More pregnant than any of Floridaís disputed chads, Grant appeared suitably joyful and sang in her winningly fluid alto. This show, to be repeated at 7:30 tonight, was the first of Grantís seasonal shindigs to feature Vince Gill in dual roles of vocalist and husband.

So the Vince and Amy show was a subtext, only it doesnít seem like a show at all. The somewhat newlyweds seem awfully happy and comfortable around each other, employing subtle, un-showbizzy glances and smiles.

But enough of the gossip column stuff. The music was, well, everything one might expect: ballads that ranged from saccharine to heartfelt; a symphony that played with impressive dynamics even in a hockey arena; arrangements that were too slick; a spirit that was ultimately cheering.

The eveningís highlight was Gillís take on Blue Christmas, a slow, countrypolitan version that retained the sadness that lies at that songís core. Gillís high voice ó heís essentially a bluegrass singer with a highly developed vibrato ó rang clean and true here, as he overcame an uncomfortable early show performance.

"I feel like the hillbilly Dean Martin," he said after performing The Christmas Song near the beginning of the concert while shoving his left hand deep into his suit pant pocket. Gill told the crowd that he felt strange without a guitar in his hand.

Grantís best moments came on her well-known Tennessee Christmas anthem, a song she wrote with ex-husband Gary Chapman. Smith and Gill stacked harmonies on the chorus, and she sang flawlessly, having long ago mastered the deceptively difficult melody.

Smith began with two un-Christmasy selections from his newly released album of instrumentals. But his self-penned holiday compositions were well received, and his ringleading work on holiday sing-alongs were reminders that Christmas songs remain a rare bastion of the American collective.

Grant and Smith performed their co-written Love Has Come, a song that depicts a Christ-centered familyís Christmas morning as more concerned with opening gifts than appreciating God.

"My Christmas morning has never been like that," she said, acknowledging the difficulty in squaring commercial and spiritual concerns when kids are involved.

Her comments presented a nice moment and a realization that some things are always a little out of control, even for the richest and most famous among us. No matter, she seemed to be saying. Christmas is not for the perfect. Itís for the beloved and the believers.

getting there...

Nashville's Christmas,'' with Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Michael W. Smith and the Nashville Symphony, is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Gaylord Entertainment Center, 501 Broadway. Tickets: $25-$150 via Ticketmaster at 255-ARTS (2787).