Over the years, some of my favorite samplers in my redonkulously ginormous music collection have come from Canada’s Nettwerk Records. Famously home to Sarah McLachlan, the label’s releases served the purpose they were designed to achieve: Introduce me to artists I might not have otherwise heard, like Bel Canto, Single Gun Theory, Suzanne Little, Ginger, and MC 900 Ft Jesus.

Some 26 years after Nettwerk got its start, the label has issued another sampler in time for the holidays. The unoriginally titled Nettwerk Holiday Sampler 2010 is stocked with a quintet of Christmas tunes, starting with two from Sixpence None The Richer (“Silent Night” and “Angels We Have Heard On High,” returning from O Christmas Free 2008). A holiday helping of delicious power pop comes next, “Believe In Me” by fun., the NYC trio featuring Nate Ruess, formerly of The Format. That’s followed by a haunting take on the always contemplative “O Come Emmanuel,” courtesy the choral collective Aliqua. The somewhat-schizo sampler closes with an original from Grey’s Anatomy fave (and mine as well), Butterfly Boucher, called “Cinnamon & Chocolate.”

For my money (though the Nettwerk Holiday Sampler is gratis), “Cinnamon & Chocolate” is the standout. Written with Dawson Wells, Boucher’s tune originally appeared on 2008’s Ten Out Of Tenn Christmas album. “Cinnamon & Chocolate” builds to Christmas pageant-like loveliness, with the sentiment of the holiday season captured quite well. Listen to this live-in-studio take, featuring some of Boucher’s cohorts from the Ten Out Of Tenn musical collective:

One other little gift I’d love Boucher to share for Christmas this year is her SAW-inspired cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” which she posted to YouTube in 2007. It’s brilliant, but frustratingly unavailable for download.

Free download of the Nettwerk Holiday Sampler 2010 via Amazon MP3.