Classically-trained tenor David Phelps celebrated Christmas early this year in front of a live audience on his family farm as he recorded an all-new DVD and live album recording titled, It Must Be Christmas, releasing today via Spring House Productions and Gaither Music Group. The new album and DVD finds Phelps adding all-new arrangements of classic holiday favorites, as well as original songs, to his 20-year repertoire of Christmas songs.  

"What a privilege it was to gather my friends and family in this unusual, intimate setting to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!" Phelps says. "Our goal was - in every sense - to record the entire project as a throw-back to the days of excellent live music -- before the editing, punches and retakes of many of today's recordings. I gathered some of the best musicians in the world, rehearsed a couple of times and then hit the floor."

Hitting the floor and making great music is nothing new to Grammy Award-winning Phelps, who is an accomplished arranger, songwriter, composer, and one of the most recognized artists in the Gaither Homecoming Series of videos, music recordings, and concerts. Recorded in the Barn at The Phelps Farm just south of Nashville, and produced by Phelps, the new live DVD captures the singer's powerhouse three-octave vocals. For accompaniment, he brought in a jazz-heavy band including Pat Coil, Danny O'Lannerghty, Greg Ritchie, Alida Osterlin, Kari Lee, Dan Wheeler, and Jack Daniels.

Phelps muses, "Surrounded by talent at the top of their game, it made me long for a time when every tree had multi-colored lights, doorways were always dressed with mistletoe, stores were closed on Christmas Eve and families gathered in living rooms around crackling radios tuned in to Frank Sinatra singing 'The First Noel.'"

On "The Little Drummer Boy," Phelps joins the band with a drum feature, a favorite on his Christmas tour which has been an annual event for 20 years. He presents a crooner-inspired flair on the seasonal gems, "Tennessee Christmas," "Sleigh Ride," "Go Tell It On The Mountain," and the newly-penned tile track, "It Must Be Christmas."

"I wanted this recording to be something more than nostalgic," he says. "I realized for myself as I wrote for this project that this topic can never be finished being written about. This is the greatest story ever told. It's not like 'ok, it's told...this is done,' and so all the songs have been written about it. That's not gonna happen for me and for the world. We're still gonna be writing songs about this and watching plays about it and reading stories based on it...it is the moment that changed human history, and it will never lose its depth of content."

It Must Be Christmas is available for streaming and purchase everywhere now, including iTunes, Spotify,  Amazon.com, and Gaither.com. The CD is also available at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations as well as CrackerBarrel.com.

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It Must Be Christmas DVD Song List: 

1. It Must Be Christmas

2. Go Tell It On The Mountain

3. Tennessee Christmas

4. Christmas Rush

5. White Christmas

6. Five Little Fingers

7. Gesu Bambino

8. Catching Santa

9. In The Bleak Midwinter

10. Anthem Of The Lord

11. Angels We Have Heard On High

12. What The World Needs Now

13. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

14. Sleigh Ride

15. Fall On Your Knees

16. The Little Drummer Boy

17. We Are The Reason

18. Feliz Navidad

CD Track List: 

1. It Must Be Christmas

2. Go Tell It on the Mountain

3. Tennessee Christmas

4. Christmas Rush

5. Catching Santa

6. In the Bleak Midwinter

7. Anthem of the Lord

8. Angels We Have Heard on High

9. What the World Needs Now

10. Sleigh Ride

11. Fall on Your Knees

12. The Little Drummer Boy

13. We Are the Reason

14. Feliz Navidad