The Dawn of Grace (2008)
The Dawn of Grace is the fifth studio and Christmas album by the American alternative rock band Sixpence None the Richer. It was originally released on the Nettwerk Music label on October 14, 2008.
Released just months after the band's digital EP My Dream Machine from July, The Dawn of Grace consisted of original and traditional Christmas songs. The two original Sixpence tunes are "The Last Christmas" and "Christmas For Two."
Two animated music videos were made for "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Silent Night," with the latter featuring guest vocals by Jars of Clay lead singer Dan Haseltine.
The Dawn of Grace debuted and peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. A deluxe edition of The Dawn of Grace was remastered and released on November 15, 2024 by Flatiron Recordings with an alternate album cover and two bonus tracks recorded for this release: a cover of Greg Lake's 1975 protest song "I Believe in Father Christmas" and the hymn "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear."
Track listing on the Deluxe Edition
1. I Believe in Father Christmas (music by Greg Lake and Sergei Prokofiev, words
Peter John Sinfield) -3:20
2. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Edmond Sears, Richard Storrs Willis) -3:48
3. Angels We Have Heard on High (Edward S. Barnes) -4:16
4. The Last Christmas (Matt Slocum, Steve Hindalong) -3:13
5. O Come O Come Emmanuel (traditional) -3:08
6. Ríu Ríu Chíu (traditional) -3:09
7. Silent Night (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr) -4:28
8. Carol of the Bells (Mykola Leontovych, English lyrics by Peter Wilhousky) -2:25
9. Christmas Island (Lyle Moraine) -2:34
10. River (Joni Mitchell) -3:58
11. Christmas For Two (Leigh Nash, Kate York) -3:10
12. Some Children See Him (Alfred S. Burt, Wihla Hutson) -4:17
Personnel
Sixpence None the Richer:
Leigh Nash -vocals
Matt Slocum -bass guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, arranger, cello, moog
synthesizer
additional musicians:
Dan Haseltine - featured guest vocals on track 7
Steve Hindalong -drums, percussion, arranger, glockenspiel, sleigh bells
Marc Byrd -electric guitar, slide guitar
Ken Lewis -drums, percussion
Pat Bergeson -harmonica
Love Sponge Strings -orchestra
Tom Howard -conductor, orchestration
Production credits
Steve Hindalong -producer (all tracks)
Stephen Leiweke -co-producer (tracks 1 and 2)
Derald Daughtery -co-producer (tracks 3 -12)
Previous release: My Dear Machine (EP) (2008)
Next release: Lost in Transition (2012)
Watch the music video of "Angels We Have Heard On High" here:
Watch the music video of "Silent Night" here:
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