Best known by many as the voice of Irish band Clannad, as well as the sister of superstar Enya, Moya Brennan generally delivers the Christmas album you'd expect—her breathy vocals and gentle harp washing over the Celtic instrumentation. What's most striking is how attuned she is to her sound, adhering closely to carols with roots in UK folk like "Deck the Halls," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and "What Child Is This," then adapting "Angels We Have Heard on High," "In Dulci Jubilo," and "Do You Hear What I Hear?" as if they came from the same tradition—"Silent Night" sung in Gaelic is about as soothing as it gets. Brennan also taps her heritage with "In the Bleak Midwinter," the gorgeous "Wexford Carol," and "Gabriel's Message" (the Basque carol that Sting made famous on 1990's A Very Special Christmas). Aside from so-so renditions of "Carol of the Bells" and "Joy to the World," Brennan's peaceful style is most befitting of the Christmas season.

Snow (GFK Records)

Together for ten years, this a cappella trio refocused their music in 2003 to emphasize kids ministry, and it's served them and their target audience well. Their second Christmas release (after 1999's More Than a Story) is to some extent nothing new—the same a cappella pop style that The Nylons, Glad, and Rockapella helped pioneer 20 years ago. But there's no denying that Go Fish does it as well as any, delivering their harmonies over a drum machine like a more vocal intensive Backstreet Boys (or a more caffeinated 4Him). Credit them also for making an effort to be different with their songs, offering playful arrangements of standards (including a rocking "Little Drummer Boy" and a cute "White Christmas") as well as thoughtful originals ("Christmas with a Captial 'C'" borrows from comedian Brad Stine to address political correctness for holiday). Though rather preachy at times, Snow is nonetheless infectious and fun for all ages.

Celebrating Christmas (Hillsong/Integrity)

Hillsong's studio albums aren't typically as exciting as their live recordings, but Celebrating Christmas comes close, and is far better than 2001's Jesus Christmas Worship Down Under. Here Darlene Zschech and her worship team are at their best, offering contemporary arrangements of the usual hymns, practical enough for the average worship team to adapt with printable lead sheets included on the enhanced CD. "Joy to the World" is revitalized by a jazzy funk shuffle, and an upbeat "Angels We Have Heard on High" is matched with Reuben Morgan's "Gloria"—the beloved refrain does still make an appearance. Also noteworthy are a terrific big band version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and a Phil Keaggy-styled instrumental acoustic guitar arrangement of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." The album's five original tracks—all pop or R&B ballads—are generally less memorable and interesting, "Saviour Christ the King" being the strongest, but stylistic variation and accessibility still make this album a winner for contemporary congregations worldwide.