Joy: A Christmas Collection (2000)

Joy: A Christmas Collection is the fourth studio and Christmas album by the Christian vocal group Avalon, released on September 26, 2000 by Sparrow Records. The album was produced by Brown Bannister.

Avalon's Christmas release contains a mix of originals, holiday favorites and modern covers like Céline Dion's "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day," Mariah Carey's "Jesus, Born On This Day" and David Meece's signature song "We Are the Reason." Avalon also records a new arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard On High" as part of "The Angels Medley" segment. They originally recorded the full song on the various artists Christmas project God With Us. Avalon first performed the track back in 1995 on the Young Messiah Farewell Tour but with a different personnel line-up at the time.

Joy charted and peaked on the following Billboard albums charts:

-#3 Top Christian Albums

-#13 Top Holiday Albums

-#115 Billboard 200 Albums

In 2001, Avalon earned their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop/

Contemporary Gospel Album and was nominated for a Dove Award for Group of the Year.

Track listing

1. (Joy) to the World (Brown Bannister, Grant Cunningham, Dan Muckala) -4:33

2. The Angels Medley -6:04

-The First Noel (traditional)

-Angels We Have Heard On High (Edward S. Barnes)

-Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn)

3. Don't Save It All For Christmas Day (Céline Dion, Ric Wake, Peter Zizzo) -4:44

4. Jesus, Born On This Day (Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff) -4:24

5. Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard, Dick Smith) -2:42

6. Light a Candle (Joel Lindsay, Wayne Haun) -3:43

7. Good News (Rob Mathes) -6:00

8. The Christmas Song (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) -4:47

9. Manger Medley -5:48

-O Come O Come Emmanuel (traditional)

-O Little Town of Bethlehem (Phillips Brooks, Lewis Redner)

-Silent Night (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr)

10. We Are the Reason (David Meece) -5:00

Personnel

Avalon:

Janna Long -lead vocals on tracks 6, 8 and 10, vocals

Jody McBrayer -lead vocals on tracks 3, 6 and 7, vocals

Michael Passons -lead vocals on tracks 2, 6, 7 and 10, vocals

Cheri Paliotta -lead vocals on tracks 4 and 6, vocals

Radio singles

2000 -2001 "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" -#2 Christian AC

Previous release: In a Different Light (1999)

Next release: Oxygen (2001)