to listen to Celtic Christmas music! Every year at this time I brush off my favorite Christmas CD: The Chieftans “The Bells of Dublin.” I also have a great instrumental CD with L.E. McCullough called “Celtic Christmas” that I found in the bargain bin at a local discount store. Other than these two, I haven’t seen a lot of Yuletide Celtic music out there. So what are some of your favorite recordings of Christmas tunes featuring Celtic artists?
[ This Message was edited by: Bartleby on 2002-12-15 12:27 ]
I haven’t heard enough Celtic CDs to have a favorite yet, but one I really like is one of the Solitudes series. I don’t know which one it is because I don’t have it myself, but the first track is Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and the version of What Child is This is the reason why I decided I absolutely had to have a decent high G. Our group is doing this CD’s version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen as part of our Christmas repertoire, first in Dm in 4/4 and then spritely in Am as a jig. The turnaround in this version is great. The second track, O Come O Come Emmanuel, is just fiddle and I believe guitar, and very tasteful.
At first I thought the added “nature” sounds were kind of schmaltzy, but it has grown on me.
Lisa
Unfortunately I only own one celtic Christmas CD but I really like it. It’s “The Christmas Album” by the Barra MacNeils. I really love their version of Carol of the Bells and Christmas Comes But Once a Year.
Cherish The Ladies have a new one out. I haven’t actually heard the album, but I did hear many of the songs played in concert two days ago - it should be a good one.
I love celtic/irish music, but Christmas, for me, is also a time of connecting. So I’m looking for what I like and what other will like to share in. I just heard a couple of CD’s at the office that might let me do that.
Windham Hill: Winter Solstice: Volume ?.
I think I’ll have to stop by the local Borders and find which volumes I like best. The ones I heard was Volume 8 or 9.
On one of those, there was a flute and harp track on that grabbed my ear followed by a track with a low whistle later on.
-Chieftains’ “Bells of Dublin” CD is
my favorite Xmas album too, along with
a Laserlight cheapo edition of Bach
Christmas music with parts of the oratorio. (includes a superb uptempo “Grosser Herr, O Starker Koenig” with Ludwig Guttler)
-Rickie Lee Jones singing “O’Holy Night”
was a stretch on “Bells of Dublin”, but the CD is wonderful overall.
Brian;
I totally agree with you about the Rickie Lee Jones version of “Oh Holy Night” on the Bells of Dublin CD. To me, that’s the one throwaway track on the album. I can’t stand to listen to it, it grates on my nerves. I always skip past it!
Yesterday I picked up a two CD set called
“Narada Presents the Best of Celtic Christmas”. It’s nice, very nice and I was surprised that it was only $18.95. Compiled by Earle Hitchner.
Disc One:
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Cathie Ryan
Christ Child’s Lullaby - Kathy Mattea
Christmastime in Ashland - Cormac Breatnach and Martin Dunlea
Nowel: Owt of your slepe aryse - Anonymous 4
The Mummer’s Jig/Christmas Eve - Boys of the Lough
Get Me Through December - Natalie McMaster
I Saw Three Ships - Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band
Silent Night - Mairi MacInnes and William Jackson
The Snowy Path - Altan
Away in a Manger - El McMeen
Nouel - Ensemble Choral du Bout du Monde
Ding Dong Merrily on High - Frankie Gavin with the Carl Hession Orchestra
Ceol NaNolag - John Whelan
Seacht Suailci na Maighdine Muire - Aoife Ni Fhearraigh
Adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful) - Bonnie Ridout
Disc Two, The Night Before…A Celtic Christmas, is by Dordan (Mary Bergin, Dearbhaill Standun, Kathleen Loughnane, and Martina Goggin)
My favorite Celtic Christmas CD is also “Bells of Dublin”. But I bet there are loads of good ones out there!!! I also like Maddy Prior and the Carnival band “Carols & Capers”, it’s really nice, medieval-like.
I’m really interested in that Cherish the ladies-CD, what’s the name of it?
I like “When the Snow Lay 'Round About” by regional (northern Virginia?) artists Tabby Finch on celtic harp and hammer dulcimer and Seth Austin on guitar.
Tracks include a 17th century English Dance “Drive the Cold Winter Away” paired with “Julia Delaney,” described as “austere for an Irish reel!”
It ends up with “Old Man Winter” from Pete Sutherland of Vermont, paired with “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
On 2002-12-15 17:53, livethe question wrote:
Yesterday I picked up a two CD set called
“Narada Presents the Best of Celtic Christmas”. It’s nice, very nice and I was surprised that it was only $18.95. Compiled by Earle Hitchner.
…
jim
Thanks for the lead, I just bought the same from CDnow.com (13.99 + shipping) for any who are interested.
