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A Christmas Story blends a rich set of traditional carols with a handful of originals penned by a few of Christian music's most productive songwriters. Album highlights include a lively update of "Angels We Have Heard on High" and a brassed-up version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." "Let It Snow" will make you want to skate figure-eights on an icy pond. And Michael Tait (dc Talk) has a fantastic Nat King Cole-meets-Stevie Wonder cameo in "Light of the World," a mold-breaking number for both Tait and Point of Grace.

Lyrically, A Christmas Story shines in songs like "When Love Came Down": "We're alive, we can breathe/But do we really care for this world in need/There's a choice we must make/Each and every day." Beautiful orchestral arrangements and impeccable vocals make this a first-class record from an award-winning group.

Catch Point of Grace this holiday season, on tour with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and the Nashville Symphony. —Martin Cockroft

GROUP/ ARTIST	ALBUM (LABEL)	STYLE	COMPARE TO	NOTE THIS
Delirious?	Mezzamorphis (Furious?/ Sparrow)	rock/electric pop	U2, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins	the guys in Delirious? enjoy listening to a variety of musical styles, including ska, reggae and hip-hop
Left Out	For the Working Class (Grrr)	old school punk	Pennywise, Black Flag, Rancid	among people thanked in the album's liner notes are Boba Fett and "Cletus, the slack-jawed yoke!"
Out of Eden	No Turning Back (Gotee)	r&b;, rap	RLC, 702, Brandy, Monica	these sisses got their singing start by performing at a mall in Richmond, Virginia
Jill Phillips	Jill Phillips (Word)	folk pop	Shawn Colin, Jonatha Brooke, Jewel	by high school, Jill was playing the piano, guitar, flute and piccolo
Shaded Red	Red Revolution (Cadence)	modern rock with a touch of brass	Tonic, OMC, Matchbox 20	rumor has it that tennis star Andre Agassi is a big fan of Shaded Red
Third Day	Time (Essential)	southern rock	Hootie and the Blowfish, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mellencamp	instead of recording each instrument separately—the way a studio album is usually made—the guys played together "live" for each track

Wanna help with a future "Quick Takes"? Drop us a line that includes:

1. Your name, age, address, name of school and phone number;
   
2. Favorite styles of music;
   
3. Names of your favorite groups and artists.
   

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Thanks to these readers for their help with this edition of "Quick Takes": Jonathan Carone (King, NC), Andrea Carpio (Troy, MO), Maria Couri (Peoria, IL), Mark Knoles (Phoenix, AZ), Bethany Laursen (Tulare, CA), Julianne McCampbell (Mar shall, MO), Amanda Norbo (Cordova, SC), Terriyel Pendleton (Wesson, MS), Silvy Perkins (Lawrence, KS), Jessica Podnar (Florence, WI), Andrea Ragsdale (Louisville, KY), Rudy Regehr (Winnipeg, MB, Canada), Erin Schwartz (Washington, NJ), Megan Stevenson (Carol Stream, IL), Melissa Talarovich (Somerset, PA), Whitney Virtue (Rogers, AR), Kanika Wade (Columbia, SC), Rachel Whidden (Parrish, FL).

1999 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine. Click here for reprint information on Campus Life.

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