One of the best Christmas shows of the season occurred at The Birchmere recently when Stella Cole brought her Holiday show to Alexandria. Cole is currently conducting a tour throughout the holiday season and is playing some of the most known Christmas songs as well as some of the best songs known covering artists such as George Gershwin, Anthony Newley, Glenn Miller, Osvaldo Farres, Irving Berlin, Mel Torme, Perry Como, Hugh Martin, Herman Hupfeld, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, and Henry Mancini.
Cole has a timeless voice, a voice that you may have heard 50 years ago, but one that captivates a modern audience, and is fine-tuned for today’s major venues. At 26 years of age, Cole is able to grace a stage and sound like a performer much older, but with the unique quality of being so young, with so much talent and stage presence. She captivates with a voice a friend of mine who listens to her often describes as “smoky.” It draws you in and becomes more subtle with each word she sings.
At The Birchmere on Dec. 10, Cole did not have an opener and just walked on stage and delved straight into a Gershwin classic with “Love Walked In” and Newley’s classic “Pure Imagination.” By the third song of the night, I felt Cole found her real vocal range with a fantastic cover of Glenn Miller’s “Stairway to the Stars.” Cole covers the song on her latest album — titled It’s Magic released this year. Since growing up in a household that listened to this style of music a lot, I think it’s safe to say that Cole’s cover ability for such highly loved songs is arguably as good as anyone I’ve heard during my lifetime. She is definitely one of the best on the planet singing these classics.
Midway through the performance Cole energized the crowd in attendance with a selection of Christmas classics such as “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an Open Fire)” by Mel Torme, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Como, and “White Christmas” by Berlin. This part of the show was very pleasing with enormous energy and crowd response.
Watch Stella Cole sing “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin on YouTube:
Cole is also a very elegant orator causing a lot of laughter especially as she told the crowd on more than one occasion during the show that they did not have to applaud so much that it was up to them. Cole said this with a touch of apprehension as she told a story of a lady in London who had complained to her that she could not completely enjoy Cole’s performance due to all the non-stop applause. Receiving too much applause may not be a bad position to find oneself in, but I did see firsthand that Cole does receive a lot of applause. But the applause was well deserved as she turned out brilliant performances with multiple classic arrangements. It also helps that she continues to smile and charms the audience in a very elegant manner during the show.
Near the end of the performance, Cole sang my favorite two songs of the night with covers of “As Time Goes By” by Hupfeld, and “Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen before closing the show with a stellar “Moon River” by Henry Mancini.
Cole, known for her work singing jazz and classics that many of us grew up listening to, is a must see in concert. Her tour continues around the US though the holiday season and will continue after the new year begins for anyone interested in a great night of hearing some of the finest songs ever written.
Setlist:
1. Love Walked In (George Gershwin cover)
2. Pure Imagination (Anthony Newley cover)
3. Darn That Dream
4. Stairway to the Stars (Glenn Miller cover)
5. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Osvaldo Farres cover)
6. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Irving Berlin cover)
7. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (Mel Torme cover)
8. It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas (Perry Como cover)
9. White Christmas (Irving Berlin cover)
10. Sleigh Ride
11. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin cover)
12. Our Love Is Here to Stay / S Wonderful (George Gershwin covers medley)
13. As Time Goes By (Herman Hupfeld cover)
14. Anything Goes (Cole Porter cover)
15. Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen cover)
16. Moon River (Henry Mancini cover)
Here are some photos of Stella Cole performing live at The Birchmere on Dec. 10, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
