Voctave

The a cappella group fusing traditional choral, gospel, pop, Broadway, and vintage barbershop quartet styles into a fresh, original sound is celebrating the most wonderful time of the year with a new deluxe edition of 2016's The Spirit of the Season.  The joyful yuletide album features clever and intricate arrangements of Christmas classics both spiritual ("O Holy Night," "Mary Did You Know," "Go Tell It on the Mountain") and secular (an Andy Williams medley, another of childhood favorites such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town") plus more unexpected fare such as the Mariah Carey/James Horner/Will Jennings modern standard "Where Are You Christmas?" and a showstopping fusion of "Carol of the Bells" with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz's soaring "Bells of Notre Dame" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  (The latter song tips its hat to the group's origins; Central Florida-based Voctave has featured many Walt Disney World performers in its lineup.)  Voctave features the vocals of E.J. Cardona, Tiffany Coburn, Ashley Espinoza, Karl Hudson, Chrystal Johnson, Kate Lott, Drew Ochoa, Jamey Ray, Kurt von Schmittou, Aaron Stratton, and Sarah Whittemore.  Those looking for a special stocking stuffer would do well to check this one out!