Arden, North Carolina (November 3, 2023) — For their first release since last year’s Music To Your Ears — and their first under their new name — Anthem Edition, the acclaimed Southern Gospel quartet formerly known as The Old Paths, serve up a multi-faceted collection of Christmas songs that celebrate the joys of the holiday while never losing sight of its true meaning. From its opening track to the closing bravura a capella arrangement of the “His Name Medley,” Here Comes Christmas — out now — is a collection that captures every aspect of the holiday season.
The set leads off with “Here Comes Christmas,” a bright, energetic new song that highlights the anticipatory excitement of the weeks that lead up to Christmas Day itself and practically begs for a sing-along as it paints “a Rockwell kind of scene.” The mood turns contemplative with another new entry, “The Way It’s Always Been,” a gently evocative ballad that looks back to Christmas past:
I’m learning now to cherish
Every moment that I’m in
Cause it won’t always be
The way it’s always been
The tempos turn brighter again with Anthem Edition’s take on Jose Feliciano’s 20th century classic, “Feliz Navidad” and Crowder’s “Thanks Giver,” with its grateful address to “The One who’s making a saint out of this sinner, The One who’s turned me into this thanks giver.” Still, tradition isn’t neglected, as the quartet reach back to the beloved “We Three Kings,” delivering a kaleidoscopic set of variations with just their voices. And after a return to the contemporary with a glistening rendition of “The Greatest Gift,” drawn from a recent Andrea Bocelli and Family Christmas special and featuring a heartwarming appearance by the Trinity Baptist Church Children’s Choir, Anthem Edition wraps up Here Comes Christmas with yet another stunning a capella number that combines an old favorite, “Cherish That Name,” with the award-winning “What A Beautiful Name” to end with a profound and powerful reminder of He whose birthday Christmas commemorates:
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
“Nothing puts you in the mindset of joy and cheer quite like Christmas music,” says Anthem Edition’s Tim Rackley, “And when we recorded our new Christmas project, we wanted that merriment to resonate throughout every song. I believe Here Comes Christmas is the perfect blend of unique and nostalgic, new favorites mixed with timeless classics, and will be the soundtrack to many Christmas seasons to come!”
Listen to Here Comes Christmas HERE.
About Anthem Edition
Anthem Edition burst onto the scene in 2003, initially as a trio called The Old Paths. Founding members Doug Roark and Tim Rackley set forth with a clear vision and mission: to glorify the Lord and seek His ways in everything. The trio soon morphed into a quartet, and started gaining national attention. In 2012, the group signed with Crossroad Music’s Sonlite Records label, a collaboration which brought forth the breakout album, ‘Right Now.’ This debut record quickly yielded two #1 hits, ‘Battlestand’ and ‘God’s Great,’ and earned the group a Singing News Fan Award for Favorite New Quartet. A variety of circumstances lead to the difficult decision for the group to stop touring in 2015, but just two years later, God opened the door for a return to the road. The quartet partnered once again with Crossroads, and in recent years have released several projects producing fan favorite songs such as ‘Come Sunday Morning,’ ‘Look at All I Lost,’ ‘How Good The Good News Feels’ and more.
In late 2022, The Old Paths announced that they would be changing the name of the group. After much consideration and discussion, the new name Anthem Edition was announced, as well as the addition of Andrew Utech as the group’s new bass vocalist. While the music and message have stayed the same from the beginnings, Anthem Edition fully embodies the vision of the award-winning quartet, and positions them to forge their path into the future.
About Crossroads:
Crossroads is a market leader in the Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, and Americana fields. Established in 1993, following the combination of Horizon Music Group and Sonlite Records, Crossroads now operates several divisions including Crossroads Label Group (Horizon Records, Sonlite Records, Mountain Home Music, Skyland Records, Pisgah Ridge Records, Crossroads Records, and Organic Records), Crossroads Distribution, Crossroads Radio Promotions, and Crossroads Recording Studios. Led by a strong executive team of Christian music and Bluegrass music veterans, Crossroads combines cutting-edge technology with creative innovation to connect fans with our artists’ music.
