by Carol Wright
With only three bona fide Christmas carols-- "Little Drummer Boy," "O Holy Night," and "Good King Wenceslas" -- gracing this elegant holiday album by harpist Georgia Kelly, you won't get saturated with holiday cheer. The six other light classical pieces -- Pachelbel's Canon, three pieces by J.S. Bach, the Gounoud/Bach Ave Maria -- all belong in spirit, however. Kelly's arrangements are sensitive, with just the right balance between harp and other instruments. Dusan Bogdanovic plays guitar on the Pachelbel, and the blending of the strings between harp and guitar is lusciously golden. Marcia Miget, flute, joins Kelly on Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, while violins (Peter Kent) and cellos (Anne Pinsker) create a sophisticated ambiance on two Bach chorales. Georgia Kelly fans might expect a little new age touch here and there, but Kelly plays this music straight, with beauty and integrity. A lovely album.