The Christmas Attic

The Christmas Attic
Studio album by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Released	September 15, 1998
Genre	Symphonic rock, Christmas rock
Length	68:26
Label	Lava Records
Producer	Paul O'Neill and Robert Kinkel
Trans-Siberian Orchestra chronology
Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996) The Christmas Attic (1998) Beethoven's Last Night (2000)

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The Christmas Attic is the second album by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a rock opera, and the second installment of their Christmas Trilogy, the sequel to Christmas Eve and Other Stories and the prequel to The Lost Christmas Eve. This album contains a mix of vocal and instrumental songs.

The track "Christmas Canon," one of the orchestra's most well-known songs, is a cover of Johann Pachelbel's famous Canon in D Major, with lyrics added.

Story

It is Christmas Eve, and the Lord sends his youngest angel off on a second mission, asking him to "leave the one thing behind that would most benefit all of mankind." The angel goes down to earth and comes across a young girl who was troubled about the meaning of Christmas. He leads the girl to her attic and then to a trunk containing old letters and Christmas cards. Through the night she reunites old friends mentioned in the letters and discovers the magic of Christmas.

Track listing

1. "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve" – 2:15
2. "Boughs of Holly" – 4:24 *
3. "The World That She Sees" – 4:13
4. "Midnight Christmas Eve" – 4:21 *
5. "The March of the Kings / Hark the Herald Angel" – 3:52 *
6. "The Three Kings and I (What Really Happened)" – 6:29
7. "Christmas Canon" – 4:17
8. "Joy / Angels We Have Heard on High" – 3:55
9. "Find Our Way Home" – 3:45
10. "Appalachian Snowfall" – 4:12 *
11. "The Music Box" – 3:01
12. "The Snow Came Down" – 5:43
13. "Christmas in the Air" – 4:12
14. "Dream Child (A Christmas Dream)" – 7:04
15. "An Angel's Share" – 3:05
16. "Music Box Blues" – 5:36

(*) indicates an instrumental

The album was re-released in 2002 with a companion track to "The World That She Sees" called "The World That He Sees" inserted into the track listing directly after "She Sees" and having a length of 4:45. The last track "Music Box Blues" was also truncated to 4:57; this version was previously used in their film "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve."

Personnel

• Paul O'Neill - Producer
• Robert Kinkel - Co-Producer
• Dave Wittman - Recording and Mix Engineer

Performers

Vocals

Solos:

• Jody Ashworth
• Joe Cerisano
• Katrina Chester
• Marlene Danielle
• Thomas Farese
• Peggy Harley
• Daryl B. Pediford

Back-Ups:

• Latisha Jordan - Background Coordinator
• Peggy Harley
• Robert Kinkel
• Maurice Lauchner
• Al Pitrelli
• Jon Oliva
• Timara Sanders
• Zak Stevens
• Doug Thoms
• Yolanda Wyns

Child choir

Conductor:

• Dan Moriarty

Choir:

• The Choristers, St. Bartholomew's Church, New York City
• Marilina Acosta
• Brendan Burgess
• Julian George
• Shoshana Frishberg
• Julia George
• Jack Gibson
• Nina Gottlieb
• Erick Hernandez
• Michelle Repella
• Anton Spivack

Orchestra

• Robert Kinkel - Piano and Keyboards
• Jon Oliva - Piano, Keyboards and Bass Guitars
• Al Pitrelli - Lead, Rhythm and Bass Guitars
• Paul O'Neill - Rhythm Guitars
• Johnny Lee Middleton - Bass
• Jeff Plate - Drums
• Chris Caffery - Rhythm Guitars

References to other carols and works

• "Boughs of Holly" is a reworking of "Deck the Halls".
• "March of the Kings/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," besides the obvious carol, is also a rock version of the Farandole from Bizet's L'Arlésienne's Suite No. 2.
• "The Three Kings and I (What Really Happened)" briefly quotes O Holy Night and the Hallelujah Chorus.
• "Christmas Canon" is based on Pachelbel's Canon.
• The "Joy" section of "Joy/Angels We Have Heard on High" is a reworking of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."

External links

• Trans-Siberian Orchestra Homepage
• The Christmas Attic page