Calvin Coolidge, of all people, once astutely noted that Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.
It is that state of mind in all its many shadings - joyous, blue, reverent, sassy, loving, somber, playful, warm and thankful - that successful holiday music strives to express in art.
This year brings a somewhat smaller bundle of new Christmas discs, but there's still a diverse selection of albums from artists of varying sensibilities and generations.
Here are some of the most notable new entries to the Christmas music catalog.
"Midwinter Graces" by Tori Amos (Universal Republic)
Amos is part feminist, part pagan pixie and part creative loon. She's also the slightly wayward daughter of a Methodist minister. On "Midwinter Graces," Amos strives to reconcile that bumptious mix in a coherent blend.
The album honors the ancient pagan traditions that celebrate the natural cycle of death and renewal, winter and spring. Indeed, Amos divides the album into the four elements of air, earth, fire and water. She gives voice to her mystic heart on original songs such as "Winter's Carol" and "Snow Angel." Yet she also respectfully updates traditional carols honoring the Christ child, including "What Child Is This," "Coventry Carol"
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