Scott Riggan trades the familiar ballad treatment of “O Holy Night” for chiming guitars, driving piano and an upbeat pop arrangement on his new Christmas EP.
Available now through NRT Music, the five-song collection pairs the newly recorded title track with four seasonal selections from Riggan’s catalog.
‘O Holy Night’ Becomes a Celebration
Riggan produced the new recording with Jason Collum. Rather than approaching the carol with hushed restraint, they built the arrangement around the excitement of Christmas arriving.
“I love this song, but I didn’t want to make the version everyone has heard a hundred times,” Riggan said.
The faster approach does not discard the song’s sense of wonder. Instead, Riggan treats celebration as another response to the story behind the carol.
The remaining tracks move between joyful and reflective settings. “Bethlehem (Unplugged)” strips its arrangement back, while “Come to Us (O Little Town)” features Jaime Thietten. Riggan also includes versions of “Joy to the World” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.”
Scott Riggan Turns From Hurt Toward Christmas Hope
The EP follows Shepherds and Wolves, Riggan’s album about church hurt, betrayal, forgiveness and healing.
That record allowed difficult questions to remain visible. Its songs included “Broken Pieces,” which examined the gap between trusting God with eternity and trusting him with everyday life.
O Holy Night shifts the emphasis toward the hope and joy of Christ’s birth without pretending the darker experiences have disappeared. The seasonal release offers a lighter companion to an album shaped by grief and recovery.
O Holy Night Track List
- “O Holy Night”
- “Bethlehem (Unplugged)”
- “Come to Us (O Little Town)” featuring Jaime Thietten
- “Joy to the World”
- “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”