Christmas Extraordinaire

1	Messiah, oratorio, HWV 56~Hallelujah Chorus 4:43
2	White Christmas, song (from "Holiday Inn") 3:35
3	Away in a Manger 3:23
4	Nutcracker, ballet, Op. 71~Faeries 2:29
5	Do You Hear What I Hear? 4:06
6	The First Nowell (English) 3:38
7	Silver Bells (for the film The Lemon Drop Kid) 4:28
8	Fum, Fum, Fum (Catalan) 4:51
9	Some Children See Him, carol for voice & piano 3:34
10	Winter Wonderland 3:42
11	O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) (German) / Johnny Mathis 3:01
12	Auld Lang Syne 3:42

Barnes & Noble

The Mannheim Steamroller dynasty rolls on with a new album of Christmas favorites for the 2001 season. Having sold over 18 million Christmas albums, they certainly are the experts, but for this release, the Steamroller and captain Chip Davis asked for some outside help. The legendary Johnny Mathis chimes in on "O Tannenbaum," the first vocalist ever to grace a Mannheim Christmas release. The dozen carols that make up Extraordinaire are the result of requests made by fans to the Steamroller's web site -- which means that for some lucky souls, this is an extra-special assortment. But rest assured that the familiar Mannheim touch will leave all listeners in a very merry mood.

Can't get enough Mannheim? Don't miss the Christmas box set, which features Extraordinaire plus the three original Christmas albums, all remastered in HDCD. The red-foil box makes this set ready for giving.

All Music Guide

Longtime holiday favorite Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas Extraordinaire is yet another holiday collection by the group. It's not much of departure from Mannheim's other holiday collections. If anything, it aims to resurrect the spirit of preceding holiday releases by Mannheim. There's a good chance if you enjoy other Mannheim holiday albums you'll enjoy this one. It's not one of the group's more noteworthy releases, but it should please Mannheim's devoted following. Some of the featured songs include "Hallelujah," "White Christmas," "Away in a Manger," and "Winter Wonderland," among others. Jason Birchmeier

New York Times

With precision, taste and compositional derring-do, Chip Davis (the man driving the Steamroller) refines the blend of early classical and modern instrumental music that has characterized his best work (along with the occasional and welcome touch of humor).