project display her talents for harmonies, as well as tender melodies."[17] Miriam Di Nunzio wrote in Chicago Sun-Times, "Lush strings, sweeping orchestrations are served well by this 16-year-old songstress. 'Do You Hear What I Hear' is hauntingly beautiful. 'The Christmas Song' is a bit overdramatic, but still likeable. 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' is gentle and sweeping. Evancho’s voice has matured quite nicely and those piercing high notes that she navigates so effortlessly serve her well on this collection."[18] Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times commented that Evancho "shows off a remarkably mature voice on her classically rooted Christmas outing. The music is at its most gorgeously formal in her duets with superstar tenor Placido Domingo, but she also delivers a nicely down-to-earth version of" the title track.[19]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s), arranger(s) and previous release(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Someday at Christmas" | Ronald Miller and Bryan Wells; arranged by Robert Kinkel, Dina Fanai and Heather Holley; string arr: Dave Eggar; produced by Dina Fanai and Heather Holley | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Do You Hear What I Hear" | Gloria Shayne Baker (music) Noël Regney (lyrics); orchestra arr: Sally Herbert; backing vocals Shelly Poole, (Awakening Deluxe ed. 2014) | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Guardian Angels" (with Plácido Domingo) | Harpo Marx (music) Gerda Beilenson (lyrics) (Domingo: My Christmas 2015) | 3:51 |
| 4. | "Little Drummer Boy" | Katherine Kennicott Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone;[20] arranged by Robert Kinkel and Dina Fanai; produced by Dina Fanai and Heather Holley | 3:09 |
| 5. | "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | Richard Storrs Willis (music) Edmund Sears (lyrics); orchestra arrangement by Sally Herbert; backing vocals Shelly Poole, (Awakening Deluxe ed. 2014) | 3:40 |
| 6. | "Pie Jesu" (with Plácido Domingo; from Requiem) | Andrew Lloyd Webber (music); Traditional (lyrics) (Domingo: My Christmas 2015) | 3:59 |
| 7. | "Christmas Waltz" | Jule Styne (music) Sammy Cahn (lyrics); orchestra arrangement by Sally Herbert; backing vocals Shelly Poole, (Awakening Deluxe ed. 2014) | 3:26 |
| 8. | "Hallelujah" (with Peter Hollens) | Leonard Cohen; arranged by Tom Anderson; produced by Peter Hollens (Peter Hollens 2014) | 4:08 |
| 9. | "The Christmas Song" | Bob Wells and Mel Tormé (music and lyrics); orchestra arrangement by Sally Herbert; backing vocals Shelly Poole, (Awakening Deluxe ed. 2014) | 3:39 |
| 10. | "O Holy Night" (featuring Vittorio Grigolo) | Adolphe Adam (music) John Sullivan Dwight (lyrics);[21] arranged by Nick Patrick and William Hayward (Awakening Deluxe ed. 2014; Ave Maria (Grigolo) 2013) | 4:11 |
| 11. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (from Meet Me in St. Louis) | Ralph Blane (music) Hugh Martin (lyrics); orchestra arrangement by Sally Herbert; backing vocals Shelly Poole, (Awakening Deluxe ed. 2014) | 3:50 |
| 12. | "Little Drummer Boy" (featuring Il Volo) | Davis, Onorati and Simeone; arranged by Kinkel and Fanai; produced by Fanai and Holley; Il Volo's vocals produced by Celso Valli | 3:09 |
| Total length: | 45:31 | ||
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
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Year-end charts edit
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References edit
- ^ Evancho, Jackie. Liner notes, Someday at Christmas, October 28, 2016, Sony Music Entertainment
- ^ Evancho, Jackie. Someday at Christmas, Sony Masterworks (2016), ASIN B01KBGV3GC
- ^ Lodder, Steve. "Sixties Recordings", Stevie Wonder: A Musical Guide to the Classic Albums, p. 42, Hal Leonard Corporation (2005) ISBN 0879308214
- ^ "Stevie Wonder: Someday at Christmas", Allmusic, accessed October 28, 2016
- ^ a b Billboard 200 for the week of January 7, 2017, Billboard, accessed December 29, 2016
- ^ a b Classical Albums, the week of December 17, 2016, Billboard, November 23, 2016
- ^ a b Holiday Albums, the week of January 21, 2017, Billboard, January 11, 2017
- ^ Local Memphis Live, Nexstar Media Group, November 3, 2016
- ^ Forsyth, Jen. "Jackie Evancho: An Opera Angel and a Pop Star", Inspiring Lives Magazine, Fall 2016, pp. 8–13 accessed October 27, 2016
- ^ Jordan, Chris. "Jackie Evancho brings Christmas cheer to the Basie", Asbury Park Press, November 25, 2016; and Barnes, Steve. "Evancho Sparkles, Alas with Little Emotion", Times Union, November 27, 2016
- ^ Evancho, Jackie. "Jackie Evancho & Il Volo – Little Drummer Boy (Today Show 2016)", YouTube, December 18, 2016
- ^ "Jackie Evancho performs live on Good Day Chicago", Fox32Chicago.com, December 15, 2016
- ^ Longeretta, Emily. "Jackie Evancho Nails 'Someday at Christmas' On AGT Holiday Special", Hollywood Life, December 19, 2016
- ^ "Harry", TV Guide, accessed December 20, 2016
- ^ "Classical Albums: Year of 2016", Prometheus Global Media, accessed January 1, 2017
- ^ Classical Albums chart dated the week of February 18, 2017, Billboard.com, accessed February 8, 2017
- ^ Nollen, Diana. "Holiday Music: 12 discs of Christmas", The Gazette, November 27, 2016
- ^ Di Nunzio, Miriam. "New releases’ classic tunes beautifully celebrate Christmas", Chicago Sun-Times December 13, 2016
- ^ Lewis, Randy. "Holiday album roundup 2016: Garth, R. Kelly, Neil Diamond and more", Los Angeles Times, December 13, 2016
- ^ Leigh, Spencer. "Harry Simeone: Populariser of 'The Little Drummer Boy'", The Independent, March 5, 2005, accessed November 28, 2016
- ^ Original French lyrics by Placide Cappeau
- ^ "Jackie Evancho Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
- ^ "Jackie Evancho Chart History (Top Classical Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ "Jackie Evancho Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- ^ "Classical Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "Classical Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2021.