Review: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Becky Hill
- by Nicholas Gaudet
- in Reviews
In her own interpretation of the holiday classic, Becky Hill delivers a heart-warming performance in ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’.
It’s that time of the year of the year again, and while you definitely should unearth those dusty Frank Sinatra records you only take out once a year, it’s important to recognize our modern voices giving love to tradition. In terms of instrumentation, there is nothing quite distinctly unique about Becky Hill’s rendition of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ – the soothing light orchestra bathes the listener in a pool of warm harmonies just as one would expect with such a nostalgic song. The piano is a beautiful addition, adding a layer of jazz that is almost required in old Christmas standards. What will catch the listener, especially to the untrained ear, is Becky’s rhythm in the way she soothingly delivers the words we sing every year. There’s a very precise means in which the lyrics are sung, which is quite new to the more free-flowing nature of traditional pop. There’s that hint of modern accent in her intonation, which again differs from the more transatlantic approach to pronunciation by the greats such as Nat King Cole and Judy Garland. In the latter half of the song, as the orchestra builds upon itself, Becky allows her voice to flow more freely and in an even more powerful manner. There’s one moment by the end in which you can hear the raw emotion through grit in her impressive runs that will make the listeners’ halt to pay attention. The song then closes, with a nod to that classic Christmas descending melody that you hear in every song played by the piano.
‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, as interpreted by Becky Hill, is a love letter to the classics without stepping on their toes. It stands as its own version with new ideas performed in familiar grounds. It’s warm like a marshmallow-covered hot chocolate, and as loving as the holiday season itself.
