Lieder specialist Benjamin Appl celebrates Christmas with sacred arias by Bach and Mendelssohn, carols from Germany, Austria, America, Britain, Sweden and France. Appl is accompanied by instrumentalists (including his own mother on guitar), the Munich Radio Orchestra, and Germany’s most famous children’s choir, Regensburger Domspatzen, of which he was a member in his youth. “I returned to my hometown to record this album with ‘my’ boys’ choir. When, after more than twenty years, I found myself back among the choristers and heard the familiar sound, the emotion was very intense,” says Appl. The German baritone’s detailed attention to enunciation of the text elevates some of these well-worn carols to the level of art song; and his bright, high baritone with uncomplicated tone production make this recording more appealing to those who may be allergic to the standard opera-singer-sings-Christmas album.