Christmas Song

The Hallmark Channel's annual festival of Christmas movies begins with this effort. Gabriel Hogan and Natasha Henstridge are music teachers in two private schools that merge. Only one will have a job long term and it comes down to a competition over who has directed the best Christmas carol performance. Soon enough, all sorts of student and parents' neuroses complicate the plot.

As is usual with Hallmark TV movies, Ms. Henstridge is the more buttoned-down of the two, preferring classical music and technique, while Mr. Hogan holds for creativity and feeling the music. However, both are presented as likable, competent teachers and closer to the middle of that range than most Hallmark movies. There are also several amusing bits, particularly one in which they keep getting matched by an online dating service. Both are likable and relaxed with their characters and the net effect, while no world-beater, is very pleasant.