This charming and unusual Christmas collection was made by Capitol recording artist and zither player, Ruth Welcome, in 1962. Throughout the '50s and into the '60s, the German-born Welcome was an unlikely star of an unusual instrument, recording a total of 18 albums for Capitol that were marketed toward the easy listening/exotica genres. Playing on her custom-built Meinel zither, the sound of her instrument somewhat resembles a dark-toned steel guitar, and on this set of holiday standards, she is accompanied by the muted tones of a celeste. Christmas in Zitherland's odd, tremulous sound is highly atmospheric and Welcome's slow-paced renditions of carols like "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "O Holy Night" have a strange allure. Aside from the more uptempo "Jingle Bells"/"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" medley, the adaptations and overall vibe here are pretty easygoing. While zither albums are a fairly obscure commodity, this peculiar little gem is as warm and friendly as its creator's surname.