Even for the seemingly dwindling few among us that enjoy Christmas/holiday music, there are certain songs we just never see the appeal of. “O Holy Night” had always been one of those for me.
Then Ben Caplan and his merry band of collaborators got their hands on it.
What had previously been a dull, drab downer of a carol – to be skipped over when it inevitably appeared on whichever artist’s Christmas albums – has been reimagined as a hauntingly dramatic tale of Christ’s birth.
“I don’t love Christmas music,” said Caplan. “Being Jewish, Christmas wasn’t a big thing in my home, and I have to admit that I find a lot of that music corny. That said, I have a deep felt belief that if you don’t like something, you should do something about it. There are some truly beautiful songs and carols out there, and I wanted to make something that tip-toes towards the sublime rather than shopping-mall-easy-listening.”
The song itself dates back to the 1800s but this variation began to take form in 2016 when Caplan and his band had a trio of live shows planned for early December in Halifax.
Caplan felt it was apropos to engage in some festive standards, and collaborator Donald MacLennan had just what was on Caplan’s wish list; a re-harmonized version of the traditional tune. What began as an idea from MacLennan evolved into the band feeling their way through a live cover, and has now reached its zenith as a meticulously planned out orchestral event in honour of the season.
The song begins very minimally, with Caplan’s familiar gruff vocals over a subdued drum beat and stingy string-work. The song builds consistently as Caplan’s orchestra is fleshed out and backing vocals join him on his journey to the song’s dramatic peak.
Caplan’s version manages to warm your insides whilst leaving you with chills.
“As soon as I started thinking about recording the piece, I began dreaming of string quartets and pipe organs,” said Caplan. “I used Arcade Fire’s ‘My Body is a Cage’ as a reference point. The changes in the arrangement are not alarming to the casual listener but they breathe new life into a song we have all become very accustomed to.”
The video showcases Caplan and company working their magic at Halifax’s Fort Massey United Church. It provides a charming intermingling of simplicity and serenity amidst a fitting church backdrop and chooses to focus on the many talented musicians providing the epic accompaniment to what in so many other musician’s hands could have been a throwaway track. Caplan has also released an instrumental version of the song in order to further spotlight Peter Togni’s masterful arrangement.
“O Holy Night” is a seasonal follow-up to Caplan teaming up with Norwegian band Katzenjammer for a similarly orchestral cover of The Pogues alternative Christmas classic “Fairytale of New York”.
Caplan has also announced that he plans to release Recollection this coming March. An album of some fan-favourite acoustic solo interpretations of his previously released songs.
“From Donald’s initial concept to the initial arrangement with my live band, to Peter Togni’s string and organ arrangement, the producing, recording, mixing, mastering, and artwork, it took a small village to bring this into the world,” Caplan said. “I want to dispel the myth of the lone genius. It took a lot of people with a lot of talent to pull this off. Consider it my Christmas present to you.”