World-class violinist Lindsey Stirling and a troupe of dancers set the stage for an epic "Joy to the World" duet by the hosts of 2023's "CMA Country Christmas" TV special: Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood.
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Grant and Yearwood swapped verses before their iconic voices became one for the grand finale. Watch the majestic, soul-stirring performance below.
ABC aired the 14th annual "CMA Country Christmas" primetime special on Thursday (Dec. 14). The network will re-air it on Wednesday (Dec. 20) at 10 p.m. ET. It's currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Yearwood returned as a second-time host. Her first Christmas album, The Sweetest Gift, turns 30 in 2024. She followed that up in 2016 with Christmas Together, a collaborative album with her spouse, Garth Brooks.
A Christmas Album (1983) alone makes co-host Grant synonymous with holiday music. She does a series of December concerts in Nashville with her husband, Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, which makes her no stranger to comparable festivities.
Other performances of note include Lainey Wilson and Zach Williams' rocking twist on "Go Tell It on the Mountain" as well as Yearwood and Grant's rendition of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." In addition, Grant sang her 1992 song "Grown Up Christmas List" solo, and Yearwood teamed with Stirling for "O Holy Night."
"I really get into the spirit of the season hard and I think this show, it's got so much energy and joy and it's a bring everybody together thing, it's a feel-good thing, which we just really need," Yearwood said (as quoted by Country Now). "This is my favorite time of the year."
"There were just so many different fun, playful, serious, sentimental, faith-filled, there's so many beautiful moments, Grant added. "I just think for the people here, live or if it's just piped into your home and you're watching it by yourself, it's going to be a great experience."
