Aaron Shust's epic take on the Christmas story

CCM artist Aaron Shust comes out swinging for the stars on his new Christmas album Unto Us—an ambitious blend of classical and rock music in the vein of Mannheim Steamroller. Shust packs a punch courtesy of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, along with help from various choirs.

But Shust isn’t satisfied with a random, if regal-sounding, assemblage of Christmas tunes. According to the album’s liner notes, the unusual mixture of original and traditional music is arranged in a “very deliberate order to purposefully provide a sense of story.” The album is divided into three sections to denote segments of the drama: Proclamation, Adoration, and Celebration. That story sensibility comes through loud and clear—though perhaps less from the song order than the expanded palette afforded by the orchestra. Sweeping horns and woodwinds blow through extended instrumental movements to provide narrative flow similar to a movie score.

The Proclamation section begins with “Star of Wonder (Overture),” a complex and mostly instrumental treatment of “We Three Kings.” Ancient church bells begin the piece with a seasonal familiarity that belies the far-ranging musical journey to come. A piano prances around like an impatient horse before middle-eastern drums and an ancient Bouzouki guitar convey the journey through exotic lands. Orchestral strings carry the music heavenward, providing sweep and scope to the culminating proclamation: “Come and worship / Worship Christ the newborn King.”

“Sanctuary” kicks off the album’s Adoration segment and is designed to bring us manger-side. An intimate string section takes some chill from the cool night air while a lone boy sings in stark, sweet tones of the wonder and fragility of a Savior as human babe: “Peace is here / Fear is gone / Love has come / Hope has dawned.” When Shust takes over lead singing, the song loses some of its magic. But at least he has the good sense to keep a boys’ choir behind him, which sprinkles pixie dust throughout the rest of the track.

Few songs could be more apropos to the Celebration section than “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” Happily Shust retains the song’s African-gospel character, keeping it fresh and fantastically funky through the use of a Hammond B3 organ and punchy low male voices.

Shust is known for updating good old hymns with a modern sensibility, and he wisely continues the practice in Unto Us. He introduces listeners to some lesser known Christmas tunes with that rare mixture of good poetry and meaty theology. A perfect example is “Advent Carol,” which is his treatment of “No More Sadness Now Nor Fasting.” After a deceptively simple piano and vocal introduction, Shust pulls out all the stops. He unleashes the full weight of orchestral and choral power to convey the grandeur of an “Angel choir sing Hallelujah / God’s redeeming love proclaim / Let Thy Church in every nation / Sing the glory of Thy name.”

Combining classical and rock music is a notoriously tricky business, but Shust mainly handles it with aplomb in Unto Us. Some sections fall into melodrama and the album could have used more quiet moments to bring out the earthier, human elements working within Divine sovereignty. But as the saying goes: “Go big or go home.” Shust clearly isn’t going home, and those looking for an epic take on the epic story will be glad of it.