A Christmas Celebration : Celtic Woman
One of the more impressive things about A Christmas Celebration is its glowing immediacy. The record's rich vocals and colorful instrumentals create a concert-like setting, reprising the season's most loved hymns, carols, and pop standards, along with a Gaelic version of "That Night in Bethlehem." Unexpected numbers such as "Christmas Pipes" and "Carol of the Bells" (here led by the spirited fiddling of Mariread Nesbitt) only enhance an already engaging disc that finely weaves between the piety of classical music and the playfulness of pop. Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, and Meav Ni Mhaolchatha combine their Celtic voices against orchestral arrangements and sparser settings--spiked with the traditional Irish fare of uilleann pipes, harp, and ancient choral harmony--to deliver an assortment of reverent but lively arrangements that wouldn't be out of place at a church, concert hall, or good Irish celli.
Christmas Pipes is a fun, more energetic song that brings to mind gatherings with friends, kissing under the mistletoe and sharing hot cocoa. Panis Angelicus is a gentle, soothing song, while Don Oiche Ud I Mbeithil (That Night in Bethlehem) is so tender and contemplative that it brought tears to eyes. The Wexford Carol brings to mind carolers in Victorian England. The CD itself is filled with traditional carols (O Holy Night, Silent Night, Ding Dong Merrily on High, Carol of the Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful), contemporary carols (White Christmas, The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy, Let it Snow).
Song List: | 1. | O Holy Night | 4:25 | | 2. | Away In A Manger | 2:31 | | 3. | Ding Dong Merrily On High | 2:47 | | 4. | White Christmas | 3:21 | | 5. | Silent Night | 3:25 | | 6. | Christmas Pipes | 3:51 | | 7. | The Christmas Song | 3:35 | | 8. | Carol Of The Bells | 2:19 | | 9. | Have Yourself A Merry Christmas | 2:27 | | 10. | Panis Angelicus | 3:56 | | 11. | Don Oíche Úd I mBeithil (That Night In Bethlehem) | 2:44 | | 12. | O Come All Ye Faithful | 3:50 | | 13. | The Little Drummer Boy | 3:46 | | 14. | The Wexford Carol | 3:04 | | 15. | Let It Snow | 2:30 |
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