Michael W. Smith’s epic It’s A Wonderful Christmas was released to Christian retailers across Canada last Tuesday. Head over to YMZ’s Media section to take an inside look a the recording process as Smith’s talks about his most ambitious project to date.

It’s A Wonderful Christmas features the winning singer-songwriter joining forces with four amazing choirs, among them a 100-voice choir and also a 16-member London boy’s choir directed by John Tobin, and a 67-piece orchestra at London’s Abbey Road studios. Also featured is a duet with American Idol’s Mandisa. As the strings soar and the bells ring, you can almost feel winter’s nip in the air and smell the fragrance of pine trees as Smith’s music puts you in that holiday mood. Smith revelled in the opportunity to record with a 67-piece orchestra, “The arrangements were great. The room is legendary and the players were unbelievable,” he enthuses.

In preparing for his new Christmas collection, he wanted to create an album with the lush arrangements and powerful orchestral sounds that he heard listening to his favourite Christmas records as a child. He began putting together a list of his favourite tunes, but in a burst of inspiration soon found he’d written more than enough new material to fill the album. The only cover tune is the timeless standard What Child is This? which sounds both familiar yet fresh thanks to Smitty’s deft musical reinvention.

Smith will be hitting the road for a Christmas tour, appropriately titled the, “It’s A Wonderful Christmas” with special guests, The Katinas. Each date will feature a full symphony orchestra. Canadian dates announced so far include two shows at the Winspear Centre For Music in Edmonton. Visit the YMZ Concert listings from more details.