Allison Crowe (born 16 November 1981) is a singer-songwriter, producer, arr… Read Full Bio ↴Allison Crowe (born 16 November 1981) is a singer-songwriter, producer, arranger, pianist, guitarist and fiddler born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada who's made her home in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada.

Allison Crowe began performing professionally in 1996, at age 15, doing regular sets in the coffee-houses and bars of Vancouver Island. She began touring internationally in 2001. The artist settled in Canada's Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador at the end of 2005.

"I love singing for people," says Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."

Today, Crowe's reach is global. The audience for her music videos and song downloads numbers more millions each year.

"Allison Crowe has a voice to fall in love with," says UK music industry journal Record of the Day. "She is from Vancouver Island in Canada, descended from Scottish, Irish and Manx stock. She's exactly the sort of artist who can make serious headway on her own label and that's just what she's doing."

With Ani DiFranco as a model of integrity, Crowe created her own label. Since 2001, Rubenesque Records Ltd has released a series of critically and commercially successful albums: Lisa's Song, Secrets, Tidings, Live at Wood Hall, This Little Bird, Little Light, Spiral, Tidings Concert, Newfoundland Vinyl, Heavy Graces, Songbook, Souling, Newfoundland Vinyl II, Songbook, Souling, Newfoundland Vinyl 3, and Introducing / Heirs + Grievances.

Through recording and touring Allison Crowe has achieved broad popularity, featured by BBC Radio, MOJO magazine and acclaimed Hollywood director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch). In 2013, Allison Crowe appears in "Man of Steel" - an epic science fiction movie adventure featuring Superman. In this blockbuster film, Crowe cameos as a singer/musician in Cassidy's Bar where Clark Kent is working incognito. She performs "Ring of Fire", a song penned by June Carter and Merle Kilgore and made legendary by 'The Man in Black'. “I’m a big Johnny Cash fan. And I’m a big Allison Crowe fan. So the combination to me seemed like an awesome opportunity if we could make it happen,” explains MoS Director Zack Snyder.

"The first thing you notice about Allison Crowe is her voice. Rich and dark, it seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by Crowe's eloquent piano playing," writes Clodagh O'Connell (The Courier). Hers is a joyous sound: "Elton John meets Edith Piaf."

A sensation at the UK's John Lennon Northern Lights Festival, "Canadian angel Alison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments," says The Scotsman newspaper. Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Crowe as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", noting her performance "put hairs on the back of your neck! She brought the house down."

"Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret the missed opportunity. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," says Robert Reid in The Record.

"Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit," says Ross Hocker, long-time public broadcaster with NPR affiliate WGTE. Hocker, whose musical taste embraces Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok and Charles Gounod, calls Allison Crowe's live performance "the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life."

"In an entertainment world that increasingly genuflects at the altar of instant fame, Crowe seems an anomaly, building her career slowly and carefully," notes Adrian Chamberlain, of Canada's Times Colonist newspaper.

"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make," says Allison Crowe.

O Holy Night
Allison Crowe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

O Holy Night

Words: Placide Cappeau, 1847 (Minuit, chrétiens, c'est l'heure
solennelle); translated from French to English by John S. Dwight
(1812-1893)
Music: Adolphe C. Adam (1803-1856)
Arranged and performed by Allison Crowe

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night divine, O night, O night divine!

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

O night divine, O night, O night divine!

Overall Meaning

Allison Crowe's rendition of O Holy Night is a beautiful and powerful interpretation of this classic Christmas song. The lyrics speak to the joy and hope that comes with the birth of Christ. The first verse sets the scene of a peaceful and starry night, marking the arrival of the Savior who had been long awaited. The phrase "Long lay the world in sin and error pining" refers to the waiting and longing for salvation from sins and mistakes made by humanity. The appearance of Christ, then, gives a sense of worth to the soul and the feeling of hope.

The second verse then intensifies the emotions, expressing how the world rejoices and the angel voices can be heard. The feeling of awe and amazement can be felt through Allison's beautiful arrangement and performance. The climax of the song is the repeated phrase "O night divine", amplifying the significance of the moment when Christ was born. The final line is a beautiful repetition of the phrase "O night divine", emphasizing the holiness and importance of the birth, and conveying a sense of reverence.

Overall, Allison Crowe's O Holy Night is a deeply moving and sincere interpretation of the traditional Christmas song, capturing the sense of joy, hope, and reverence brought by the birth of Christ.

Line by Line Meaning

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
The heavens are lit up with shining stars on this holy night.

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth!
This is the night that we celebrate the birth of our beloved Savior!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
The world had been languishing in sin for a long time, lost and hopeless.

'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
Until the Savior appeared, many felt like their lives were worthless, but now their souls have found their true value.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
The whole world, which had been weighed down by the weariness of sin, now feels a surge of hope and rejoices.

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
A new and wonderful dawn is breaking in the distance.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
Everyone should fall to their knees and listen to the angels singing!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
What a divine and holy night it was when our Lord and Savior was born!

O night divine, O night, O night divine!
Oh, how amazing and glorious was this sacred night!