Glee: The Music

The Christmas Album, Sony ***

The Christmas Album, Sony ***

Unless you've been ensconced in a nuclear bunker for the past year, you'll know the score with the all-singing, all-dancing high schoolers of Gleeby now. There have already been several spin-off soundtracks of the hit TV show, so a Christmas edition was inevitable. Don't write it off immediately, though: this slant on festive tunes both traditional ( O Holy Night) and contemporary ( Last Christmas, Baby It's Cold Outside) would warm even the Grinch's heart.

A jazzed-up arrangement of Jingle Bellsis a highlight, while the Rodgers & Hammerstein- style instrumentation on several songs, coupled with the cast's genuinely impressive multi-part harmonies, is simply lovely. Okay, so it's no A Christmas Gift for You, but as modern Yuletide albums go, its ratio of cheese to tunes is just right.

See fox.com/glee

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Download tracks: Jingle Bells, We Need a Little Christmas

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy is a freelance journalist and broadcaster. She writes about music and the arts for The Irish Times