Martha Stewart Living Music: Classical Favorites for the Holidays by Various Artists/Martha Stewart

Personnel: Eileen Farrell, Charlotte Church (soprano); Pl cido Domingo (tenor). Liner Note Author: Martha Stewart. This latest installment of Martha Stewart's holiday-themed music compilations focuses on the classical side of things, presenting 15 traditional and contemporary holiday favorites performed by some of classical music's most beloved celebrities. Ranging from the secular ("Pastoral Symphony") to modern classics ("Christmas Time Is Here"), it's light and accessible. As with other volumes, this painfully inoffensive collection is ideal background music for holiday gatherings that require a bit more flair and distinction than an average holiday party. As a bonus, Stewart includes her recipe for individual strawberry jam cakes, most presumably something one could cook while listening to this disc in the background. ~ Rob Theakston