It is Perry Como's great gift that he can sing just about anything. Whether performing the turn-of-the-century songs, for which he has shown a considerable fondness, or the most current popular music, Como always seems at home and at ease. His legendary relaxation — the result, really, of not only professional skill and assurance but the painstaking care he takes in the preparation of a song — is always in evidence.

That's how it is in this collection of much-loved Christmas songs.

Could there be more perfect casting for these songs than Perry Como? Could anyone have more sympathy for the warm, family spirit of the season?

Perry runs the whole range of Christmas songs in this collection, especially assembled for this year, from Schubert's "Ave Maria" through carols  such as "O Holy Night", "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World" to the happy and optimistic "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" to songs from the pop music repertoire, such as "Home for the Holidays", to the ever-present "Jingle Bells", which he does with a light and cheerful swing.

But Christmas is, above all, a children's time, and that's the reason he shares honors here with Hugo & Luigi's Children's Chorus singing such Christmas favorites as the Humorous "The Twelve Days of Christmas", which is more redolent of plumb puddings and holly than perhaps any other Christmas song, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "Deck the Halls".

We think of Christmas as a time of snow and sleighs and pine trees. But it isn't that way every where. In Brazil, for example, Christmas comes in the summer. And in Florida and Southern California you'll see not pines but palm trees.

Christmas is different things to different people everywhere. But somehow the warm baritone of Perry Como goes everywhere, is at home everywhere. He's universal. Perhaps that's what makes this such a special performance of favorite Christmas songs.