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Group Name: Mercy’s Well
Website: www.mercyswell.com
Album Title: “December: Hymns Where The Story Began”
Song Titles:

1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
2. Good Christian Men Rejoice/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
3. Who Is He In Yonder Stall?
4. Go Tell It On The Mountain
5. The Birthday Of The King
6. The Little Drummer Boy
7. Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee/Joy To The World
8. Some Children See Him
9. Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Hallelujah Chorus
11. Oh Holy Night/All Is Well

Mercy’s Well began as a duet in 1998 under the leadership of founder Brad Strider.  They soon transitioned into a trio, and are now one of the up-and-coming good young groups in Southern Gospel music.  The trio consists of Brad Strider (tenor/founder), John Kennedy (lead), and Greg Gainer (baritone).

“December” is the group’s latest album and the second in their Hymns series.  This is a collection of Christmas songs done with very minimal accompaniment- mainly piano with a little bit of cello and percussion thrown in at times.  Most of the songs are in public domain and are easily recognizable. 

That having been said, let’s take a look at the songs on the album.

The first song is a slow, smooth rendition of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.  The blend of vocals is very tight.  In fact, you have to really listen to hear when the transition is made from solo to group singing in the first verse.  This leads into a medley of “Good Christian Men Rejoice” with “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.  I have always liked these two particular songs, and they seem to work well together as a medley.  The arrangement is interesting- it’s hard to get a sense of the actual timing.  It definitely keeps you on your toes as you listen.  The third song is another slower, smoother number called “Who Is He In Yonder Stall?”  Again, the vocals are tight, crisp, and clean.  All in all, this is a beautiful song.

Song #4 is probably my favorite Christmas song of all time, “Go Tell It On The Mountain”.  Mercy’s Well sings this is a jazzy/Gospel style that fits the song perfectly.  The tempo then slows down for a smooth number entitled “The Birthday Of A King”.  The sixth song is a favorite Christmas song of many- “The Little Drummer Boy”.  This arrangement goes back and forth between unison, solo, and group singing- a challenging arrangement that is pulled off nicely by the group.  This is followed by medley of “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” with “Joy To The World”.  This arrangement starts out slow before picking the tempo up a bit, and the vocals and harmonies are simply straightforward and clean.

The eighth song is a medium-tempo song called “Some Children See Him”.  I had never heard this song before, but it is one that immediately struck a chord with me.  Again, the group’s vocals are smooth as silk.  “Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem” is the next song, and it’s another straightforward version like you would hear sung in many churches during the Christmas season- with a couple of cool chord progressions thrown in for good measure.  Song #10 is a medley of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” with “Hallelujah Chorus”.  It was a bit interesting for me hearing “Hallelujah Chorus” with only minimal piano accompaniment and with no bass part.  Normally that song has a more majestic and full sound.  However, that would not have fit the overall style of the album.  The album ends with a medley of “Oh Holy Night” and “All Is Well”.  This is a beautiful song with which to end the album.

I will be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of Christmas music.  However, that doesn’t keep me from recognizing quality music when I hear it.  This album is just that- quality music.  Some would say that it needs more in the area of accompaniment, but the simple piano and select other instruments chosen for use on this album are, to me, one of it’s overall strengths.  The vocals are smooth and tight throughout the album, and the arrangements are interesting and fresh enough to create an enjoyable listening experience.  Overall, I would give this album a 10 out of 10 microphones!

Favorites: “Good Christian Men Rejoice/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “Go Tell It On The Mountain”, and “Some Children See Him”