Together at Christmas (Michael Ball and Alfie Boe album)
Together at Christmas is the fourth collaborative studio album by English singers Michael Ball and Alfie Boe. It was released on 20 November 2020 through Decca Records.[1] The album peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
| Together at Christmas | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 20 November 2020 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Producer | Nick Patrick | |||
| Michael Ball chronology | ||||
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| Alfie Boe chronology | ||||
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Background
In October 2020, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe announced details of their new album, it will be titled Together At Christmas. The album features festive classics and one brand new original song titled "My Christmas Will Be Better Than Yours". Talking about the album Ball said, "Me and Alfie, together at Christmas, I can't think of anything better! In these strange times, we wanted to create an album of songs that we like to listen to at Christmas, plus a few surprises along the way, including an original song! Hopefully our fans will love listening to this for many years to come. This year it's certainly going to be a Christmas we'll never forget. Can't wait to see you all on tour in 2021." Alfie Boe said, "Keeping the Christmas spirit alive seems more important than ever this year. We wanted to create a festive album that brings joy, love and happiness. Spreading the Christmas cheer is something we all need a little extra of during these challenging times, so however people are going to be able to spend their holiday season, we'll be right here Back Together At Christmas with our fans who we are incredibly grateful for and can't wait to see in person when we're back for a brand new tour in 2021."[2]
Commercial performance
On 23 November 2020, the album was at number one on the Official Chart Update and was over 7,000 chart sales ahead of Be by BTS.[3] On 27 November 2020, the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one with sales of 32,882 in its first week, 96% of which were physical sales, the album became the duo's third number one together. Talking to the Official Charts Company, the duo said, "We just want to say thank you so much for getting us to Number 1, we really appreciate it. This is all for you – to bring you a bit of cheer this year. We’re sending lots of love, have a very Merry Christmas."[4] Together at Christmas became Michael Ball's eleventh Top ten album in the UK and became Alfie Boe's ninth Top ten album in the UK.
Tour
In October 2020 Michael Ball and Alfie Boe announced that they will go on an UK arena tour in 2021 to support the release of their new album. They are planning to head out on a 13-date arena tour in November 2021, culminating at London's O2 Arena on December 19. Tickets for the shows went on sale on Friday 30 October.[2]
| UK and Ireland Tour | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | City | Country | Venue | ||
| 29 November 2021 | Birmingham | England | Resorts World Arena | ||
| 30 November 2021 | Liverpool | England | M&S Bank Arena | ||
| 2 December 2021 | Brighton | England | Brighton Centre | ||
| 4 December 2021 | Bournemouth | England | International Centre | ||
| 6 December 2021 | Dublin | Republic of Ireland | 3Arena | ||
| 7 December 2021 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | SSE Arena | ||
| 9 December 2021 | Leeds | England | First Direct Arena | ||
| 11 December 2021 | Aberdeen | Scotland | P&J Live | ||
| 12 December 2021 | Glasgow | Scotland | SSE Hydro | ||
| 15 December 2021 | Newcastle | England | Utilita Arena | ||
| 16 December 2021 | Manchester | England | AO Arena | ||
| 18 December 2021 | Nottingham | England | Motorpoint Arena | ||
| 19 December 2021 | London | England | The O2 Arena | ||
Track listing
All songs produced by Nick Patrick.[5]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" | Meredith Willson | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | 3:52 | |
| 3. | "Mistletoe and Wine" | 3:32 | |
| 4. | "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" | 2:48 | |
| 5. | "I Believe" |
| 2:26 |
| 6. | "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (feat. Gregory Porter) | Mel Tormé | 2:32 |
| 7. | "White Christmas" (From White Christmas) | Irving Berlin | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Silent Night" | Franz Gruber | 3:50 |
| 9. | "The Spirit of Christmas" | 3:57 | |
| 10. | "O Holy Night" | Robin Smith | 4:48 |
| 11. | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" |
| 4:01 |
| 12. | "My Christmas Will Be Better Than Yours" |
| 3:43 |
| 13. | "Once Upon a December" |
| 2:51 |
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums (OCC)[6] | 44 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] | 1 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 18 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[10] | Gold | 100,000 |
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Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 20 November 2020 | Decca |
References
- "Together At Christmas by Michael Ball & Alfie Boe". Apple Music. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Michael Ball and Alfie Boe announce new festive album". Official Charts Company. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Ball & Boe take on BTS for Number 1 album". Official Charts Company. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Michael Ball & Alfie Boe score third Number 1 album: "This is all for you"". Official Charts Company. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Credits / Together At Christmas / Michael Ball – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- "British album certifications – Michael Ball & Alfie Boe – Together at Christmas". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 18, 2020. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Together at Christmas in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.