Biography

On their new Christmas EP, The Kingsmen waste no time in getting to the point. The title track and very first tune on their Horizon Records release, ‘Tis The Reason, is direct, with clarion horns punctuating lead singer Chris Bryant’s sympathetic reminder:

‘Tis the season to be frantic
The crazy time of year we panic
Countless greeting cards to send
Christmas parties to attend
But it’s not the time to fret
Over what we may forget
On the list to do, or make or bake
or spend
‘Cause in the end — it’s about Him

The song rises to a crescendo as Chris Jenkins, Alan Kendall and the group’s patriarch, Ray Reese, join in:

‘Tis the Reason to let our praises ring
‘Tis the Reason to lift our voice and sing
To open up our hearts — and keep on believin’ —
‘Tis the Reason

The collection seamlessly weaves together old favorites — the majestic “O Holy Night” and the warmly nostalgic “The Christmas Song” — and new songs that range from the
upbeat “Here We Come A Caroling” to the thoughtful meditation on the infinite mercy of “The God Who Gives Himself Away” and the closing reminder of “There Is Peace,” with its timely message:

When we love and hold on to each other
When we give just like it’s still December
Every day the Christmas season stays with you and me
There is joy, there is hope, there is peace

From start to finish, ‘Tis The Reason affirms that the spirit that has animated The Kingsmen’s legendary career is as strong as ever.
“The last time the Kingsmen released a Christmas album was in 1994,” notes Alan Kendall. “With the tremendous
response from the Christmas single ‘Tell It On the Mountain’in 2020, our fans and friends made it clear to us that they were way past ready for another collection of seasonal songs celebrating the birth of Jesus. Our
producer Jeff Collins and the folks at Crossroads Music agreed with us, and we began preparing it over a
year ago.

“We’re excited about four brand new songs that not only sing us into our favorite time of year, but celebrate
the very reason for the season. And with timeless classics like ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘The Christmas Song’ added to the mix, we feel like we have something for everybody. We are certainly proud and honored to present this recording, and we pray that it will be a cherished and spirit-filled part of everyone’s holiday listening for many years to come.”

SONG LIST

‘Tis The Reason
The God Who Gives Himself Away
Here We Come A Caroling
The Christmas Song
O Holy Night
There Is Peace

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