Christmas Nights is a collection of traditional but rearranged Christmas hymns from the Chapel Hill church plant The Gathering Church. Every song was chosen and arranged to evoke the feeling of nighttime in the Advent season, and the anticipation of Christ’s arrival on Earth.

The album was recorded in a three-week period at Chapel Hill’s Arbor Ridge Studios, with a core band and production crew of Jeff Crawford (The Tomahawks, Mandolin Orange), Brett Harris, Nick Jaeger (The Tomahawks), James Wallace (The Light Pines, Mandolin Orange) and Mark Simonsen (The Old Ceremony). In addition, the record features guest appearances by vocalists Andrew and Emily Frantz from Mandolin Orange, Josh Moore and Skylar Gudasz. Each vocalist takes turns on new takes on traditional Christmas songs, including “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” Oh Holy Night,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” and “Beautiful Star of Bethelehem.”

The Gathering Church began in 2009, and now meets at Creekside Elementary School (Chapel Hill) every Sunday. It is a church committed to being present to God, connected to each other, and engaged in the world. Crawford serves as Music Director of the church, with other members of the production crew regularly contributing to the music.