Christmas music is something that has to done really differently to be interesting and attract attention, that said, Dan Van Oss will be doing that with his latest offering The Heart Of Heaven ~ A Christmas Present. It truly is beautiful present that he gives us, treating us to renditions of some of the best carols and some new songs that will soon become favorites.
He takes songs like Joy To The World and gives then a whole new sound. To some this may seem like a sacrilege but really it isn’t. Dan has given the songs a new twist, a different twist, a beautiful twist. Listen to the songs and love them. The different arrangements really are refreshing especially the sax on O Come O Come Emmanuel. That one instrument takes the song out of the deep darkness that it usually lives in. Sure the haunting melody is still there, but the sax takes the song to a higher plane where things are just a little more joyful and expectant of the coming savior.
The tone of the album can best be described at New Age but I’d like to go a step further than that. The album has a very old world feel. Maybe some will call it Celtic or New Age, but when you listen to it in many places you can feel yourself being transported to Dickens England. The most modern sounding of the tracks is Little Drummer Boy which sounds very Middle Eastern while still managing to keep the integrity of the song.
This is an album of songs that focuses more on the spiritual part of Christmas than the Santa Claus, materialistic part of the season, and I think that’s what makes this album so special. But there is something besides the songs that make the album so beautiful and that’s Dan Van Oss’ voice. It’s hard to pin point the exact reason his voice will move you, perhaps it’s the gentleness with which he sings or the music itself that brings out the beauty, but whatever it is, the songs and his voice will captivate you. Listening to The Heart Of Heaven can best be described as a religious experience. Why? Because it’s hard not to grasp the real meaning of Christmas after listening to this album.
The best thing about The Heart Of Heaven is that there isn’t a bad song on it. How can there be a bad Christmas song? But really, all of the songs chosen are done so beautifully that it’s hard to pick a favorite. Each one has its own special magic. Today I love Gloria and In The Lonely Midnight. Tomorrow it may be some other songs.
Anyone that longs for something different and beautiful for the holiday season should search this CD out. It’s the perfect addition to everyone’s holiday music collection and one you may even find yourself slipping back into your CD player long after the season has past, just because Dan’s voice is so hard to resist.
Reviewed By Andrea Guy
