Patti Smith sings “O Holy Night”

Here’s an early taste of Christmas for you.

A few eyebrows were raised yesterday when it was announced that punk icon Patti Smith would be singing at the annual Vatican Christmas concert.

But it turns out this isn’t her first appearance there. She sang last year. Among other things, she offered her interpretation of “O Holy Night”—which, as you’ll see below, is unexpectedly moving. It’s prayerful, aching, but almost serene—and the “tau” cross around her neck is a lovely Franciscan touch.

When Patti Smith sings “the weary soul rejoices,” you sense the quiet yearning of a woman who knows what she’s talking about.