I just bought Charles Hammer' "A Classical Guitar Christmas" and I decided I simply had to tell you all about how wonderful it is.  I own a lot of Christmas music and that includes a lot of guitar music for Christmas.  This is one of my top 3 actually.  The arrangements are fantastic! Some very simple, others more complex, all wonderful.  Highlights include "O Come O Come Emmanuel," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,"  "Oh Holy Night," "Deck The Halls." I recommend this album for everyone who likes good Christmas music, and good music in general..
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Soothing Sir Charles Hammer (legend has it that a golden-haired princess dubbed him "Sir Charles" in his youth) is a
   well-traveled fellow who has plucked guitars from Virginia to Mexico to Arkansas. His Classical Guitar Christmas is an
   instrumental holiday recording that showcases the artist's superlative plucking prowess and arrangement abilities in fine style. 

   The overall tone is gentle and relaxing. I listened to this CD while stuck in serious commuting traffic, and the soft guitar
   renditions of songs such as O Holy Night kept my nerves from becoming too frazzled. 

   All 19 tracks are well known; the songs reflect a very nice range of popular and classical selections. For the most part, the mood
   is light, bright and emotive (Deck the Halls, Hark! The Herald Angel Sings, The Wassail Song); in other spots, the guitar
   sounds mysterious, almost mystical (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, We Three Kings). Sir Charles also manages to
   accomplish some fascinating effects; on Silver Bells, for example, the guitar strings simulate bell-like tones. 

   There is much to commend A Classical Guitar Christmas. For me, the best parts include Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, a
   composition that matches the classical guitar voice perfectly; the mellow and jazzy Chestnuts Roasting; and We Wish You a
   Merry Christmas, which features gorgeous guitar runs and fascinating interludes. 

   The easy-going presentation of A Classical Guitar Christmas is like a warm embrace. If you're looking for restful instrumental
   holiday music that will transport you away from the frenetic material world, then Sir Charles is your man.

   --Carol Swanson
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