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    Craig Ogden

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    Craig Ogden: Christmas Time - an album guide

    The guitarist gives Christmas classics an inventive new spin, and gives us the perfect fireside companion in the process.

    1. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

      You can't have a merry little Christmas without this classic, originally made famous by the great Judy Garland and then again by Frank Sinatra. Craig Ogden's version is beautifully restrained, with solo guitar and gorgeous voicing of the melodies throughout. Try to stop yourself from singing along…

    2. Craig Ogden Evening

      2. In The Bleak Midwinter

      This might be one of the more downbeat Christmas classics in popular culture, but Ogden turns it into a warming, fireside treat with a stately tempo and another impeccably picked-out melody.

    3. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      3. O Come All Ye Faithful

      So many of the tracks on this album come from a choral tradition and, therefore, usually are performed by dozens of people at any one time. Craig Ogden's strength, particularly in the famous chorus here, is to make just his guitar sound as big and as varied as the choirs that usually perform these works.

    4. Craig Ogden

      4. Walking in the Air

      Thanks to its use in the cartoon version of The Snowman, Walking In The Air is now a Christmas essential. Here, under Ogden's fingers, it's even more delicate and stirring than normal, thanks to a superb cello line.

    5. Christmas Tree

      5. Away in a Manger

      It's fair to say that Craig Ogden knows his way around the fretboard, but with much of the material on this record the melodies are so simple and well-known that it actually requires great skill to turn them into something fresh, yet familiar. This is a perfect example.

    6. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      6. Silent Night

      Stripped back to just Ogden's guitar, this arrangement is delightfully restrained and simple, perfect for the night before Christmas…

    7. craig ogden

      7. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen

      Another favourite carol that, in its original choral setting, is quite stately and reserved. Ogden gives it a fantastic new spin, though, turning it into a perfect festive treat.

    8. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      8. Once In Royal David's City

      Traditionally, the first verse of this carol is sung by a boy soprano, but Ogden's inventive take on it transforms it into a busy and florid series of guitar arpeggios that never loses sight of the melody.

    9. Christmas Lights

      9. Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire

      Ogden's versatility comes to the fore here on this jazz-inflected number. He has real fun with the tempo, by turns nimble and achingly delayed, but always with that oh-so-hummable tune at the front.

    10. shane macgowan

      10. Fairytale of New York

      Made famous in its original form by Kirsty Macoll and The Pogues' Shane MacGowan (pictured) back in the 80s, Craig Ogden is surprisingly faithful to it in his version, which skips along in merry fashion (without the kitchen sink drama of the lyrics, obviously).

    11. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      11. Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly

      Essential for the build-up to Christmas - can you really imagine yourself decorating the tree, hanging up your stocking and pre-heating the oven for mince pies without this on in the background? No. No you cannot.

    12. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      12. O Little Town Of Bethlehem

      Another hymn that has become inseparable from all things Christmassy, Ogden manages to show just how much you can change your impression of even the most established of classics with a little bit of imagination.

    13. craig ogden

      13. O Holy Night

      This most innocent and plaintive of Christmas tunes retains its simple charms in Ogden's reading, which adds a little bit of string quartet colour to the proceedings, alongside his delicate guitar skills.

    14. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      14. Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar

      The main melody is transferred over to the violin for this number, which sees Ogden's guitar beautifully propping up the whole piece.

    15. Craig Ogden Press Shots 2013

      15. Quelle est cette Odeur Agréable

      Craig's guitar takes centre stage again for this traditional French carol (the title translates as "Whence is that goodly fragrance flowing?"), and we hear him using sue rather ethereal harmonics too. One for the guitar technique nerds out there.

    16. Christmas Time

      16. Little Donkey

      If there was one track on the album that had to be classed as a guilty pleasure, this would be it. Long beloved of children's choirs the world over, this gentle and charming melody tells the story of Mary's journey to Bethlehem. It's the perfect way to end a cracking fireside collection for the festive season.

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