Now, I have to admit that I have never enjoyed Christmas carols and festive songs - call me Scrooge if you will, but the usual sanctimonious and ponderous versions that are the standard performances of these songs leave me nauseous and unmoved. However, someone has looked at these songs again and found an original way of presenting them in a simple and unadorned fashion, sloughing off the overdone sanctity and rediscovering the musical gems within.

Yes, the latest album by guitar wizard John Morgan is a collection of seasonal yuletide carols and other songs all performed as instrumentals. But thanks to Johns' nimble fingers and musical good taste, all the old hackneyed tunes have been revitalized to the point where they have been remodeled for the next millennia. So, with eleven tracks on the CD you can now enjoy anew We Three Kings, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Jingle Bells/Good King Wencelas, Joy To The World, Deck The Halls, Silent Night, O Come O Come Emmanuelle, Tinsel, What Child Is This? and We Wish Y