The Christmas Attic

The Christmas Attic
Studio album by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Released	September 15, 1998
Recorded	1997-1998
Genre	Symphonic rock, Christmas music
Length	73:19
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. Cover art created by Edgar Jerins.^[1]

The story is about a young child exploring the attic in an old house on Christmas Eve. The opening poetry sets up the story;

In this room where shadows live

And ghost that fail learn time forgives

Welcome friends please stay a while

Our story starts with one small child

Who spend her nights in attics dark

Where dreams are stored like sleeping hearts

This album contains a mix of vocal and instrumental songs but as usual with TSO the story is the core of the album.

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

The album was performed live for the first time during the band's 2014 Winter Tour.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Ghosts of Christmas Eve"	2:15
2.	"Boughs of Holly" ((Instrumental))	4:24
3.	"The World That She Sees"	6:00
4.	"Midnight Christmas Eve" (instrumental)	4:21
5.	"The March of the Kings/Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (instrumental)	3:52
6.	"The Three Kings and I (What Really Happened)"	6:29
7.	"Christmas Canon"	4:19
8.	"Joy/Angels We Have Heard on High"	3:55
9.	"Find Our Way Home"	3:45
10.	"Appalachian Snowfall" (instrumental)	4:12
11.	"The Music Box"	3:00
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

The album was re-released in 2002 with a companion track to "The World That She Sees" (which was shortened from 6 minutes to just 3) 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^[2]

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."

References

1. Interview with Edgar Jerins
2. "Chris Caffery Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved 3 July 2013.

External links

• Trans-Siberian Orchestra Homepage