Here’s a Christmas entry for Rrinaco, the side project with the weird name which is actually the music of Corrina Rose Logston Stephens that doesn’t fit the traditional bluegrass vibe of High Fidelity, her primary performance vehicle.
Her offering for 2025 is Angels From The Realms of Glory, a hymn that was written by James Montgomery in the early 19th century, using a melody written later by Henry Smart. It’s one that has endured more than 200 years, though still is not widely performed.
Corrina says that she has long loved this song.
“Angels From the Realms of Glory has long been one of my favorite Christmas numbers. The effective yet succinctness of the message and form of the song, paired with the harmonization, are literally some of my favorite things that make me excited about a piece of music. The fact that I have hardly heard it performed in churches, and have never heard any recorded versions of this song in popular music or otherwise, has always surprised me.
I see Angels From the Realms of Glory as a song that bridges the gap between bluegrass and more traditional Christmas songs on the holiday playlist.”
In the studio, they didn’t try to put any sort of new spin on the song, but laid it out as one might sing it at church. It’s the perfect way to honor the melody and lyrics of a classic carol.
Corrina sings lead and plays fiddle, with her husband, Jeremy Stephens, on guitar, bass, and duet vocal, Casey Campbell on mandolin, Kurt Stephenson on banjo, and Kevin Buchanan on percussion.
Have a listen.
Angels From The Realms of Glory is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.
